Superior Flooring by Herwynen Sawmill

Many people today are turning to newer finishes on old floors that do not require hard work to maintain. However, the biggest obstacle is removing the old waxes first as any new finish will not bond properly.

Testing for waxed finishes is as simple as applying some water droplets to the floor. If the water beads, your finish is wax. Waxed floors are often a maintenance headache, requiring more care than that of newer oil and Superior Flooring water based finishes.

For floors that haven't been coated heavily with wax an odor free mineral spirits can be applied to a steel wool pad placed on the bottom of a floor buffer. If the floors are beveled, hand scraping will be required to remove buildup in crevices. Follow up cleaning is vital to make sure the waxes have been removed. A thorough floor cleaning with mineral sprits and clean rags at least twice is recommended.

Larger heavily waxed floors may require very rough sanding with a drum sander. Professionals differ on what sanding grit should be used with some as low as 36.  What also may be unknown is what was under the wax. Older shellac finishes may be under years of wax buildup.