Can You Wax Prefinished Hardwood Floors

Before waxing hardwood floors carefully clean the surface with a broom or mop to remove any dust or dirt that could get trapped in the wax and impact the finish.

Can you wax prefinished hardwood floors.

Revitalizers work best on floors that are sealed with polyurethane so if you don t know how your floor is sealed it s best to test it on a small inconspicuous area first. A small application of cleaner on a microfiber mop is all that s needed to clean your floors. However you need to know a thing or two about maintenance to maintain the shine of your engineered hardwood floors. Standing fluids can seep through even the baked on coating of a prefinished floor and they can also seep between boards and cause warping.

Be sure to use the correct type of wax for your floor and finish. Many are intended for vinyl linoleum and tile but not hardwood. When it comes to waxing your hardwood floors you should be careful about the frequency or the time interval between two waxing sessions. Traditionally hardwood flooring was always installed as unfinished planks that were then stained and finished with a protective surface layer right on the worksite.

There are a number of techniques and products you can use. If you don t get to a water spill quickly enough it may. For example some types of modern hardwood flooring have a sealed surface that should not be waxed. Floors that have a polyurethane finish do not need to be waxed.

These finishes require a water based polish instead. Sandpaper and steel wool can degrade surface finishes so you ll want to. You need a product approved for hardwood floors or you risk damaging the floor finish when you strip the wax. When cleaning hardwood floors less is more.

They are easy to install affordable and require less upkeep than traditional hardwood floors. Depending on the exact flooring and the product you use for waxing you may not need to re wax the floor for a period ranging from a couple of months to nearly two years. But since the introduction of prefinished solid hardwood during the 1940s this newer form of flooring has become increasingly popular and today you may find that it s easier to find than traditional unfinished hardwood planks. If waxing a floor that doesn t need it the wax will react negatively with the finish and create a cloudy look.

The best candidate for waxing is a hardwood floor that was previously treated with a penetrating wood sealer lacquer varnish shellac or oil as wax can bolster the protective properties of. Apply a solvent based hardwood floor wax to the scrubbed area with a soft cloth and buff it in to restore its shine.