How to Antique French Oak Scraped Wood Floors

Sand off the old finish on the boards. Go across the wood first with a medium-grit sanding block. Then, go with the grain of the wood with a fine-grit sanding block. Work until the entire finish is removed from the floor.

Clean up the sanding dust with a vacuum and tack cloths. Vacuum the room first to remove the majority of the dust. Then, go over the floor with tack cloths to remove fine dust that the vacuum missed.

Apply one coat of aged wood stain. This type of stain is vital during the antiquing process and is designed to give wood an aged appearance. Use a floor applicator to apply the first coat. Let it dry for four to six hours.

Sand down the first coat with a fine-grit sanding block.

Apply a second coat of wood stain only on the scraped portions of the floor. As floors naturally age, damaged areas darken while the remainder of the floor stays lighter. Replicate this by painting wood stain onto the scraped areas. Let this second coat dry completely and sand it lightly.

Apply a coat of polyurethane to protect the flooring. The floors may look aged, but you still need to protect the wood. Use a floor applicator to apply one coat of polyurethane. Let this dry for eight hours before allowing foot traffic in the room.