French Polishing Methods for Wood Floors

Basic Procedure

• French polishing is a specialized form of wood finishing. This basic process consists of applying a mixture of shellac and alcohol with a cloth. As the applied finish dries, the alcohol evaporates and the shellac remains, creating a clean and glossy finish. Because finishers following this process use a cloth instead of a brush, the resulting finish is brush-stroke free. While the process can be applied to everything from flooring to guitars, it was originally developed for use in cabinetmaking around the year 1820.

Surface Preparation

• After you apply your French polish, you will have a sleek surface covered with glossy shellac. If you have impurities under your shellac surface, this shiny topcoat will magnify these imperfections. To ensure that your French polish beautifies your floor instead of simply drawing attention to each nick, you must spend time preparing the surface prior to polishing. The first step in preparation is to clean the surface thoroughly with mineral spirits. After cleaning, sand the wood planks to reduce the presence of imperfections. Before applying the polish, it is vital to sweep and vacuum the entire floor as particles of dust from sanding can become trapped under the polish if not picked up prior to polishing.

Preparing the Applicator

• The applicator used to apply French polish is referred to as a “rubber.” This applicator consists of a piece of cotton wool wrapped in a piece of cotton or linen. While you can purchase premade French polish applicators, creating your own isn’t a taxing process. To do so, simply procure some cotton wool. Create a ball approximately the size of a tennis ball, then form the ball into a triangular shape, pressing it with your hands to help it take shape. Secure this shape by wrapping it tightly in a piece of linen or cloth. Gather the linen or cloth at the top of the wool lump and apply a rubber band to hold it in place. If your applicator becomes too loaded with polish, simply remove and replace the outer cloth layer.

Mixing French Polish

• The actual mixing of French polish is the most intimidating part of the process. To mix your own French polish, you must purchase dried shellac flakes and dissolve them into alcohol. The specific proportions of alcohol to shellac depend upon the finish you are trying to achieve. Because dried shellac flakes are almost exclusively used for French polishing, these flakes will come with specific mixing instructions.

Premixed French Polish

• If you wish to French polish your floors but aren’t eager to engage in the Chemistry-experiment-like mixing necessary to create your own French polish mixture, you can purchase a premixed French polish. Many companies offer polish consisting of shellac and alcohol that they market under the name French polish. Because the mixing is already done if you buy a premade option, the only provision you must make when applying this polish is using a rag instead of a brush to stick with the French polish procedure.