What Kind of Wax Do You Use on 1930 Hardwood Floors?

Type of Wax

• Although its application is time-consuming, paste wax brings out the rich wood tones of the old hardwood floor and offers protection from liquid spills. It provides a long-lasting finish that holds up well under heavy foot traffic. A number of manufacturers produce paste wax commercially and it’s available at hardware and home improvement stores and some grocery stores. Several online retailers carry paste wax as well.

Application

• Removal of all dirt and dust particles before the wax application is critical to its success. Use a dust mop after sweeping to ensure the hardwood floor is dust-free. Clean the floor with a wood cleaner, according to the label instructions, or use mineral spirits. You may need to use a scrubbing pad to remove stubborn stains or excess wax. Dust mop again after the floor dries. Use a white terrycloth or cheesecloth rag to apply the paste wax, rubbing it into the wood along the grain. Allow the paste wax to dry for an hour and then use a floor buffer to bring it to a high shine.

Maintenance

• The key to keeping the shine on the 1930s hardwood floor is regular removal of dust and dirt. Small dirt particles grind into the wood, causing microscopic scratches that dull the surface. Regular dust mopping or vacuuming keeps this from occurring. Use rugs at all the entryways to avoid having dirt tracked onto the hardwood floor. Use a hardwood floor cleaner to keep the surface clean between wax applications, which should occur twice a year.

Considerations

• If you have one of the floors that was installed with nails and the nails sink, fill the resulting holes with wood filler. Many large hardware stores sell fillers in different colors to match various hardwood floors. After the wood filler dries, apply an additional coat of wax. If the hardwood floor is particularly old and scratched or damaged, you may want to sand it and apply a fresh coat of polyurethane or shellac before waxing.