Polishing Wood Floors

The beauty and vibrancy of wood floors is incomparable to any other flooring material. Its elegance and warmth improves the visual appeal of the interiors of your house manifolds. However, with regular exposure to dirt and dust over a period of time it becomes dull and lifeless. In this condition, even if you clean up the wood floors thoroughly, you are unable to get back its old shine and attractive look. You feel so frustrated that you feel like replacing them with new wood floors. However, installing new wood floors is going to be an expensive affair. So, the best option available with you for restoration of its shine is polishing. Cost of polishing wood floors is much less as compared to installation of new floors.

How to Polish Wood Floors

The important aspects of polishing wood floors are selection of the right polishing material, good preparation of the floor and proper application of wood polish. The main steps are as follows:

Steps #1: Select the Right Wood Polish
As far as materials for polishing wood floors are concerned, you have three popular options available with you. The first one is wax that can give you a long-lasting finish. However, it is not suitable for a wood floor which has a urethane finish. Moreover, if you have plans to refinish the wood floors in the near future, even then you should not opt for wax polish because removal of wax from the floor is going to be tough. Polyurethane is the most widely used wood polish as, today, most of the wood floors have urethane finishes. The third option for you is shellac wood polish. You should choose the right polishing material as per your requirement. If you have some doubt about the finish of your wood floor, you can consult the manufacturer for proper guidance.

Steps #2: Clean up the Floor
Remove all the furniture and area rugs from the floor to make your work area free. Then take a soft-bristled broom and sweep the floor to clean up the loose sand, dirt and grit from the floor surface. To remove finer dust particles from the floor, you can mop it up with the help of a clean and slightly damp cotton cloth. If there are traces of stubborn dirt on the wood floors, then you have to use cleaning products specially formulated for wood floor. After cleaning, let the floor dry thoroughly before you proceed with the next step of application of wood polish.

Steps #3: Application of Wood Polish
Before applying a polish, you must perform a patch test in one hidden corner of the floor. For your convenience, divide the floor area into small sections and apply the wax or polish on one section at a time. In case you are using wax polish, take a small amount of wax on a dry piece of cloth and rub it over the wood surface in small circular motions. After application of the first coat of wax, buff the floor with the help of a soft, dry piece of cloth. You can also use a buffer machine which is available on rent. Then if required, apply another coat of wax and buff it. However, you should not over-wax the floor as it looks dull and become slippery.

Application of a urethane or shellac polishing solution requires lesser effort. Simply, dip a rag or brush into the solution and apply it on the floor. While applying the polish, just take care that you move the brush or rag in the direction of the grain of the wood for a better finish. Once the first coat of polish dries up thoroughly, apply the second coat of polish following the same technique. Walk on your newly polished floor only when it is completely dry.

Thus you can shine a hardwood floor and regain its attractive new look without much hassle. You must polish the wood floors at least once in a year. If your floors are exposed to high foot traffic on a regular basis, then you should polish wooden floors after a gap of every 6 months. Many people may suggest you to use vinegar or lemon juice to make wood floor bright and shiny. You must know that such materials make tiny gouges on the floor surface where dirt and debris tend to get accumulated and rob off the natural shine of the wood. For this reason, they should be avoided.