How to Varnish Wooden Floors

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By Addie Protivnak. boatst
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Wooden floors add charm and warmth and elegance to a home. The wooden floors are much easier to keep clean than carpet. Varnished wooden floors needs only a damp mopping to keep them sparkling. It’s time consuming to varnish the floors but it isn’t hard. Varnish keeps wooden floors shiny and protects the wood from scratches.

Difficulty: Moderately Challenging

Instructions

Things You'll Need:

wooden floor
varnish
sponge paint brush
bucket with spout
vacuum cleaner
mop
face mask
knee pads

Step 1

Vacuum a wooden floor that has been prepared for the varnish. If there’s still a dust film on floor, go over it with a barely damp mop. Do not wet the floor. Wetting the floor at this point may cause warping. Put blue painter tape around bottom of baseboards. This keeps varnish from getting on walls.
Step 2

Choose the kind of varnish you want to use. There is oil base urethane and water based urethane varnish. The water base is easier to use because it dries quicker and you can put all three coats on in one day. The oil base has to dry twenty-four hours between coats. Each kind has its fans. It’s hard to tell the difference.
Step 3

Put on a disposable face mask and knee pads. Make sure the area is well ventilated. Do not use fans because this will blow dust onto floor and into varnish.
Step 4

Pour some varnish in a bucket that has a spout. Starting at the end furthest from the door, pour small amount of varnish onto the first three planks. Going with the grain of wood, spread point out evenly using a sponge brush. Stay on the first three planks. Repeat on the same three planks to the other end of room. Always go with the grain of the wood.
Step 5

Repeat on the next three planks. Overlap a small amount on the first three flanks. Repeat until the entire room is done. Always keep the door at your back. Don’t paint yourself into a corner.
Step 6

Let floor dry completely. Apply two more coats. Water base varnish will dry in about three hours. Oil base varnish needs to dry 24 hours.