How to Strip Paste Wax From Wooden Floors
When you want to refinish your hardwood floor, stripping off any existing paste wax is crucial to achieve attractive results. Whether you've decide to stain the floor, paint it or add a few coats of polyurethane, a layer of paste wax will stop all of these substances from properly adhering to your floor. While stripping your floor might not sound like fun, you can follow a few tips to make the job as fast and easy as possible. Does this Spark an idea?
Instructions
-
-
1
Open all windows or exterior doors in the room to ensure proper ventilation while you work.
-
2
Pour approximately 1/4 cup of mineral spirits onto the wooden floor in one corner of the room.
-
-
3
Rub the mineral spirits with a clean cloth in a circular motion. The mineral spirits strip away the paste wax during this time. One-quarter-cup of mineral spirits should remove the paste wax from two square feet of the floor, but this could vary depending on the thickness of the layer of wax.
-
4
Dry the floor with a clean cloth when the mineral spirits stops removing the paste wax. You will be able to see and feel the difference on the floor where the paste was has been removed.
-
5
Repeat Steps 2 through 4 to remove all of the paste wax from the floor in small sections.
-
6
Clean the floor with a mop dampened in clean water to remove all traces of the mineral spirits from the wood floor.
-
1
Tips & Warnings
Wear gloves and safety goggles to protect your hands and eyes from irritation while using mineral spirits.
Place a fan in one of the windows to increase ventilation in the room while you work.
Do not leave mineral spirits on your wooden floor for an extended period of time. If you forget to clean up a mineral spirit spill or leave the room during the cleaning process to attend to other matters, it could damage your floor.
References
- Photo Credit Jupiterimages/Photos.com/Getty Images
