Part of the appeal of exposed, solid wood floors is the sense of history, the patina, and the inherent beauty of wood grain. Floors are roughly treated by man, pets and furniture. They are often left scratched and dented and stained with food and drink spills. The wood needs protection and varnish, paint, liming and staining are the available options, sometimes used in combination with each other.
To varnish a solid wood floor, homeowners need to remove everything from the floor. Next, they should thoroughly vacuum clean the floor, paying particular attention to its edges. In the event that the floor has already been varnished, painted or stained, homeowners will need to sand the floor back to the bare wood. They should use white spirit to eliminate any grease or oil, and enhance the grain by lightly wire brushing along the grain.
The varnish used on a floor may be water-based or solvent-based. The latter smells strong during application but produces the best effect. Homeowners should use spotlessly clean brushes; a 25 millimetre or 50 millimetre brush should be used for the edges and around obstacles and a 100 millimetre brush should be used for the main area.
The first coat of varnish will require a ten per cent white spirit thinning and should be applied with a soft cloth pad along the grain. Homeowners should let this coat dry for several hours before applying a second coat with brushes. They should only load the first third of the brush, tap away any excess and always follow the grain. Adequate time should be left for drying.