Waxing is a finishing option that adds shine back to the wood while increasing protection and camouflaging minor scratches on your floors. Available in clear and colored varieties, floor wax comes ...

Also, a wax finish provides a rich patina that urethanes can’t match. Surface sealers. Usually applied in two coats, these sealers form a protective shell over the floor. They’re generally ...

But if you buy a house where the floors are already installed, how can you tell if the finish is wax or urethane? The Hardwood Information Center has these tips: – Find an inconspicuous spot and ...

How can you determine what kind of finish you've got? If your house is new, ask your builder. To test a floor yourself, scrape a small area near a wall where wax is unlikely to have worn away.

Only use cleaning products made specifically for wax finishes, and follow the directions carefully (including how long the product should stay on the floor). Then, after the floor is clean ...

Scientific American is part of Springer Nature, which owns or has commercial relations with thousands of scientific publications (many of them can be found at www ...

but linoleum floors do hold up over the years if cared for properly. Much of the yellowing happens in the wax or other type of finish sitting on top of the linoleum. That’s different from ...

"If your floor has ever been waxed, you will not be able to screen and recoat," Hammond said, adding that the wax will prevent the finish coat from adhering properly. He said it is possible to ...

He set about creating his own embossing powder, and succeeded with a combination of commonly available floor finish and distilled white vinegar. A standard-sized bottle of floor finish yielded ...