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spike07

wax wood floors vs poly?

spike07
9 years ago

My mother is thinking of installing wood floors in her condo. I'm in charge of research. I am wondering if anyone does old school waxed floors any more. I realize they require upkeep but on the positive side, if you do the upkeep you never have to sand them down again.

Anyone still put in waxed floors? Pros and Cons?

(I did numerous searched before posting the question, but did not see any posts addressing this specifically.)

thanks in advance for your replies!

Comments (4)

  • GreenDesigns
    9 years ago

    Wax alone is never used on wood. It would be a joke as far as finishing goes. Wax on top of shellac is what was traditionally used, and it's fine for a piece of furniture that sees no wear. Meanwhile, in the real world, people that use their floors do not want to be stripping and applying new and buffing constantly and worrying about damp feet creating white spots on the wax, and worrying about spills damaging it.

  • glennsfc
    9 years ago

    If you want a non-film forming finish to a wood floor, look into the hardwax oil products, such as that made by Rubio.

  • jfcwood
    9 years ago

    In short, if you want a floor that's easier to touch up, doesn't look plastic, don't mind slipperiness and regular maintenance, get the wax. Wax is usually applied after two coats of sealer like the ones made by Dura Seal.

    If you want a floor that is less slippery, can be maintained easily and don't mind that it is hard to touch up if you get a scratch and needs to be recoated every 5 to 15 years, get poly.

    New generation hardwax oil finishes add a bit of durability over waxed floors but still need specialized maintenance products.

    Do a Google search and you're bound to find volumes of opinions on each type of finish.

  • ralphevans
    9 years ago

    The wax-finished surface has a beauty all its own, although it cannot really be said that it reproduces the effect of a hand. The old standard does a good job protecting wood but needs periodic rewaxing and buffing. And eventually the built up layers have to be stripped and replaced. That's the downside. The upside is a deep patina that most other finishes can't match. It's also easy to blend in paste wax over worn or damaged areas ��" something that's difficult to do with urethane without leaving lap marks.