How to Varnish New Wooden Floors
Just installed beautiful new wooden floors? To keep them looking their best for years to come, varnishing is a must. This guide will walk you through everything you need to know — from choosing the right finish to applying it like a pro.
Why Varnish New Wooden Floors?
Your beautiful new wooden floors deserve the best care and attention – after all, they’re the foundation of your home’s character (literally!). Varnishing isn’t just about aesthetics; it’s about preparing your floors to handle everyday wear and tear with ease.
Enhance Durability: Floors take a beating – spills, scuffs, furniture scrapes, and the occasional zooming pet. Varnish provides long-term protection against moisture, UV rays, scratches, and wear and tear, helping your floors stay gorgeous for years to come.
Improve Appearance: Beyond protection, varnish enhances the natural beauty of the wood, bringing out its grain, depth, and richness. Whether you prefer a high-gloss shine or a more subtle satin finish, varnishing takes your floors from “meh” to magnificent.
How to Select the Right Wood Floor Varnish for You
Creating a durable, stylish surface starts with choosing the right varnish. The ideal varnish does more than just protect – it enhances your floor’s natural beauty while complementing your home’s overall look. Whether you prefer a natural finish or a splash of colour, here’s how to pick the perfect product.
Need help deciding? Pop into your local branch of Pat McDonnell Paints and speak to a member of our expert staff, who can help advise you on the most suitable products for your project.
Step 1: Choose Your Colour
✔️Clear Varnish: Preserve the natural colour of your wood and let the grain steal the spotlight. Clear varnishes are perfect for a timeless, classic look. Recommended products: Dulux Trade Diamond Glaze, Polyvine Heavy-Duty Floor Varnish
✔️Coloured Varnish: Add warmth, depth, or a rich, vibrant hue to your floors. Coloured varnishes can subtly enhance or dramatically transform your space. Recommended products: Ronseal Diamond Hard Floor Varnish
Step 2: Choose Your Finish
Wood floor varnishes typically come in satin or glossy finishes, and the choice is purely personal:
✔️ Satin Finish: Soft and subtle, satin creates a modern, understated look.
✔️ Glossy Finish: Bold and shiny, gloss adds a reflective sparkle that catches the light beautifully.
Top Tip! A common myth is that glossier finishes are tougher, but rest assured, any high-quality varnish – satin or gloss – is hard-wearing and designed to withstand daily use and cleaning.
Tools for the Job
✔️ Osmo Wood Floor Filler
✔️Sandpaper
✔️Hoover
✔️Hand sander or floor sanding machine
✔️Lint-free cloth
✔️Cutting-in brush e.g. Wooster Silver Tip
✔️9” mohair/short-pile roller sleeve
✔️Clear or tinted Varnish
How to Varnish New Wooden Fllors: A Step-by-Step Guide
Step One: Repair Any Blemishes in the Floor
While new wood floors are usually pristine, you may find some small imperfections such as holes, scratches, cracks etc. Tackling these is easy to do and will go a long way to ensuring a smooth and flawless finish. Here’s how to fix them:
✔️ Use a high-quality wood filler (we recommend OSMO Wood Filler) to fill cracks, holes, or blemishes. Apply with a filling knife and ensure no air pockets are left behind. Smooth the surface as you go.
✔️Follow the drying instructions on the packaging. Once set, sand the area gently to blend it seamlessly with the surrounding wood.
Step Two: Clean
Sweep and hoover the area to remove any dust, and debris from the floor. If you don’t do this, you’ll simply end up moving the dirt around when sanding.
Step Three: Sand
Giving the floor a light sanding before you start will improve adhesion by creating a “key” to which the varnish can stick. Here are our top tips for sanding a new wooden floor:
✔️Start with a medium (P80) sandpaper
✔️Re-sand the floor with a finer grade (P120)
✔️Always sand with the grain as sanding against it can leave unattractive scratches
✔️For small areas, a hand sander works fine. Larger areas? Rent a floor sanding machine – your arms will thank you.
Step Four: Clean (Again!)
Sanding creates dust – lots of it. You will need to clean this up before progressing to the next step. Start by vacuuming the floor thoroughly, then wipe it down with a lint-free cloth.
Step Five: Apply the First Coat of Varnish
This is where the transformation happens!
✔️Use a brush to ‘cut in’ around the floor edges, making sure to work with the grain
✔️Use a roller to apply the product to the rest of the floor
✔️Keep a "wet edge" i.e. overlap strokes before they dry to avoid patchy spots.
✔️Some varnishes require a gloss undercoat before a satin finish. Read the manufacturer’s instructions carefully – they know their product best.
✔️Resist the urge to slap on thick coats. Several thin layers are the secret to a durable, even finish.
🌟 Reminder: Glossy doesn’t mean tougher! High-quality varnishes come in all finishes and are equally durable.
Step Six: Sand the Floor Between Coats
✔️Wait for the first coat of varnish to fully dry. You can check the drying times on the manufacturer’s instructions. However, most water-based varnishes dry in about two hours.
✔️Once the product has dried, you will need to sand the floor again.
✔️Why sand between coats? During the coating process, some timber fibres will rise up, these will dry in that position and make the surface feel slightly rough.
✔️Sand the area with a fine-grade sandpaper (P180). You don’t need to as thorough as earlier.
✔️Thoroughly clean the floor
Step Seven: Apply Remaining Coats
Continue to apply the recommended number of coats, sanding, and cleaning between each one.
Step Eight: Aftercare
✔️After the final coat, the varnish will be touch-dry in a couple of hours. Try to minimise movement during this time to prevent dust build-up.
✔️Walk on the floor in socks for the first few days. Shoes (especially heels!) can wait until the varnish has fully cured, which takes a little longer.
Common Customer FAQs
What Applicators Should I Use?
Choosing between a brush or roller is entirely up to you – both can deliver an excellent finish when paired with a good-quality varnish. Here’s how to decide:
✔️Brushes: Opt for a high-quality synthetic bristle brush like the Wooster Silver Tip. It won’t shed bristles, ensuring a smooth application.
✔️Rollers: For larger areas, rollers are a time-saver. Use a 9” roller frame with a mohair or short-pile Pro-Dooz sleeve (3/8”) for a flawless finish. Pair it with an extension pole to save your back!
Will Putting On the Heating Speed Up Drying Times?
Nope! Resist the urge to crank up the heat. Warmth speeds up drying, which sounds helpful but often backfires. Faster drying makes it harder to maintain a “wet edge,” leading to patchy overlaps. It also increases the chance of visible brush or roller marks in the dried coat.
What Should I Do If I Make a Mistake?
Made a mistake? Don’t panic – floors are forgiving.
✔️If your varnish looks patchy or uneven while drying, step away! Firstly, you won’t get a full picture until the varnish is fully dry. Plus, it’s nearly impossible to fix half-dried varnish without making it worse.
✔️Wait until the varnish is fully dry, then lightly sand the affected area, clean thoroughly, and apply another coat.
What’s the Difference Between Drying & Curing?
You can find information about curing and drying times on the manufacturer’s instructions.
✔️Drying: The varnish feels dry to the touch and can handle light foot traffic. Varnish typically takes a few hours to dry.
✔️Curing: The varnish has fully hardened, reaching its maximum durability. This can take several days, so treat your floors gently during this time.
Conclusion
Varnishing new wood floors is a rewarding process that transforms raw timber into a gleaming centrepiece. With patience, the right tools, and this guide by your side, your floors will look like they belong in a magazine spread.
Inspired? Call or drop into one of our nine stores nationwide for expert advice about your home.
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