Floor Care Guide – Using Briwax on Floors

Wood… one of man’s oldest natural resources is also one of our most revered resources. It has, among other things, provided food, shelter, tools and hardwood floors that in some cases have lasted for hundreds of years. Other floor coverings simply cannot compete with the durability, beauty and characteristics of wood.

Unlike other floor coverings wood is very forgiving when it comes to taking abuse. Most problems can be prevented or minimized by keeping floors waxed and by wiping up liquid spills immediately. When a wood floor appears dirty and nasty, a rewaxing (with Briwax, of course!) is usually all that is required to restore its natural beauty.

Common Problems and Their Remedies . . .

Read the complete Floor Care Guide

Briwax is available in Clear and 13 Wood Tone Colors

Briwax comes in Clear as well as thirteen wood tones  —  Light Brown, Dark Brown, Antique Mahogany (Cherry), Golden Oak, Tudor Brown, Mid Brown (aka Dark Oak), Teak, Rustic Pine, Ebony (black), Slate Grey, Silver Grey, Liming (white) wax & Red Mahogany.  Take a look at the color chart below to see how the colors compare with each other.

Clear is the perfect choice when you don’t want to impart any color onto the wood.  Clear Briwax has absolutely no color and will not yellow.  Of course, with that said, Clear Briwax will not hide or diminish any scratches on the wood.

Light Brown is the most versatile of all of the colors – it takes on the color of the wood on which it is used.

Golden Oak has yellow undertones.  It compliments beautifully the red tones of Heart Pine.

Antique Mahogany can also be called Cherry.  It has a hint of red and is beautiful on Cherry or Mahogany woods – brings out the red tones of the wood.  Try Antique Mahogany on Red Oak floors to highlight the red tones.

Dark Brown is a deep, rich brown.  It is widely used on Walnut to enhance its rich, dark color.

How to Use Briwax to Age Pine

Looking to make new pine look aged?  Read the complete Aging Pine article. You’ll be able to easily make the honey colored English/Irish pine look using new pine boards, sodium hydroxide and Briwax.

You can create looks like this:

Entertainment Center photo compliments of Nottingham Antiques, Atlanta, GA

Read the Complete Aging Pine Article

TRG Products

Looking for a local retailer?  Email us at TheBriwaxGuy@gmail.com

Using Briwax in a Liquid State

Briwax is designed to melt at 85°F. Use in the liquid state to get the wax deep into cracks, crevices, carvings, etc.

This piece of driftwood was found on the beach. How can you preserve this piece properly?

Using Briwax in a liquid state, the wax can be poured into the deep recesses to fully preserve the piece.  You can use Briwax in either a liquid or a solid state.  You will achieve professional results in either mode.

Briwax can be used on ceramics

An unglazed ceramic piece can be given a new look by waxing the piece with Briwax.  Is the piece dull and you would like more sheen?  Want to create an aged look?  Look at these ceramic pumpkins in the picture below.  All of the pumpkins looked dull, like the one in the foreground.  The pumpkins in the group were waxed with Golden Oak Briwax – check out their sheen and enhanced color  —  they almost look real!!

How to achieve a sheen using Briwax . . .

If you looked at a cross-section of your wood after it has been sanded, under a microscope, the top surface would look much like this:

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The pores of the wood look much like “peaks” and “valleys”. You cannot see this with the human eye after sanding with 180 grit.  In order to achieve a sheen with Briwax, you must first fill the pores or the “valleys” with Briwax.

On soft woods, such as pine, the pores of the wood are large. Generally three or four applications of Briwax are necessary to completely fill the pores and develop a beautiful hand rubbed luster on raw pine. Pine wood that has already been stained or finished will develop a sheen more quickly.

On hard woods — maple, oak, birch, etc. — the pores are quite small. The hand rubbed luster can easily be achieved with one or two applications of Briwax.

Remember these key elements in applying Briwax:

1. Use Briwax sparingly — a little goes a long way
2. Always buff after each application of Briwax
3. If the wax smudges, you’ve used too much Briwax.

How long will my Briwax finish resist a liquid spill?

Envision waxed paper – when you put liquid on the waxed paper, it beads then within a few minutes, the liquid is absorbed into the waxed paper. Briwax will resist a liquid spill for about 20 minutes before the liquid is absorbed into the finish. Simply wipe off the spill and rewax, if necessary.

Briwax is Reversible

What does that mean?

Technically Briwax is an evaporative finish, which means that every time you introduce a petroleum distillate (mineral spirits) to wax, you will dissolve the wax.

Nothing is harmed of course, but a lot of house maids panic when they think they have “ruined” the furniture by spraying a liquid polish such as Pledge over a waxed finish. Simply reapply Briwax again and the problem is solved.

Reversible also means that you can alter the subtle color that Briwax reflects.

For instance: You have a beautiful Mahogany piece that you believe is too “red”. Apply Dark Brown Briwax to “tone-down” the red and the piece will appear more in the “Auburn” range of color. If you don’t like this effect simply rewax with Antique Mahogany and the red of the piece will be highlighted again. You see, it’s reversible! You may do this in ten minutes or ten years, it doesn’t matter, it is always reversible.

Just what is Briwax?

• Briwax is a blend of beeswax and carnauba wax.  An all natural product.
• Beeswax is an excellent preservative, but relatively soft.
• Carnauba wax is a much harder wax.  The combination of the two makes for a perfect finish on all surfaces.
• The addition of various dye colors suspended in the wax allows Briwax to diminish minor scratches disappear without changing the character or color of the piece.
• An inherent cleaning solvent in the wax is designed to clean grease and grime off the surface before it evaporates, leaving a waxed surface.  This thin film of wax prevents oils and salts (fingerprints) from harming the surface finish.
• The possibilities for Briwax are endless.  Use it on wood, leather, marble, concrete, metal or properly cured painted surfaces.  The only surface NOT appropriate for Briwax is linoleum.  The original blend of carnauba wax for long lasting shine and beeswax for durability protects most finishes.
• Simple to use, it leaves a beautiful finish that is easily maintained.

By the way, Briwax is pronounced BRI wax – long I – rhymes with my.  So, remember the jingle . . . My Wax, Briwax!