Oak Flooring

Varnish Finish—This is usually more expensive than the wax finish; but it gives a very hard surface, yet at the same time it is elastic. Two or three coats should be applied after the application of the paste filler. Each coat should be thoroughly rubbed with oil and pumice. Any of the standard hardwood flooring varnishes are recommended.

Floor Oil Finish

—When a high-class finish is not desired, a very economical finish can be had by the use of a light flooring oil 'that is made expressly for this purpose by many paint and varnish houses and oil makers. It serves as a filler as well as a finish, and is strongly recommended for oak flooring in public institutions, office buildings and stores. This oil keeps the dust from rising and preserves the floor.

Care of Oak Floors If one only knows how, nothing is easier than the care of a well-finished oak floor. Water should never be used on a waxed or varnished floor. The surface may safely be wiped with a cloth dampened in tepid water to remove dirt and dust; but the dampness should be immediately taken up with a dry cloth.

One of the best mixtures for keeping a floor in good condition is the use of equal parts of sweet oil, turpentine, and vinegar well mixed, and rubbed on the floor with waste or a cotton or woolen rag. The vinegar will cut the dirt or grime worked into the finish from shoes; the sweet oil produces a luster and the turpentine promptly dries the moisture.

The above mixture need not be applied oftener than once a month to insure a floor finish that will resemble the sheen of a piano.

Should wax finish become worn in spots from hard usage, a little of this mixture thoroughly rubbed will renew the finish quickly.

The occasional use of a weighted floor brush, alone or with a piece of Brussels carpet placed beneath it, will assist in keeping the finish of an oak floor in good condition.

Once a year, it is well to use a good floor wax, and rub it into the floor with the aid of a brush, with or without a piece of carpet attached. Before the finish is worn down to the wood, an additional coat of wax should be applied and thoroughly rubbed.

Economical Use of Oak Flooring As rugs are used almost universally in homes and offices, an economical plan is to have the center section of the room laid with oak flooring of a cheaper grade, and to employ the better grade in the border. Alter the rug is laid, all parts of the floor will have the same appearance. A room, say 10 by 12 feet, can have a 2-foot border of Clear (first quality), either Plain or Quartered; and in the center section 6x8-inch Select Plain could be employed. In a center section of this size, 15 per cent of the cost could be saved by using Select Plain. By using a little care in finishing up the Select, this grade can be made to look very much like the Clear grade. This makes quite a saving, and is being done very extensively.

Oak flooring of %-inch thickness by 1 1/2-inch or 2-inch faces can be laid over old floors in old homes, or over cheap sub-floors in new homes very economically. It is cheaper than carpets, and will improve the appearance and sanitation of an old or new house more than the expenditure of double the amount of money any other way.