Staining previously waxed floors

Q: I put 3/4 inch tongue and groove hardwood floors I had run myself in my cabin, about 15 years ago. Since then they’ve never been sanded or anything else, just waxed. Tonight I’m sanding them with an orbital sander and I’m not real concerned about getting them perfectly smooth. My question is when I stain them will the wax that is still on the boards cause me a problem?

A: If you can remove the wax from the surface of the board you should be okay with the stain. You will likely not be able to remove it from the heavy grain so you are rather limited as to your finish choice. Washing with TSP might help.

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