The varnish can be applied with a good quality 10cm (4inch) brush, applicator pad or roller. Plan your exit from the room, starting at the far side working your way to the door. Aim to work quickly and confidently, along the entire length of perhaps two floorboards at once and try to avoid overlapping.

Apply a diluted base coat followed by three full coats. The first coat of varnish (basecoat) - dilute the varnish with at least 25% cold water. This coat will act as a sealer/primer and create a strong bond between the dyed or bare wood and the first coat of full varnish. Aim to brush the base coat along the grain. Once the base coat has dried (approx. two hours) the first full coat can be applied. You can now brush across, then along the grain to ensure an even coverage. Again, when dry, the next full coat can be applied in exactly the same way - but take care to avoid applying it too heavily as the surface will now be sealed and further coats will require less varnish to achieve the same coverage.

Before applying the final coat lightly sand the surface with 120 grit ‘wet and dry’ abrasive paper. Half a sheet tightly wrapped around a wooden block will work well. Then, thoroughly clean up the dust with a soft brush attachment on a vacuum cleaner, followed by a wipe over with a damp cloth, rinsing as you go along. Once dry, the final coat can be applied.