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Beams and panelling are never walked on: their finish is chosen for the eye, and wax comes back into its own. Old beams cleaned with Wax and Polish Remover then waxed in Wax Antique Brown or Wax Dark Oak; beams left matt under two thin coats of Hard Wax Oil Natural 24 hours apart; beams that are too dark lightened with a white water stain and a clear wax; new pine panelling in Wax Stripped Pine; a bathroom under 2 to 3 coats of Quick Dry Varnish Kitchen and Bathroom.
Page updated September 2026 · by the Mylands France woodcare specialists
Why it is different
A floor gets walked on, a table gets rubbed. A beam and a panelled wall receive only light, dust and, now and then, a hand. Their finish does not have to resist: it has to please — a matt that keeps the wood raw, a soft sheen that warms it, a colour that evens it or lightens it. That is why wax, not recommended on floors, comes back to the front here: Mylands waxes are made for beams, period doors and antique pine.
Three families are enough. Wax for the silky patina and the colour; hard wax oil, Hard Wax Oil Natural, for a matt that no longer moves and wipes clean with a damp cloth; varnish, Quick Dry Varnish Kitchen and Bathroom, wherever water splashes. On old beams everything starts with a clean: Wax and Polish Remover takes off dust, soot and old waxes without affecting most hard finishes.
Six cases
01
The classic: brush down, Wax and Polish Remover with 0000 wire wool until the cloth stays clean, then a wax applied sparingly. Wax Antique Brown gives a warm golden brown; Wax Dark Oak, a cold brown that darkens oak that is too pale. Buff along the grain.
02
For those who want neither sheen nor a yearly waxing: Hard Wax Oil Natural, two thin coats brushed along the grain, 24 hours between them, excess wiped off at once. The wood stays matt and raw-looking, resists spills and dusts with a damp cloth. Sand to 180, never finer.
03
The range holds no chemical lightener: you lighten with colour. Beams brushed and sanded to 180 to reach fresh wood, Water Stain White wiped on pre-wetted timber, de-nibbed once dry, then Wax Clear. On open-grained oak, Wax Liming leaves the white in the grain.
04
Wax Stripped Pine — Stripped Pine M7, the trade standard on pine — gives new wood the honey tone of old stripped pine. Sand to 180, dust off, one thin coat with a soft cloth, buff along the grain, a second coat after 10 minutes. The knots stay visible: that is the charm of pine.
05
In a hall or a stairwell, where hands and bags rub, hard wax oil holds better than wax: Hard Wax Oil Natural to keep the pine pale, Castanea to warm it. Two thin coats 24 hours apart, touch-dry in 6 to 8 hours, fully hard in 7 to 10 days.
06
Where water splashes, neither wax nor shellac: Quick Dry Varnish Kitchen and Bathroom Satin, a water-based alkyd varnish, with a synthetic brush, 2 to 3 coats 3 to 4 hours apart, de-nibbed with 220. Keep the room aired and dry while it dries, or the film blooms white.
The choice
The rule that runs through the six cases: wax where you look, hard wax oil where you touch, varnish where you wet.
| Surface | Product | Application | Upkeep |
|---|---|---|---|
| Old beams, oak or chestnut | Wax Antique Brown, Wax Dark Oak, Wax Rustic Brown | Wax and Polish Remover, then a sparing wax with 0000 wire wool | Re-wax once or twice a year; never a wet cloth |
| Beams, matt look with no sheen | Hard Wax Oil Natural | Two thin brushed coats, 24 hours between them | Damp cloth; a thin coat when the surface dulls |
| Beams too dark, to lighten | Water Stain White then Wax Clear; Wax Liming on oak | Wood sanded to 180 and pre-wetted, stain, de-nib, wax | As a wax |
| New pine panelling | Wax Stripped Pine or Hard Wax Oil Castanea | Sand to 180, thin coat, buff; second coat after 10 minutes | Dusting; wax once or twice a year |
| Bathroom or kitchen panelling | Quick Dry Varnish Kitchen and Bathroom | 2 to 3 coats 3 to 4 hours apart, de-nib with 220, dry room | Soft cloth, very mild soap; no silicone |
Recognising the old finish, stripping, sanding: Wood finishes preparation. All the waxes: the Waxes collection. Painted panelling: Refreshing interior woodwork.
The method, in brief
A stiff brush along the grain, then the vacuum: the dust on beams is thick and greasy, and nothing holds on it.
Wax and Polish Remover with 0000 wire wool, in small areas, wiped off at once. Repeat until the cloth comes away clean; the product also lifts the white bloom off old waxes.
On the least visible face: Wax Antique Brown for a warm golden brown, Wax Dark Oak for a cold brown, Wax Rustic Brown, darker than Stripped Pine, on softwood beams.
Soft cloth or 0000 wire wool, in small circular motions, evening up, until a matt haze appears.
A clean cloth or a horsehair furniture brush, to the sheen you want. A second coat is possible after 10 minutes.
No spray polish, no wet cloth. Re-waxing once or twice a year is enough; beams, which nobody touches, rarely ask for more.
To avoid
Frequently asked
No, unless you want to lighten them. Wax goes on clean bare wood or on an already sealed surface: a brush down and a pass with Wax and Polish Remover are enough. You sand only to reach fresh wood under a grey layer, and never beyond 180 grit.
Yes: Mylands waxes also go on finished timber, once it is clean. The wax will add softness and a little colour, without changing the shade in depth. For that, the varnish has to come off: see Removing old wax and varnish.
With colour, since the range has no lightener: sand to 180, Water Stain White wiped onto pre-wetted wood, de-nib, then Wax Clear. On oak, Wax Liming worked into the open grain gives the limed effect: see How to lime oak.
Hard Wax Oil Natural or Castanea: spill proof and UV resistant, washable with a damp cloth. Shellac dislikes heat, wax dislikes water; hard wax oil minds neither.
Pine panelling paints very well, provided the live knots are sealed first with White Knotting under a pale shade or Patent Knotting under a strong one. See Refreshing interior woodwork.
See also
The quickest project that changes a room the most: six colour ideas for doors, skirting and windows.
“A beam does not need to shine: it needs to be clean, fed, and the right colour.”
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