Maintaining Today’s Wood Floors is Easy!
Regular maintenance of wood floors requires little more than sweeping with a soft bristle broom or vacuuming with a soft floor attachment to remove dirt and grit The more that dirt and grit are allowed to accumulate, the more they will be tracked across the floor leaving scratches. Spills should be wiped up immediately with a slightly dampened cloth. We recommend cleaning your floors periodically using a pH neutral floor cleaner.
For prefinished floors, we recommend following the directions of the flooring manufacturer as to which cleaning products to use. This is extremely important, because not following those directions may void the manufacturer's warranty of the wood floor.
Some cleaners can do more harm than good to your floor. The following products should never be used on your floor: any type of oil soap, paste wax or other wax/silicone- based polishes, any solvent based cleaners, pine based cleaners, dust cleaners or anything containing ammonia. Finishes require very little maintenance, so it is not necessary to polish or wax your floor. Wax or polish will actually build a residue on your floor that will make it harder to keep clean and can cause problems when you are ready to re-coat.
There are other steps you can take to help maintain the beauty of your wood floors:
1. Place throw rugs in front of the sink in your kitchen and both inside and outside doorways to help prevent grit, dirt and other debris from being tracked onto your wood floors. This will minimize scratching. Rugs should be shaken out, cleaned and thoroughly dried when they get wet.
2. Do not wet-mop a wood floor. Standing water can dull the finish and damage the wood.
3. Wipe up spills immediately with a slightly dampened towel.
4. Place felt pads on the bottom of all your furniture, especially frequently moved furniture such at dining room chairs. This will help prevent scuffing, scratching and wear. Do not wax the base of chair legs.
5. Avoid walking on your wood floors with cleats, sports shoes and high heels. A 125 pound woman walking in high heels has an impact of 2,000 pounds per square inch. An exposed heel nail can exert up to 8,000 pounds per square inch. This kind of impact can dent any floor surface.
6. When moving heavy furniture, never slide it across your wood flooring. It is best to pick up the furniture completely to protect the wood flooring.
7. Use a humidifier throughout the winter months to keep wood movement and shrinkage to a minimum.
8. Following a regular maintenance program will help you preserve the life of your floor for years. However, no floor finish will last forever. Eventually your floor will need to be re-coated. A hardwood floor should be re-coated when it is showing signs of wear, but before it has worn down to the bare wood. If worn through, your floor can be stained with dirt and grime and will require re-sanding.
Please feel free to call us if you have any questions about maintaining your wood floors.
