The key to lasting beauty of your wood flooring investment is proper maintenance
for the life of your floor.
Following are some excellent guidelines for maintaining today's wood
floors.
All Hardwood Floors
Regardless of how the floor has been finished, there are certain steps
that must be taken to maintain the beauty of the hardwood floor.
Every floor must be dust mopped, vacuumed or swept with a soft bristle
broom daily, or as often as necessary, to remove grit and dust from the
surface. Walking on dusty or dirty floor is the fastest way to damage
the finish.
Place walkoff mats at all exterior entrances. This will capture
much of the harmful dirt before it even reaches the hardwood floor.
Shake out, wash or vacuum mats and area rugs frequently.
Floor protector pads of soft felt or similar material should be placed
on the bottoms of the legs of furniture. Floor protectors must be
kept clean of grit and periodically replaced.
Kitchen floors experience the most traffic in a home. To prevent
premature wear of the floor, place an area rug in front of the sink and
stove area. Shake out or vacuum the rugs frequently.
Remember that cleats, sports shoes and high heels can dent any floor
surface. When a 125 pound woman takes a step in high heels she exerts
2,000 psi (pounds per square inch). An exposed heel nail can exert
up to 8,000 psi.
Keep high heels in good repairs. An unprotected tip will dent
any hardwood floor.
When moving heavy furniture, completely pick up the furniture and carry
to another room to best protect the wood flooring.
Finally, using a humidifier or dehumidifier in conjunction with a furnace
or air conditioning system to maintain relative humidity in the home at
30-50% will maintain the moisture in the wood and minimize cracks between
the boards.
Urethane Finishes
Routine Cleaning -- Use the finish manufacturer's or the prefinished
floor manufacturer's recommended cleaning system. If the manufacturer
is not known or has no recommendation, use a cleaner that will not leave
a residue that would inhibit bonding and recoating. Never wax a urethane
finish. Do not generally wet a wood floor with water. When
using any wood floor cleaner which requires mixing with water, follow mixing
directions precisely. A cloth wetted with water and squeezed
dry may be used to wipe up food stuffs and other spills, provided the area
is buffed dry immediately. Heel or scuff marks and stubborn stains
may be removed by lightly rubbing with a cloth and a wood floor cleaner.
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