When considering purchasing a new hardwood floor for your home or workplace, it’s important to keep in mind what kind of upkeep it will require. Here are some care and maintenance tips that will help you keep your wood floors at their best for many years to come.
Wood is a natural product with its own natural variations of grains, colors and characteristics. It should be noted that these variations are perfectly normal with any wood product. Wood is also a living material that reacts to change in the climate and its surroundings. During summer’s high humidity, your hardwood floors will absorb moisture and expand. In winter, when we heat the indoors and humidity drops, wood will also release its own humidity causing your wood floors to shrink and contract.
Therefore, it is essential to the care of your hardwood floors that the humidity in the rooms with any hardwood flooring be maintained at the level between 35–55% by the use of humidifier and /or dehumidifier. It is also important to keep the room temperature between 60 to 75 degrees F by heating or air-conditioning.
Some other helpful tips to keep your hardwood floors looking great:
- Keep dirt, sand, grit and water off your hardwood floors by placing outside mats in front of all entrances to your home.
- Sweep or vacuum regularly to rid the floor of dust and grit that can scratch the finish.
- Remove shoes with spiked or damaged heels before walking on your hardwood floors to prevent scratches and dents.
- Keep pets’ claws trimmed and paws clean and free of dirt or soil.
- Always apply felt pads under any furniture or chair legs to prevent scratches and to ease movement. Keep pads clean at all times and regularly check and replace as necessary.
- Protect the wood flooring when moving heavy furniture or large appliances. Place on mat or piece of plywood and slide smoothly over floor.
- Use rugs in high wear areas and heavily traveled spots such as pivot points, room entries and stair landings.
- Never flood or wet mop your wood floor with water or any other liquid products, this includes Ammonia , dust cleaner or any other cleaner that is designed to clean another surface type (ex. tile or vinyl cleaners.) Severe damage may occur that will void the warranty.
- Wipe up any spills immediately with a damp cloth.
- Exposure to sunlight with its UV rays accelerates oxidation and aging of materials. This may change the color of your hardwood floor. Periodically rearrange the furniture will allow the floor to age evenly.
Lastly, it is important for you to know what your manufacturer’s warranty is and how to follow its instruction about wood flooring care and maintenance. Failure to do so will tend to void your warranty. For additional information regarding manufacturer warranty check out this article: The Truth About Your Wood Flooring Warranty.