Hardwood floors add value to your home, and also add a warmth and richness like none other. But hardwood flooring can also be quite vulnerable. Here are some tips to help keep your hardwood floor rich and beautiful for the years ahead.
Wood flooring enemy number 1: water
Water is a major cause of damage to hardwood floors. If you spill and liquid on your floor, simply wipe it with a slightly damp cloth as soon as possible. Also, if you’re planning out where to place wood floors in your home, it is wise not to install wood flooring in damp places such as bathrooms or kitchens because dampness and general humidity can cause hardwood to warp and eventually crack.
Place floor mats at entrances
Sand and dirt can easily scratch natural wood floors, so simply place mats at entrances to minimize damage. You may also want to place rugs or runners over heavy traffic areas.
Clean appropriately
When using liquid cleaners, it is best to use cleaners that are recommended for wood floors, reason being because other cleaners can have oils that can be troublesome when it comes time to recoat your flooring.
For regular cleaning, sweep or dust mop your floors regularly (once every day or two) to avoid build-up of grit.
Protect it from the sun
Spots on your wood floor that get a lot of sun will become discolored over time. To avoid this, keep your shades or curtains closed, or even use sheer drapes to minimize discoloration. You may even want to simply place a rug over sunny spots.
Avoid dents
These floors can get dented fairly easily, so try to avoid dents by placing felt pads under your furniture and by lifting heavy objects over wood flooring rather than dragging them.
Hardwood flooring is something that you can enjoy for years to come, and the proper maintenance will help keep that richness for a long time.
Real wood flooring or real hardwood flooring can be an asset for any home. If you install real wood flooring in your home then you can enjoy the advantages of an aesthetically and functionally superior flooring-type while the value of your home gets enhanced. So, would you not like to take good care of such a treasure? Here are some tips on how to go about with adopting the proper caring and maintenance measures:
·The UV rays (of the sun) have been known to cause fading of the color of real wood flooring over time. So, you need to keep the drapes and blinds closed whenever direct sun rays come streaming in through the windows.
·Harsh contact with furnishings can cause scraping of the floor and damage it. You need to make sure that furniture items are lifted and not scraped when moved around in the room. You may also attach pads made from plastics, cotton etc. to chair and table bottoms and bottoms of other furniture. This will also prevent scraping of floor. Walking with high heeled shoes inside the rooms should also be avoided. And children should be discouraged from playing with toys with hard/rough wheels.
·Sand particles, dirt etc. can produce an abrasive effect on your valuable real wood flooring. Keeping doormats at entrances of every room and wiping of feet on them will help prevent this greatly.
·Moisture and spills is a great enemy of real hardwood flooring. Hence, you need to clean up spills whenever they occur- immediately to prevent staining of the wood.
·The long nails of pets can harm hardwood floors too by causing scratches. So, make sure you clip/trim the nails of your home pets regularly.
·Usage of wrong cleaners can also cause serious damage to real wood floors too. Hence, you need to seek the advice of a flooring consultant and select the correct cleaning agent for usage on your floor.
Taking due care and attention for your real wood flooring will ensure that they stay beautiful and in sound condition for a long, long time.
