Hardwood flooring care and maintenance
Hardwood floors can be a wonderful addition to your home, and taking care of them will keep them looking like new. There are a few simple maintenance steps that will help protect your hardwood floors and keep them looking great.
- Use a damp cloth to blot up spills and spots as soon as they happen. For tough spots such as oil, paint, markers, lipstick, ink, tar or cigarette marks, use acetone/nail polish remover on a clean white cloth, then wipe with a damp cloth. Always avoid allowing liquids to stand on your floor.
- Sweep, dust or vacuum the floor regularly to prevent accumulation of dirt or grit that can scratch or dull the floor finish.
- Vacuum, (using the hard floor attachment not the beater bar), dust mop or sweep the floor to minimize abrasive grit and dirt.
- Occasionally wipe the floor with a damp mop or cloth
- Periodically clean the floor with a formulated cleaning product made for hardwood floors.
Bath Kitchen Remodel - Do not use oil based, wax, polish, or strong ammoniated or abrasive cleaners, steel wool or scouring powder to clean the floor.
- Do not wash or wet-mop the floor with soap, water, oil soap detergent or any other liquid cleaning material. This could cause swelling warping, de-lamination and joint-line separation, and void the warranty.
- Do not use any type of buffing machine.
Hardwood floor protection
- Use quality area rugs and door mats by outdoor entrance areas to prevent dirt, sand, grit and other substances such as oil, asphalt or driveway sealer from being tracked onto your floor. Do not use rubber or foam backed plastic mats as they may discolor the floor. To prevent slippage use an approved vinyl rug underlayment
- Use floor protectors and wide load bearing leg bases/rollers to minimize indentations and scratches from heavy objects. As a rule of thumb, the heavier the object, the wider the floor protector should be.
- Maintain a normal indoor relative humidity level between 45 and 65% throughout the year, to minimize the natural expansion and contraction of wood.
Heating Season (Dry): A humidifier is recommended to prevent excess shrinkage due to low humidity levels. Wood stove and electric heat tend to create very dry conditions.
Non Heating Season (Wet): An air conditioner, de-humidifier or periodically turning on your heating system can maintain humidity during the summer months. Avoid excessive exposure to water during periods of inclement weather.
- Avoid gouges or cuts in your floor from sharp objects. Sharp or pointed objects can damage your floors.
- Don’t walk on your floor with stiletto-style heels, spiked golf shoes or cleats; they may cause indentations in your floor.
- Rearrange area rugs and furniture periodically so the floor ages evenly. UV sunlight will soften the tone of different species of hardwood to varying degrees.
- Keep pet’s nails trimmed.
- Use a dolly when moving heavy furniture or appliances. First, put down a sheet of quarter inch plywood or Masonite to protect the floor. Never try to slide or roll heavy objects across the floor.
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Repairing
- Minor damage can be easily repaired with nishing putty available from in matching colors.
- For more extensive damage, your flooring dealer can recommend a professional who can replace individual boards or an entire area with new flooring.
- See repair & replacement section of installation instructions for procedures to replace a single board or plank.
