The key to lasting beauty of your wood flooring investment is proper maintenance for the life of your floor.
The following are some excellent guidelines for maintaining today's wood floors. What type of finish do you have?
All Hardwood Floors regardless of what type of finish, must be maintained properly to keep the beauty long lasting. Every floor prior to using a Hardwood Floor Cleaning System should 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 a finish.
Place walk off mats (carpet runners)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 the furniture. Floor protectors must be kept clean of grit and periodically replaced.
Keep high heels in good repais. An unprotected tip will dent any hardwood floor.
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. Recoat with compatible finish as needed(12-18 months) This process will save you from having to refinish to bare wood, which could be a major concerns as to down time and if your engineered floor can be resanded?
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.
general care •
urethane finishes •
wax finishes •
acrylic floors •
urethane coated
Urethane Finishes - Wood Floor Care
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. Other maintenance tips for urethane finished floors:
- Most finish manufacturers DO NOT suggest wet mopping
- Never use household DUST TREATMENTS
- Always use manufacturers recommended cleaning products, if not know use a hardwood floor cleaner from a local retail outlet/ wood floor contractor
- NEVER use wax
- Wipe spills immediately with soft lightly damp cloth, following up with cleaning solution and/or a dry soft cloth
- Never use petroleum-based floor cleaners for waterbased finishes
- For stubborn stains use floor cleaner on a soft cloth directly on stain, wiping with the grain. When the floor loses its shine/luster, it's time to recoat. Screening (light sanding is required) applying a compatible finish of the desired luster shine level you prefer. High gloss will show wear area faster, as satin tends to give a waxed look
Long-term Maintenance
Recoating Surface finishes;Urethane finishes eventually will show wear patterns from surface scratching. When high traffic areas begin to look dull it is time to recoat or restore the finish. Always follow the manufacturer's recommendations. Screening (light sanding) and recoating with same finish every 12-18 months will help maintain your wood floor for years to come. Make sure no oil soaps, and other contaminates have been used on the floor, intentionally or otherwise. This can create an adhesion problem for the new finish, causing peeling and flaking. If unknown, always inform the wood floor contractor, as this improper maintenance can cause finish failure, making for serious concerns as to the end results, and who is responsible.
Wax Finishes - Wood Floor Care
Routine Cleaning
Use the finish manufacturer's or the prefinished floor manufacturer's recommended cleaning system. Never use a water based cleaner on a wax floor. Once dirt and dust have been removed, the luster may be restored by buffing. Apply additional wax only in heavy traffic areas, if needed. Caution, do not over wax. An application of a solvent based cleaning product will remove dirt and allow the floor to be buffed clean. Spills must be wiped up immediately with a lightly water dampened cloth and then hand buffed dry.
To remove white spots caused by water spills, use fine steel wool (#000) and a small amount of mineral spirits, rub gently in a circular motion until spot is gone. Then apply additional wax to the area and buff.
Long-term Maintenance
Wax floors that have been neglected may be restored by deep cleaning. An application of a renovating system with fine steel wool, proper dry times and a complete re-waxing will clean and reseal the wood as well as restore color and luster.
Note: Once wax, in any form, has been applied to a wood floor, only wax may be used as a coating over the floor. Urethane and other surface finished cannot be applied over an existing wax finish.
Acrylic Impregnated Floors - Wood Floor Care
Routine Cleaning
For general cleaning always follow the manufacturer’s recommendations and use their floor care products. Long-term Maintenance - An acrylic impregnated floor that has been neglected or improperly cleaned may need restoration. Stripping, sanding or screening the floor may be required, always contact the floor manufacturer for complete instructions.
