Wood Floor Maintenance

Keeping your hardwood floors clean and beautiful is as simple as vacuuming or sweeping and damp mopping. After vacuuming or sweeping, we recommend either a mixture of one cup of white vinegar to one gallon of water mixed in a spray bottle or one of the commercial hardwood floor cleaners on the market. Simply spray on the solution and wipe off with a dry mop.

For newly finished hardwood floors, use floors with care the first two weeks after application of the final coat of finish. You can generally walk on the floor the next day, but we recommend that furniture not be put into the room for three days. It is recommended that the floors be walked on in stocking feet only for these first three days also. No street shoes or bare feet. Also, no carpets should be placed or mopping should be done on the floors during this first two week period.

Vacuum or use an untreated dust mop on your floor regularly. This will keep the sand and grit off of your floor that may cause premature wear. Throw rugs that are cleaned on a regular basis are recommended in front of your kitchen sink and at each outside door. Rubber-backed rugs should not be used on hardwood floors.

Wipe up food and other spills immediately using a dampened (not soaking wet) cloth or paper towel. Use the white vinegar/water mixture or other reputable hardwood floor cleaner and follow the directions on the label.

Protect your flooring investment by using floor protectors on your chairs and other furniture. These should be checked periodically for wear or grit.

Keep high heel shoes in good repair. Heels that have lost the protective cap can cause indentions in any floor surface-even concrete!  The pounds per square inch on a stiletto heel is greater than that of an elephant! 

Do not use wax or other products that contain wax on your hardwood floors. If wax is applied, recoating may not be possible. It would be necessary to refinish (sand down to bare wood and apply polyurethane) to properly apply a finish coat.  Another word of warning:  be careful about spraying furniture polish on your wood furniture, the overspray may cause adhesion problems on the recoat.

As your floor begins to show wear, recoating is recommended. This procedure consists of using a fine abrasive screen on the existing finish and applying another coat of polyurethane. There is no dust involved in this process. Recoating on a regular, periodic basis will create a build-up of cured coats over the years. Unless there are deep scratches or water damage, hardwood floors should never have to be refinished.  Look at your floor objectively.  Are there small scratches in the finish?  Can you see a dulling of the sheen in the main traffic areas?  It may be time to consider recoating.  A recoat will not only protect the floor, it will freshen the look of the floor. 

 

-Rick

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