Hardwood floor care
Things you should know

Hardwood floor care: Things you should know to help properly maintain your wood floors and help it perform at it's best. With the wrong knowledge, your wood floors can be short-lived. Avoid making the same mistakes as other homeowners. Follow these instructions for a piece of mind.

Wood is natural

Wood is a natural. Maintaining moisture is part of hardwood floor care. It's a breathable material. It reacts to it's environment and surrounding conditions. It will gain and lose moisture until it reaches it's equilibrium. The point where it will not gain or lose moisture, just like a sponge would. In dry conditions, such as winter, the heat is always on, so, wood will dry out and gaps will appear. How large of a gap? Depends on the width and cut of the flooring.  In the summer, the humidity is high, so, those gaps close up, which is normal. Seasonal gaps are normal. To minimize movement, you will need to control the indoor relative humidity. This can be by adding a de/humidifier in the home or just the areas that is affected, to help combat expanding and contracting. Relative humidity should be between 30-50% and room temperature should be between 60-80 degrees fahrenheit. Which is the ideal normal living conditions.

Hardwood floor care - Do's and Don'ts 

  • Do - Sweep, dust and vacuum using the proper wood floor settings and attachments to remove dust, dirt and dander.
  • Do - Clean spills immediately, with a dry or damp cloth
  • Do - use breathable mats and rugs for high traffic areas and entryways to reduce debris, dirt and water.
  • Do - use felt pads under all your furnitures to prevent scratches and scuffs
  • Do - clip your pets nails to prevent scratches
  • Do - use a manufacturer's recommended wood floor cleaner for your specific wood floor finish.
  • Don't - use wet mops or steam mops. These will damage your wood floors over time.
  • Don't - wear sports cleats in the house, spikes will damage your wood finish fast.
  • Don't - use wood cleaners not recommended by your installer. Using the wrong type of cleaner will damage the finish or the wood floors. No polish, ammonia, bleach or vinegar should be used for any hardwood floor care.

What to expect overtime

What to expect overtime? Overtime you will experience squeaking, movement and gapping that do no close. Call an experienced hardwood flooring installer to make the proper repairs. Home remedies are only temporary and will not last. Call a pro for a permanent fix.

Recommended hardwood floor care schedule

  • Daily - sweep or dust mop regularly
  • Weekly - vacuum, using the proper settings and attachments for wood floors
  • Monthly - Clean with the recommended wood floor cleaner
  • 3-5 years - deep clean, buff and re-coat to bring back the shine and add additional protection
  • 15-20 years - or as needed, re-sand to remove deep scratches, dents and other damages. Or just to update the look.

Conclusion

These are just general floor care instructions and tips.  Caring for film finish, oil or wax wood floor finishes will differ. Always check with the manufacturer's for information on how to clean and care for your wood floors to ensure the best performance. For more information you can visit NWFA.org

Do you have questions or need help? Get in touch with us, we can help!

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