6 Ways To Maintain Your Wood Flooring

Hardwood flooring creates appeal inside the home, but seasonal challenges threaten its overall sophistication and value. For example, wintertime snow and ice may coat the wood flooring with a white residue that diminishes the shine. Seasonal changes are among the threats that may diminish the appeal and lifetime of your flooring. The following wood floor care tips prevent common mishaps threatening the beauty of hardwood. Adapt these care tips to your daily lifestyle and enjoy luxurious flooring for years to come.

Clean Spills Immediately

Use a dry or slightly damp cloth to clean up spills immediately. Consider the damp cloth when cleaning sticky spills and a dry cloth to clean wet spills. The NWFA says steam floor cleaners and wet mops damage wood flooring over time. Avoid using them and use a cloth instead. Moisture swells and shrinks wood flooring. The longer spills remain on the floor, the worse the problem.

Check the Humidity Levels

Splitting, gapping, staining, and cupping occurs as the result of moisture seeping into the wood planks of the floor. Just as cleaning spills immediately reduces damage, so too will maintaining proper humidity levels in the home. Set the thermostat between 60 – 80 degrees Fahrenheit (year-round) and humidity at 30% – 50% to appease the wood flooring.

Use Furniture Pads

Wood floors scratch fairly easily. Most people agree this disadvantage is the biggest associated with wood flooring. Aging causes scratches in wood that actually adds appeal to the floor. Other scratches are not so appealing. Furniture is the culprit of many unnatural scratches that leave flooring unappealing and mangled. Inexpensive, easy-to-use furniture pads prevent scratches, so the floor does not suffer the repercussions.

Sweep Daily

Though daily sweeping may seem excessive, dust forms on wood so quickly that it is the only sure way to keep floors clean. Experts recommend sweeping with a duster each day to preserve the integrity of your wood flooring. Daily sweeping removes dust, clearing indoor air in the process. Everyone in the home breaths better as result, especially anyone suffering from asthma or allergies. Cleaning the floor each day prolongs its beauty and lifetime. It takes only a few minutes to sweep the floors each day. There is nothing to lose by completing the task daily, but potentially lots to gain.

Refinish the Floor

Wood floor refinishing renews the shine after wear and tear over the years dulls the floor and diminish its appeal. Needed once every three-five years depending on the exact wood floor type and the family’s activity level, refinishing removes scratches, dullness, and grit, revealing a charming floor once again. Refinishing service also prolongs the lifetime of the floor and prevents the need for expensive repairs. Call Brisbane Floor Sanding Company for your refinishing and floor care needs.

Quality from the Start

Thin wood planks wear out quicker than thicker planks, although initial costs are cheaper. Some wood species also last longer than others. Learn more about the wood species and plank types during the installation process. Perhaps opting for thicker wood planks is the best option. Of the many wood species, bamboo is the most durable. Oak is practical and strong and equally viable wood species for the floor.

BONUS TIP: Choose the Best Floor Cleaning Products

Using the wrong floor cleaner contributes to damage and wear and tear. Many hardwood floor owners learn the lesson the hard way, but it is preventable by learning more about cleaning products to find the best option for your needs. Common wood floor cleaners sold at retailers may damage the floor over time. Read labels and online reviews carefully before purchase. Avoid steam cleaning, as we talked about above. Additionally, avoid using wet mops on hardwood flooring. Water pooling drastically damages every wood species, something that occurs when mopping with a wet mop.

Prolong the beauty and lifetime of your hardwood flooring by using the tips above in your household. Such little effort results in big rewards when it comes to taking care of the floors in your home. With a bit of knowledge and floor care effort, your wood flooring delights your family and guests for a long time to come.

Autobiography

Jim Pulman has extensive knowledge and experience in Home Building, Construction, and Design. He writes articles in his free time and partners with content creators to share his expertise with the online community