| With today's advances in wood flooring stains and finishes,
cleaning your wood floors has never been easier. Regular
maintenance requires little more than sweeping with a
soft bristle broom, and vacuuming with a soft floor attachment
if your wood floor includes a beveled edge that could
collect debris. You also should clean your floors periodically
with a professional wood floor cleaning product recommended
by a wood flooring professional. |
|
Renewal & Repairs
Unlike most other floor covering options,
wood is very forgiving. Most problems can be
prevented with proper maintenance, but when
problems do occur, renewal and repair usually
is possible. For renewing and repairing stains
and scratches on any wood floor, always begin
at the outer edge of the stain or scratch and
work toward the middle.
To renew or repair a wood floor, you first
will need to determine which kind of finish
is on your floor.
|
If the stain or scratch has penetrated the surface
and is in the wood, you are dealing with a wax-finished
floor.
If the stain or scratch has penetrated the finish only
and is not in the wood, you are dealing with a surface
finished floor.
|
|
Preventive Maintenance
There are other steps you can take to minimize maintenance
and maintain the beauty of your wood floors as well.
- Do not use sheet vinyl or tile floor care products
on wood floors. Self-polishing acrylic waxes cause
wood to become slippery and appear dull quickly.
- Use throw rugs both inside and outside doorways
to help prevent grit, dirt and other debris from
being tracked onto your wood floors. This will
prevent scratching.
- Do not wet-mop a wood floor. Standing water can
dull the finish, damage the wood and leave a discoloring
residue.
- Wipe up spills immediately with a slightly dampened
towel.
- Do not over-wax a wood floor. If the floor dulls,
try buffing instead. Avoid wax buildup under furniture
and other light traffic areas by applying wax in
these spots every other waxing session.
- Put soft plastic or fabric-faced glides under
the legs of furniture to prevent scuffing and scratching.
- Avoid walking on your wood floors with cleats,
sports shoes and high heels. A 125-pound woman
walking in high heels has an impact of 2,000 pounds
per square inch. An exposed heel nail can exert
up to 8,000 pounds per square inch. This kind of
impact can dent any floor surface.
- When moving heavy furniture, do not slide it
on wood flooring. It is best to pick up the furniture
completely to protect the wood flooring.
- For wood flooring in the kitchen, place an area
rug in front of the kitchen sink.
- Use a humidifier throughout the winter months
to keep wood movement and shrinkage to a minimum.
|
