The DO’s and DON’Ts of Hardwood Flooring Maintenance

Hardwood floors can be the most beautiful part of a home. They are a source of elegance and they provide a strong visual foundation in a home. Hardwood is unique in its qualities. No other flooring looks as gorgeous while adding value to your home in the way that hardwood does. However, hardwood’s one big drawback is durability. Close maintenance is required with wood flooring. Any type of liquid spillage can cause severe warping to your floors and could damage your walls. They are susceptible to scratching from pets or moving furniture. And they can even fade their colors in prolonged direct sunlight. The great benefits of having a wood floor are nullified if they are not properly taken care of. So, here are some simple “Do’s and Don’ts” of hardwood maintenance. (To learn how to maintain other types of flooring, call us now at 661-476-5034 for more information.

DO: Like I said earlier, liquid spillage can cause long term damage to wood flooring in the form of warping the planks. Easiest way to counteract this is to be on top of every spill. Wipe it up ASAP and make sure it is dry when you’re done.

DO: Put area rugs in high traffic areas to prevent the floor wearing down. Put mats by the front and back doors to prevent mud and water from being tracked in. Make sure these mats are from a breathable material so they don’t trap any moisture underneath.

DO: Put rubber pads underneath any particularly heavy furniture with narrow legs. Trying to move heavy furniture without doing this will badly scratch wood floors. Also, watch your pets’ nails and claws! Give your dogs and cats pedicures to minimize scratching by your furry friends. Also, one way to hide scratching is to install hand scraped, distressed floors. These floors are pre-scratched up and actually help mask any scratches your pets and furniture may cause in the future.

DON’T: Do not use anything with ammonia in it to clean your wood floors. Stay away from wax based products, acrylic finishes, detergents, bleaches, polishes, oil soaps, and vinegar. Instead, get a hardwood cleaning solution (you can pick them up at any big hardware store), spray it on a dust mop and go to town. Do this regularly.

DON’T: Try not to walk around your hardwood floors in stiletto heels all the time. The weight is being distributed to a very fine point, and as a result your wood floor will dent and bend. Also, if it’s raining or snowing or you simply decided to walk through a swamp on your way back home, take off your shoes before walking onto your floor! Tile can take abuse like that, wood cannot!

DON’T: Do NOT try and sand an engineered wood floor. With true hardwood, you can do this as many times as you please. But with engineered wood, only the topmost layer is wood. Everything below it is plywood. Attempting to sand this can irreversibly damage the floor. If you’re thinking about sanding your floor, make sure it is not engineered. If it is, what you can do is buff it, then coat it in a polyurethane finish.

Those are some Do’s and Don’ts of hardwood flooring maintenance. Heed my warnings, homeowners! Hardwood floors are a smart, beautiful investment but they should not be ignored! Take the measures to preserve your floors. We are the premier Valencia Flooring Company, call us now at 661-476-5034.