Hardwood floors are easy to maintain and provide a much cleaner, healthier environment. This is largely a result of improvements in the technology of hardwood floor finishes. These new finishes make keeping your hardwood floors looking like new an easy task. Just follow these simple maintenance procedures.
Protect your floors.
Place throw rugs in front of sinks, dishwashers and any door leading to the outside where heavy traffic and tracking occurs. However, do not do this until at least 10 - 14 days after the final coat of finish has been applied. On the outside use doormats that are designed to trap grit and small rock that can be on the bottom of shoes. Chairs and other furniture should have Floor D-fenders attached to the bottom of each leg to help prevent scratches and wear. Do not wax the bottom of chair legs or other furniture. The extremely high forces exerted by stiletto and high heel shoes may visibly damage wood floors. We cannot accept claims for damage caused by these types of shoes. Do not use any form of masking or duct tape to "protect" your wood floors.
Regular vacuuming, dust mopping, or sweeping.
When it comes to damage to your wood floor finish, grit and small rocks are the biggest culprits. Regular vacuuming, dust mopping or sweeping is an essential part of hardwood floor care. A good quality dust mop or preferably a vacuum with a bristle head is the most effective tool for cleaning the grit, dust and dirt off the floor. To keep your floor looking it's best, vacuum, dust mop or sweep at least twice a week, more often on floors with heavy traffic or if your children have a tendency to bring the sand box into the house with them.
Occasional cleaning.
Spills, food, and tracked in mud can build up and require more than just a simple dust mopping or vacuuming to be removed. When this happens use a damp cloth in a mild cleaning solution (BONA) diluted with warm water. We recommend you use BONA set, a convenient dry and wet mop, to clean your floors without getting on your hands and knees. Feel free to give us a call if you need those products - (913) 708-3258.
Do not use any of the following products on your floor:
Murphy's Oil Soap, or any other oil soap, Paste Wax, Pledge, or any other wax, wax or silicone based polishes, Fantastic, Formula 409, or other solvent based cleaners, Pine Sol, or other pine based cleaners, Ammonia, or Vinegar and water.
Do not wax, spray or buff!
Urethane finishes require little maintenance, so it is not necessary to wax or polish the floor. Waxes or polishes actually make it harder to clean and cause problems for adhesion of future coats.
Periodic recoating.
Following a regular maintenance program will preserve the life of your hardwood floors for years. However, despite all of their advantages, these finishes will not last forever. Eventually, your floor may need to be recoated.
A hardwood floor should be recoated when the original finish is showing signs of wear but before it has worn down to the bare wood. Bare wood will be stained by dirt and grime and will need to be resanded and finished. Under normal conditions a finish should last about 3 - 5 years and resanded and finished about every 9 - 15 years.
Humidifiers.
Wood flooring, being a natural product, will absorb and expel moisture. This natural process will cause the flooring to expand and contract from season to season resulting in cracks or separation between some of the boards in your floor. Regulating the heating in your home will minimize this problem. Instead of pumping dry heat at your floor and drying it out all winter long, humidifiers on the furnace set at 45-50% tend to maintain a more consistent moisture content in the wood flooring, which equates to less cracks.
Water damage.
If water damage occurs the flooring will cup or buckle. However, normally it will lie back down within 1-2 months after the moisture is expelled. Please give us a call if you have any questions, would like a free estimate or need to schedule a recoat. (913) 708-3285.