Hardwood floors are highly sought after in homes today for their timeless beauty and elegance. With regular care and some simple maintenance tips, they will last a lifetime, adding value and appeal to any home. Let’s take a look at how you can easily maintain their appearance for years to come.
6 Tips for Preserving Hardwood Floors
1. Make your home a no-shoe zone
In addition to the unknown dirt and germs brought in on the bottom of your shoes, they also pose a threat to your hardwood floors. The dirt can actually act like sandpaper, scratching the surface of your floors and etching scrapes. Heels are another danger to your floors; they can create permanent divots into your hardwood. Your floors will last longer and look better if you set up a shoe station by the front door, and you can encourage house shoes in your home.
2. Keep your furry friend’s nails trimmed
We love our pets; they add joy and companionship to our lives. That said, we don’t always love when they damage our homes. An easy fix to avoid pet damage to your floors is to keep their nails trimmed to reduce the chances of any scratches or gouges. This way they are free to roam around the house without worrying about your beautiful hardwood!
3. Clean spills ASAP
Liquids are hardwood floor’s worst enemy. While the surface of the boards are sealed, the edges and bottoms are not. Small spills that don’t go wider than one board are quick and easy clean up jobs, but larger spills run the risk of seeping between boards and damaging them. If you do have hardwood in areas likely to be exposed to water, such as kitchens and bathrooms, make sure you have absorbent mats placed close to sinks or dishwashers to catch any water before it can do long-term damage.
4. Don’t oversand your floors
Lightly sanding your floors can help restore beauty and remove smaller scratches or imperfections. But oversanding, especially with engineered hardwood, can actually damage your hardwood more than when you started. Never use a drum sander on engineered hardwood. It is too powerful, and can sand off the veneer and get down to the particle board underneath. You will also need to ensure your engineered hardwood is fit to be refinished like solid hardwood.
5. Use furniture pads
Felt furniture pads will be your hardwood’s best friend. Felt pads will help you avoid scratches caused when furniture moves across floors. We especially recommend furniture pads for your dining room chairs and stools. Protect the natural beauty of your hardwood floors, not just when you’re moving or installing new floors, but always.
6. Runners are your friend
Using rug runners in high-traffic areas will help your floors stay as beautiful as the day they were installed by limiting the potential damage that comes from daily traffic. Area rugs under furniture can also limit probable scratches caused by furniture.
Everyday Cleaning Care for Hardwood
1. Go Waterless
A broom is the best daily cleaning option for your floors, especially one with soft bristles. This will also help to get any potential abrasive grains off before they can damage the finish.
2. Vacuum Weekly
A weekly vacuum by one especially designed for hardwood will also keep your floors looking their best. The correct vacuum will also help to remove buildup between boards, another source of potential damage.
3. Mopping Tips
Use a lightly dampened mop to spot clean when needed, since we know water and hardwood don’t mix! You can also use a mister to spray your cleaner. This helps avoid oversaturation of your floors. Your installation and flooring experts here at Dalton Floor Tailor will also advise you on the cleaners that work best with your specific floors to maintain their beauty.
Overall, it’s hard to beat the classic look of hardwood floors, and they’ll never go out of style. Choosing to install hardwood is one of the best investment decisions you can make for your home, which is why it’s important to try to keep them clean and scratch-free for years to come.
