Wooden Floors For The Home – Maintaining Wooden Flooring

Regardless of whether you live in a huge mansion, a little semi-detached house or a very small studio apartment, having hard wood floors throughout your residence is going to bring a little classic grandeur to your property. But being the owner of a wood floor involves the right care along with regular maintenance in order to help keep your investment in pristine condition. So if you’re a proud owner of wooden floors or aiming to get them fitted, it’s well worth looking at the dos and don’ts of looking after your wooden floor.

Keep a check on dust

Everyday dirt, dust and grit are some of the most commonly encountered enemies of wood floors. They might abrade wood, chafing away its sleek finish and damaging its natural splendor. To keep dirt at bay, make sure you buy some thick foot mats and place them at all entrances to your residence, especially the front door.

It is also vital that you establish a regular cleaning schedule where you brush or hoover away dust and grit off your wooden floor. When using a vacuum cleaner, avoid a revolving brush accessory because it can also abrade wood. It is possible to further limit the occurrence of dust by mopping your floors using a well-wrung damp mop.

Cushion furniture

Hardwood floors are not only prone to scratches from dust alone. Heavy foot traffic, home furniture as well as pets’ paws could all present a threat to your lovely floors. Nevertheless you will be happy to know that it’s fairly easy to minimize these risks.

It’s easy to avoid scratching your floor surfaces by making use of felt pads or floor protectors under furniture legs when moving items in the home. It’s also good practice to lift up as opposed to drag furniture to avoid leaving scratches or scuffs on your flooring. Rugs can also be a fantastic way of preventing wear and tear in high traffic areas like the hall, kitchen area and reception rooms. You’ll be surprised to learn that even small items like stiletto heels or sharp pet nails can damage your wooden floors. You can easily prevent this from occurring by wearing softer, flatter shoes at home and trying to keep your pet’s claws appropriately clipped.

Keep an eye on exposure to sunlight

You will find, when it comes to hardwood floors, you have to keep a check on how much natural light they get. Excessive sunlight may harm your wood flooring, causing the wood to fade, disintegrate or become discoloured. It is possible to stop this from occurring simply by using curtains or window blinds to restrict the level of sunlight your wooden floors receive. You can even go the extra mile and coat your windows with UV protection to minimise sun damage.

Minimise moisture

Your hardwood floors may also be prone to moisture damage; too much of it could spell trouble, leading to pest attacks and also dry rot. It’s easy to eliminate this risk just by using well-wrung-out floor mops while cleaning. Any liquid spills need to be cleaned up instantly and if possible, a home dehumidifier should be used inside your own home in extremely humid weather.

Give a bit of TLC

Since you now understand the basic principles of caring for your wooden floors, you could go the extra mile and ensure your floors are kept thoroughly sealed and finished. You need to keep the seal topped up on a regular basis – whether it is lacquer, oil, wax or polish. This’ll make sure that the genuine beauty of this gorgeous asset shines through at all times.