Wood Care Tips

• Regardless of how the floor has been finished, there are certain steps that must be taken to maintain the beauty of the hardwood floor.
  
  
• Every floor must be dust mopped, vacuumed or swept with a soft bristle broom daily, or as often as necessary, to remove grit and dust from the surface. Walking on dusty or dirty floor is the fastest way to damage the finish.
  
  
• Place walkoff mats at all exterior entrances. This will capture much of the harmful dirt before it even reaches the hardwood floor. Shake out, wash or vacuum mats and area rugs frequently.
  
  
• Floor protector pads of soft felt or similar material should be placed on the bottoms of the legs of furniture. Floor protectors must be kept clean of grit and periodically replaced.
  
  
• Kitchen floors experience the most traffic in a home. To prevent premature wear of the floor, place an area rug in front of the sink and stove area. Shake out or vacuum the rugs frequently.
  
  
• Remember that cleats, sports shoes and high heels can dent any floor surface. When a 125 pound woman takes a step in high heels she exerts 2,000 psi (pound per square inch). An exposed heel nail can exert up to 8,000 psi.
  
  
• When moving heavy furniture, completely pick up the furniture and carry to another room to best protect the wood flooring.
  
  
• Finally, using a humidifier in conjunction with a furnace or air conditioning system to maintain relative humidity in the home at 30-50 percent will maintain the moisture in the wood and minimize cracks between the boards.
  
  
• Shading variance can occur (bleaching) if wood is subject to direct sunlight. Suitable window coverings should be installed to prevent this from occurring.
  
  
• Re-arrange rugs and furniture periodically so the floors ages evenly. The sun’s ultraviolet rays can age all wood products. Pad or rug-hold materials under area rugs should be carefully selected, some do not allow the floor to breath and can affect the wood flooring.
  
  
• A dog approximately 30 pounds or more can severely scratch hardwood floors. Keep toenails clipped regularly to help protect your wood flooring finish.