Wood Floor Care: Polish Your Skills

Wood floors are a number of the hardest-working pieces of the property. They endure our continuous traipsing, and at times we do the unthinkable We stride together with our stiletto heels and haul our furniture across their surfaces that are beautiful.

Feil Wood Flooring’s Andrea Feil believes that maintaining wood surfaces clean is not really as difficult as you might think. She says that the chief advice she gives all her clients is to keep their cleaning and maintenance methods simple. “No intensive, professional service is needed to keep your floors looking great — as long as you keep up on the maintenance,” says Feil.

Here’s how to keep a number of wood flooring surroundings clean and stain free.

Summerour Architects

Untreated Hardwood Floors

These reclaimed antique heart pine floors have a worn out character that ups the allure of this dining area; you’d not want to remove some of the marks, since that would take away a portion of the allure.

For maintenance of untreated wood floors, Feil recommends the following measures:
First vacuum floors with a distinctive soft-bristle, nonmarking brush to remove dirt sitting around the surface.Wet a microfiber pad with only a small bit of water — enough to soften the pad, but not so much that it’s soaking — along with a cleaner created for wood surfaces.Wring out the microfiber pad. The flooring should dry within a minute when you’re cleaning. If water slopes up or stays on the floor more than a minute, the pad should be wrung out more first. For tough stains: “You really ought to talk to your hardwood flooring installer for maintenance and care difficulties, particularly for important stains and chips which need professional assistance,” says Feil. “But for weekly maintenance, surface scratches and worn floors could be restored together with the Bona Hardwood Refresher. Bona is nontoxic, nonflammable and does not leave a dull residue”

Stay away from: All-purpose cleansers that contain ammonia and chlorine, in addition to vacuum brushes that rotate. Vacuum brushes that are rotating scratch on wood surfaces.

Tim Cuppett Architects

Wood Floors Exposed to Sunlight

Much like our skin, wood surfaces are sensitive to ultraviolet light and heat, causing the wood to change colour or produce a unwelcome patina.

For discoloration stains: Move area rugs periodically and draw curtains over large windows to prevent obvious, undesirable discolorations. Before leaving the home, be certain that you close your blinds or shades; doing this not just will make sure that your home will be cooler when you return, but will help protect your wood floors from UV damage.

Stay away from: Continued and direct sun exposure. To counter daily and continuous UV damage, regularly shift your area furniture and rugs in the exposed regions so that your flooring can endure equally throughout the year. This is only one of the easiest, most cost-effective tactics to assist your floors keep their character and allure.

Frederick + Frederick Architects

Finished Wood Floors

newest wood floors are surface sealed with urethane, polyurethane or polyacrylic. Many surface-sealed floors are stain- and – water-damage resistant and easy to care for and clean.

For tough stains: Your flooring’s finishwill influence how you treat stains. As a general guide, if your floor has a wax finish, rub off the stain with steel wool or cotton, working from the outside of the stain inwards; for much tougher stains, then you might need to use fine sandpaper and a flooring cleaner. When the stain is removed, reapply the wax and wax. If you have used a floor cleaner, make sure you wash it off the wood surface prior to waxing.

Also, if your floor has a surface finish, you will need to treat the whole affected area to maintain color consistency. Reapply the same finish that was initially on the floor to the affected boards. Make sure you don’t overlap on the adjoining boards, or the end will be irregular. When in doubt, consult with a flooring professional for assistance.

Stay away from: Oil soaps and citrus oils, that can render a dull surface residue.

Castro Design Studio

Wood Floors at High-Traffic Areas

This jute runner shields the aged red oak floors in this high-traffic area.

Michael Robert Construction

A stairway runner along with a welcome mat protect this high heeled stairway and foyer.

For tough nicks and scratches: Apart from spot-treating scratches in high ranking locations, caring for hardwood floors which get a good deal of traffic is really about prevention. Keep shoes and high heels in good repair in case you have wood floors in the home. You know your favorite pair of cowboy boots, the one with all the jagged heel and a nail sticking out? Those boots are serious surface scratchers.

Stay away from: Extended pet nails,along with old footwear. Pets’ nails should be trimmed regularly to prevent deep scratches.

Spinnaker Development

Engineered Wood

Engineered wood is typically a composite of hardwoods and softwoods, with the topmost layer being the most lasting (and generally best) wood layer. Engineered wood is 100 percent wood, and it’s more warmth and moisture resistant than solid hardwood. This moisture resistance makes it a fantastic alternative to hardwood floors, particularly when it comes to the kitchen and bathroom.

We Love Your Wood Floors proprietor Heidi Nyhoff says, “Though I do not recommend it, some individuals decide to have wood floors in their bathrooms. If this is the case, then engineered floors are ideal since they survive the moisture-intensive surroundings much better than hardwood floors.”

Nyhoff also advocates using engineered floors in low-traffic bathrooms, like in the guest room or powder room. “Be sure to have something such as a standard fan handy and accessibility to an open window so that there’s always a way to take the moisture from the room,” says Nyhoff.

For tough stains: Engineered wood floors are prefinished and more resistant to stains. Nyhoff says that a cleaner that’s specifically made for wood floors is nice to use.

Stay away from: Cleansers that have oils or which will leave a residue.

Echelon Custom Homes

Wood Floors in the Kitchen

General builder Kenny Grono says that wood floors are a nice selection for kitchen flooring and powder rooms. “In both these spots you’re exposing the wood to water, so you’ll need to clean up spills straight away,” he says.

For tough stains and spills: In the event of a leaky dishwasher or a major spill, absorb as much moisture as you can with towels and dry the floor thoroughly. If you’ve got mobile fans, point them in the affected area. Grono says, “Don’t attempt to sand down the surface to fix the problem. It might take several weeks, but given enough time to dry out, the wood flooring should go back to normal”

For small and localized stains, such as those from tomato soup and sauce, dab the area with a soft fabric (fabric diapers are great) dipped in mild dish soap and water. Be careful not to wet the area too much, or the floors will warp.

This kitchen installation shows among the greatest ways to counter tough stains in high-spill regions of the kitchen: an area runner. Cotton rugs are generally best in this area since they can be dried and cleaned easily.

If your wood floors have been significantly water damaged, then phone a wood flooring professional.

Stay away from: Large amounts of water. No matter where your wood floor is in the home, never pour large amounts of water onto your own floor directly. While a slightly dampened mop may be used on polyurethane and other surface-sealed wood floors that are in good condition, even small amounts of water can cause the deterioration of finishes and warp the underlying wood.

Also avoid sticky and tacky carpeting mats and backers, which can attack and discolor the wood end.

More:
Strong Plank Wood Floors 101
Designer Confessions: Torn Between 2 Woods
House Rules: Off With Your Shoes?
Laminate Floors: Get the Look of Wood for Less

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