Here are some steps you can take to help maintain the beauty of your hardwood floors:
- Do NOT use any sheet vinyl or tile floor care products on your wood floor. Self-polishing acrylic waxes cause wood to become slippery and appear dull.
- Place throw rugs both inside and outside doorways to help prevent grit, dirt and other debris from being tracked onto the floors. This will also prevent scratching
- Do not wet-mop a wood floor. Any standing water can dull a finish, damage the wood and leave a discoloring residue.
- Wipe up spills immediately with a slightly dampened towel.
- Do not put too much wax on a wood floor. If it dulls, trying buffing instead. Avoid wax buildup under furniture and other light traffic areas by waxing there every other season.
- Put soft plastic or fabric-faced glides on furniture legs to prevent scuffing and scratching.
- Avoid walking on wood floors with sports shoes (cleats) and high heels. A woman weighing 125 lbs. walking in high heels has an impact of 2,000 pounds-per-square-inch. An exposed nail in a heel can exert up to 8,000 pounds-per-square-inch. Floors will become dented and scratched under that much force.
- Do not slide heavy furniture when moving it across wood floors. It’s best to pick it up completely.
- Place an area rug in front of the sink if you have wood floors in your kitchen.
- A humidifier during the winter months will help keep wood movement and shrinkage to a minimum.
We hope these care tips are helpful. Please let us know if we can answer any other questions by phoning us at (510) 428-2828.
