Hardwood floors are so durable that they can easily last the lifetime of a home. Even better, their appearance is easy to maintain. With some basic, common-sense care, your floors can last for many, many years—and look gorgeous the entire time!
Here are 7 tips for keeping hardwood floors looking good as new:
1. Liberally decorate with rugs.
Not only are rugs a wonderful way to accent the tone and character of your floors, they help prevent wear and scratching. Particularly in high-traffic areas such as entryways, rugs can complement the floor while also protecting it.
2. Put pads under chairs.
As people are taking a seat, getting up, or just fidgeting in chairs, they can move them enough to cause scratching. Small, out-of-sight pads on the bottom of the chair legs can greatly minimize this. Similarly, pads are a good idea on any furniture that’s light enough to move if inadvertently bumped.
3. Be careful moving furniture or appliances.
Never slide anything on your floors. And for heavy items on wheels—such as refrigerators or pianos—be aware that the small wheels are narrowly focusing all the weight. Without putting down some sort of protection for the wheels to roll on, you could end up with dents in the floor. Call your hardwood floor expert if you need suggestions on how to protect your floors in this situation.
4. Avoid rough use.
Be practical about how you use your floors. Not even the best hardwood floors will resist scratching if your dogs are wrestling on them! Along with pet nails, child’s toys also are a common cause of scratching or denting. Even some shoes (e.g., high heels, work boots) can be rough on a floor.
5. Keep an eye on excessive sunlight.
If one part of a room consistently receives more sunlight than the rest of the room, that part could begin to discolor in comparison. If you don’t want to adjust the sunlight in the room, you can block it from the area you’re concerned about by using a rug, rearranging furniture, etc. (You may need to make adjustments as the sun moves its position throughout the year.
6. Clean up spills promptly.
Today’s finishes will keep liquids from getting into the wood if it’s cleaned up in a reasonable amount of time. But if the liquid is allowed to seep into the cracks between boards and remain there, it can cause warping, mold, and mildew.
7. Use the right cleaning products.
Many products that claim to be for cleaning hardwood floors can actually harm them, and there’s a lot of misinformation about cleaning on the Web. With prefinished hardwood flooring, the flooring manufacturer will provide guidance about what products will work well without harming your floor. If you had your floors sanded and finished on site, the hardwood flooring company that did the job can tell you what to use on your new flooring.
Conclusion
Starting with a high-quality hardwood floor is the first and most important step when looking for a beautiful yet durable floor that will last a lifetime. You can see the most beautiful floors in the area with a short drive to our showroom in Black Creek.
