Hardwood Flooring Maintenance Tips

Hardwood Maintenance

A huge part of having hardwood flooring is maintaining it. You probably spent quite a bit on the material, but also probably on installing it. The manufacturer will give an estimated lifetime for the material, but in the end the lifetime of hardwood flooring depends on how well it is maintained. Follow the hardwood flooring maintenance tips below to help extend the lifetime of your hardwood flooring.

Firstly, it’s essential to guard your flooring against threats to hardwood.

You’ll find that most hardwood flooring maintenance tips revolve around preventing moisture absorption. Moisture damages hardwood flooring. If liquids seep to the core, planks can begin to cup or crown.

Hardwood flooring has evolved over the years, and it’s much more moisture-resistant than it once was. However, moisture absorption is still a threat, so it’s best to prevent against it.

Another threat to hardwood flooring is scratching. Some types of wood are able to hide scratches better than others, but it’s still an issue.

Preventative Tips

Have rugs in areas of high foot traffic

As you’d expect, the more foot traffic that a floor experiences, the faster it’ll wear down. Thus, you should guard parts of your floors that experience high foot traffic. You can place an area rug in the living room to add character while also guarding against the effects of high foot traffic. If you have wood flooring installed in your kitchen, you should also consider placing a mat by your kitchen sink. Essentially, any area that experiences heavy foot traffic can can have a rug placed there.

Wipe up spills immediately

As we mentioned earlier, moisture spills are detrimental to hardwood flooring. That’s why it’s extremely important to wipe up any spills immediately. Even spilling a glass of water can lead to damaged hardwood if not wiped up immediately.

Don’t drag furniture

Lift and move furniture instead of dragging it will protect your hardwood flooring against scratching. While you can temporarily hide scratches by placing your furniture over them, they will immediately become visible if you decide to rearrange your furniture.

Place protective pads under the legs of all your furniture

Place protective pads under the legs of all your furniture to reduce the risk of scratching.

Apply a sealant

It’s highly recommended to have your hardwood flooring sealed, as it will protect against moisture absorption and scratching. It’s an additional cost, but it’s well worth is because it will protect your flooring for at least 2-3 years.

Place rugs outside of doorways

Having guests wipe their shoes on a rug before they step into your home can help keep dirt outside. You can also request that your guests remove their shoes before entering your home, but that’s completely up to you.

Tips for cleaning hardwood flooring

Try your best to sweep daily

Sweeping your floors every day helps keep your floors free of dust and other particles. If you can’t sweep every day then try to sweep at least once a week.

Vacuum/Mop once a week

Vacuuming and mopping will help keep your floors in pristine condition. However, you should make sure that your vacuum is set to hardwood flooring mode to prevent scratching. Additionally, be careful  not to spill water when mopping.

Consider sanding and polishing monthly

Polishing can help keep your flooring look as good as new.

Sand and refinish every few years!

Sanding and polishing is recommended monthly since it can free your flooring of scratches and light damage.

Use cleaning solutions for your flooring

Some cleaning solutions can be harmful to hardwood flooring, so make sure that yours is specific to your flooring.

Don’t steam clean

Moisture is a threat to hardwood flooring. This includes vapor produced while steam cleaning, so don’t steam clean hardwood flooring.

Floors BLVD

Hopefully these hardwood flooring maintenance tips will help you have hardwood flooring that lasts for many, many years to come. Please visit our website—https://floorsblvd.com—to learn more about our products and services and check out our blog for more helpful tips!