Hardwood floors have gained a reputation for being elegant and extremely sturdy. At the same time, they are known for adding value to your home and for requiring relatively little maintenance.
But, that doesn’t mean that your wooden floors can’t use a little TLC!
The Thing About Wooden Floors
While they are awesome investments, hardwood floors do require some attention in order to maintain their appearance and functionality. Remember that the floor is the largest element in any room, which means that it will basically set the tone in that specific area.
Poorly-maintained wooden floors that show bumps, scratches, and scuffs tend to give off the wrong vibe. Instead of admiring the beauty of the finish, you’ll probably find guests and other household members staring at these impurities, trying to figure out how they came to be.
10 Tips to Help You Maintain Your Hardwood Floors in Great Condition
Preserving your hardwood floors is critical to keeping your house looking spectacular. That being said, maintaining your wood flooring in great condition is a long-term project.
Check out these 10 tips to help you keep your hardwood flooring in tip-top condition.
Apply a High-Quality Finish
Wooden floor finishes vary in appearance and actual quality, so make sure you always choose a reliable coat that’s on the higher end of the scale. While the tonality is completely your choice, you’ll need to select from a variety of finishes that offer different qualities.
Depending on your budget and preferences, you can choose between oil or water-based finishes, sealers, wax, and other options. If you’re not sure which one is best for your case, contact your local flooring expert and verify which works best for your particular area or weather type.
Keep the Shine at Bay
Wooden floors tend to get scratched, dented, or simply collect a lot of dust. Having a shiny floor will reflect much more light, prominently displaying dents and all other small damages. At the same time, the shinier your floors, the more you’ll notice them fading away.
Instead of selecting a glossy finish, go for a matte or satin in order to keep your floors clean for a longer period of time. Plus, you won’t notice your flooring fading as quickly, which may save you a significant amount of money in the long run.
Walk Around Barefoot or Use Slippers Inside of Your House
Shoes with hard soles tend to wear your floors quickly, so you can encourage your entire family to either walk around barefoot or use their slippers indoors. Many folks prefer switching to comfortable footwear as soon as they walk into the house anyway, so enticing your entire household to keep it comfy will, in fact, reduce the wear and tear that your floors go through.
Put Area Rugs Under Big Pieces of Furniture
Area rugs are a great way to protect your hardwood. Even when they cover large areas, these rugs still let you showcase your wooden floors and they provide a layer of protection that keeps damage from heavy furniture to a minimum.
Invest in Hardwood-Specific Cleaning Supplies
There’s no denying that hardwood floors have become extremely popular. Because of this, many companies have developed wood-specific cleaning supplies that range from microfiber cloths to non-staining liquids that restore the appearance of your floor.
Make sure you purchase the basic supplies needed to keep your floors looking like new. It’s important to know the type of wood and finish that was applied because purchasing the wrong product may actually stain your flooring.
Remember that hardwood is a major investment, so getting the right supplies is a small price to pay to keep your wooden surfaces in top condition.
Avoid Rolling Chairs
Rolling chairs are functional, but they can also damage your hardwood flooring. The best way to prevent these damages it to avoid rolling chairs altogether, at least in the areas that have wooden floors.
If the floor in your office is made of wood and you need to have a rolling chair, finding a thick vinyl panel and placing it under the chair can help mitigate the damage caused by the wheels.
Clean Up Spills Immediately
Spillage is inevitable, especially if you have pets, children, or clumsy friends. Always remember to keep your hardwood cleaning supplies handy as this will help you take care of spills right away. The longer you let liquids, food, and other contaminants sit on the floor, the more likely they are to leave a stain.
Put a Doormat in All Entrances
Most of the outdoor contaminants that may damage hardwood floors come in on the bottom of people’s shoes. Placing a doormat in every single entry point in the house will help reduce the deterioration that your wooden floor experiences.
Besides removing potentially harmful substances, a doormat will reduce the chances of walking in with a piece of solid material stuck underneath your shoes and scratching your floor.
Vacuum or Sweep with a Light Broom Regularly
Removing hard particulate from your wooden surfaces will help it maintain its appearance for a longer period of time. Not only this, lightly vacuuming or sweeping the surfaces may help maintain the functionality of the coating for an extended period of time.
The vacuum you use should be designed for hardwood floors or have a setting specifically for wood. Moreover, the broom should feature light bristles in order to avoid scratching your wooden flooring while still looking like new.
Use Home Remedies with Precaution
Home remedies promise to take care of bumps, scratches, and other imperfections with simple tricks. Some of these may ask you to apply solutions that were not designed to clean floors and these may actually damage or stain your hardwood.
Our suggestion? Veer away from miraculous home remedies that promise to improve the visual appeal of your floor. Instead, purchase the right supplies and actively take care of your hardwood by changing up some of your habits!
Getting Professional Maintenance for Your Hardwood Floors
While regular upkeep goes a long way, there are certain cases that require professional maintenance to fully restore your flooring’s grandiose appearance.
If you have any questions about keeping your flooring in great condition, get in touch with us by giving us a call or filling out our online contact form and our team of hardwood experts will be more than happy to help you out!
