Maintenance Tips For Wood Floors

By Author: gardner wilkinson
Total Articles: 12
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Odds are if your house is new or recently remodeled you have wood flooring, even if it’s older you might have wood floors in the house. What should you avoid doing to preserve your wood floors? Some advice is location specific, people in Arizona have to worry more about sand than people in Fredericksburg VA, but the people in Fredericksburg VA have to worry more about moisture related problems.

The first thing to worry about is furniture. Wood is vulnerable to scratching and gouging, as is the veneer on the wood. Any chairs and tables should have soft pads attached to the feet; if you have wood floors in the family room make sure the end tables couches and coffee tables are similarly protected. It can detract from the value of the room if the wood is scarred it also looks bad. Some things you can put a small rug or mat under if that’s your preference.

The other thing to watch for is moisture related issues. You don’t want to leave pools of standing water on the wood for prolonged periods; if you spill water or walk in and track water onto the floor get it off of the wood floor quickly. On the subject of moisture, ...
... you want to, if possible, control the humidity in your house to be in the 30%-50% range. You also want to avoid mats and rugs with rubber backing, the rubber can hold moisture against the floor. Though it won’t be much moisture it can cause a discoloration under the mat.

On the subject of discoloration, wood and the finish do different things when exposed to sunlight over time. If the floor is in shadow for 10 years it will look different than if in the sun, so make sure to keep that in mind, if possible keep direct sunlight off of the wood floors, but if that’s unavoidable try to make the effect even by not blocking large portions only via furniture and mats.

The final note is to be careful what types of cleaner you use; some can damage the finish and the wood, so you have to be careful. Avoid ammonia, and avoid bleach, there are others to avoid, but generally speaking be gentle on your wood floors. Things won’t stick into wood like it does to carpet so you shouldn’t need the powerful cleaners, and it’s important to remember that wood floors aren’t as hardy as tile or stone. With these tips in mind you’ll hopefully be able to enjoy your wood floors for a long time. Keep tips like these in mind with any local environmental conditions. Fredericksburg VA might not have the sand of an Albuquerque New Mexico, but it will have more humidity and mud, keep that in mind. If sand’s your problem sweep so it doesn’t damage the finish, and if mud is the problem, get it off the ground so it doesn’t damage the floor with its moisture and then spread as dirt.

Wood floors Fredericksburg VA - JK Carpets, a flooring company will provide you the knowledge on the proper way to maintain your wood floors. Get in touch with them.