Are you the proud owner of a section of the USA’s 926.7 million square feet of hardwood flooring?
If so, you’re probably wondering how to go about caring for hardwood floors to keep them in prime condition for as long as you can. Hardwood’s a durable type of flooring but it’s expensive to replace.
Here’s how to give your hardwood floors the TLC they need.
The Basics of Caring for Hardwood Floors
There are a few things you can do daily to ensure your hardwood floors stay in excellent condition.
Scratches are a difficult fix on hardwood floors, but you can easily prevent them. Never scrape anything across your hardwood floors. If you need to move furniture, always lift it, and carry it to its new location.
You can also use pads underneath the legs of tables, sofas, and chairs to prevent accidental scuffs.
Another top tip for taking care of a hardwood floor is to wipe up any spills immediately. Hardwood and water don’t mix well.
Wood’s a permeable substance, so if you allow water to stay on it for too long, it’s bound to seep into your floor and damage it. High humidity and moisture cause wood to swell which can eventually lead to gapping, splitting, and cupping of the wood surface.
For the same reason, you should never wet mop or steam clean your hardwood floor. Read this article to learn more about water damage to hardwood floors.
Another one of the best tips for hardwood floors is to sweep your floors daily with a soft-bristled broom to prevent a build-up of grime or dust that can result in scratches and staining.
Dust and pet hair can also make their way into the small gaps between your floorboards, which creates hygiene issues and can spark allergies.
Vacuum weekly with a soft floor nozzle to take care of any crumbs or dirt you missed while sweeping.
Cleaning Tips for Hardwood Floors
If you notice your hardwood floors getting grimy, don’t attack them with a hard-bristled broom.
Rather mop the floor with a slightly damp mop and an approved cleaner. Use a string mop and wring it out until it’s almost dry.
You need to use a neutral liquid on your hardwood floors. Don’t use vinegar, baking soda, or dish detergent on your hardwood floors.
Some types of cleaners can leave a residue on your wood floors. You can test this by applying the cleaner to a piece of glass first to see if it leaves anything behind.
For best results, you should use a store-bought cleaner made especially for hardwood floors. These are the things to look for in a cleaner if you want sparkling clean floors:
- Solvents to help speed the drying process as well as minimize filmy build up and streaking
- Surfactants that loosen and emulsify dirt and grease
- Chelators to prevent water spotting and salt stains
- Citric acid to combat dirt and achieve a neutral pH
- Oxidizers that bust long-standing dirt
Together, these ingredients form the ideal solution for keeping your floors spotless and in glowing good condition.
Maintaining Hardwood Floors
Recoating your hardwood floors every three to five years is an important part of hardwood floors’ upkeep. It’s also one of the best tips for improving hardwood floors that are looking a little glum.
Usually, this is a simple process. It involves roughing up the existing coating by lightly sanding it, sweeping up all the residue, and then re-coating it with a new layer of protective coating.
You’ll need to leave your floor to dry for 24 hours before walking on it again.
Problems creep in when some areas of the existing finish have worn down to the wood. In these cases, you’ll need to undertake the more expensive process of refinishing the floor.
If you’ve used wax oil or soap on your floors, the new finish won’t stick, even if you try to remove these residues. You also can’t coat pre-finished floors that have a Scotch Guard or Teflon coating. It’s impossible to abrade these coatings.
Refinishing Your Hardwood Floors
This is like a facelift for hardwood flooring, and you only need to do it about once a decade.
If you’ve moved into a house with hardwood floors and you don’t know how old they are, you might want to refinish the floors before you get settled. It’s best to leave the house during this process since it can create unpleasant fumes.
You’ll also need to refinish your floors if you want to change their color, or if there are deep scratches, discoloration, fading, or uneven wear marks on the floor.
It’s best to get a contractor to do this job. This is what’s involved in the process:
- The contractor removes the existing finish with a large heavy sanding machine
- They continue to sand the floor until all dents, scratches, and discoloration’s removed
- Next, they take great care to remove every speck of dust from the floor surface
- They add a coat of stain in the desired color
- Finally, they add three coats of finish, allowing each layer to dry before applying the next
Some contractors use LED or UV curing to speed up the drying process and low-odor, low-VOC finishes to reduce the inconvenience to the homeowner.
Is Your Hardwood Floor Worth the Time, Expense, and Effort?
Caring for hardwood floors can get tedious at times, but it’s worth the extra trouble. A well-maintained solid hardwood floor’s a thing of beauty and can last for up to 100 years.
If you decide to sell your home one day, this type of flooring’s a huge drawcard for potential buyers too.
For more tips on how to keep your home’s interiors looking their best, explore some more of our articles.
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