Cleaning your hardwood floors
- Sweeping - I recommend using a soft bristle broom or vacuum wand to minimize and surface scratches.
- Cleaning - My favorite method for cleaning wood floors involves the use of the Bona Hardwood Floor Cleaning Kit which can be picked up at almost any flooring store. Lowe's carries this product as well as some grocery stores. It is relatively inexpensive and doesn't hurt the finish of the floor. If you do not have access to Bona's Hardwood Floor Cleaning Kit you can use a vinegar and water solution. Be careful with this method as vinegar is acidic and overtime can dull the floor. Also, always clean with the grain of the floor to minimize streaking. To order the Bona Hardwood Floor Cleaning Kit go to their website at http://www.mybonahome.com/home.html?gclid=CJeJ8Nu47rgCFY1FMgodvwUAEQ.
- Caution - Be careful not to leave standing water on your floor as this can cause warping and discoloration over time.
Scratches
- Avoiding scratches- The best way to avoid scratching your hardwood floors is to make sure that you do not move furniture across the floor. There are felt pads with adhesive backing that you can place on the legs of couches, chairs, and other furniture that will minimize scratching. Also, make sure that when walking in the door you don't have debris such as rocks on your shoes that will scratch your floor. High heeled shoes should be taken off when walking across the floor. Believe it or not, in this line of work I see a lot of preventable damage caused by high heels.
- Repairing surface scratches - To repair a scratch you will need blue 3M tape, 100 grit sandpaper, and finish. You will need to use the exact finish of the rest of the floor in order to insure that it is uniform. First, take the 3M tape and tape around the edges of the board that has the scratch. Next, use the sandpaper to buff the finish with the grain of the wood. Sweep off the minimal dust and apply a thin layer of finish to the board. Remove tape as soon as finish is applies so that the finish flows with the rest of the floor.
Clean, Screen, & Re-coat
- What is this? Re-coating involves a process that is less costly than sanding. To re-coat a floor, we first hand sand the edges and buff the floor. We then vacuum to ensure that there is no remaining dust or debris. Finally, we apply a coat of finish.
- Why should this be done? Clean, screen, and re-coats get rid of surface scratches and restore the floors. Not all floors can be recoated depending upon the condition of the floors. Most floors do need sanded to restore their original beauty. However, if your floor has minimal damage and has been properly maintained this is a faster and less costly process. I recommend re-coating every 5-10 years as necessary. If you are not sure if your floors can be re-coated please give us a call and we'll send someone from our company out to take a look. If you are not in our area look for a reputable company in your area.
If you have any additional questions about floor maintenance feel free to comment and I will answer all of your questions as soon as possible.
