To enjoy your hardwood flooring for as long as possible it is necessary to take proper care of the wood. This includes regular cleaning, checking for any needed repair, replacing decaying panels, and finishing and waxing. As hardwood is organic it can be very susceptible to decay and wear without proper care.
Depending on the type of hardwood you chose, the flooring could be very expensive to buy and install. Hardwood flooring is an investment like any other, where to get the most life from the wood, it should be maintained. Here are a few hardwood floor care tips that will help:
- Be careful when moving furniture
This is especially important when moving heavy furniture, like a sofa. Dragging furniture across hardwood flooring can easily scratch and damage the finish of the wood. Using felt under the legs of the furniture can help prevent scratches and dents.
- Avoid excessive exposure to the sun
If the hardwood floor is in a room where it has large exposure to sunlight, it might be a good idea to have blinds or curtains on large windows. UV rays are said to have damaging effects to hardwood floor.
- Clean stains and spills straight away
This is more of a tip for hardwood floor that does not have a good finish. Well finished wooden flooring doesn't really have this problem, but for flooring that has been there for a while, water can easily seep into the cracks of the wood. Over time this will weaken the wood and it will rot. Moisture should be cleaned from the wood as soon as possible, and then sanded and refinished, or replacement planks installed if needed.
- Sweep the hardwood floor often to remove dirt
Remove dust and grit from the floor regularly with a broom that has fine exploded bristles. Soft brushes often sweep the dirt into corners and cracks of the wood, whereas a harder brush will help remove the dirt from the wood.
Hardwood floors are excellent investments for the home but proper hardwood floor care should be taken in order to prolong the quality of the wood and provide more value.
