Making Your Wood Floor Last For Longer
With how expensive the wood floor was to install, you want to see it give you a long service life – where you get to enjoy its look and feel all through. Its state impacts the rest of the ambience, and you don’t want to be forced to undertake expensive repairs or replace floor boards much sooner than had been anticipated, and for reasons that could have been avoided. Here are measures to put in place for both solid hardwood and engineered wood floors:
- Regularly sweep/vacuum the floor
Given that dirt and grime is an everyday problem, sweeping or vacuuming prevents it from spiralling out of control. Here, units like microfiber dust mops can come in handy, where you will be essentially dry mopping the floor – and the material is so effective in picking up the particles that it results in a quality clean.
When vacuuming, ensure that you use the proper hard floor adapter for the task. Beater bars and rotating brushes will damage the wood finish, which ends up putting the structural integrity of the underlying installation at risk.
- Avoid abrasive tools
While wood is a durable structure, it will easily be scratched if you work with the wrong tools during the floor cleaning. The likes of steel wool and scouring powders will ruin that finish, reducing the lifespan of the installation.
- Rely on wood cleaning solutions
Not every detergent or stain remover is suitable for wood floors. While a product may work on the countertops, walls and even cabinets, it does not become automatically suitable for the wood floor. There is plenty at risk here, from the finish itself, to the wood structure. Products that have an incompatible pH will deteriorate the finish, cause it to become dull, and others can even dissolve the lignin of the wood. Stay away from harsh cleaners like vinegar, lemon juice and ammonia -based solutions. These are some of the solutions that have made quite a name for themselves in removing stubborn stains around the household – but when it comes to wood floors, they will be a threat to it.
- Mop up any standing water
Allowing water to remain on your wood floor is courting disaster. From spills to all-out flooding – they will ruin the floor. This is all due to the hygroscopic properties of the wood, where it will end up absorbing the excess moisture from its environment. The more the content that gets soaked up into the wood tissue, the greater the extent of the water damage. Any liquid content on the wood floor should be mopped up immediately.
Certainly, there are bound to be some beverages that get accidentally spilled over time. It’s not just coffee and tea that is a problem. Even drinks like wine can leave behind unsightly stains. When looking for stain removal products, ensure that the formulation that you work with will be safe for your wood floor. After all, you don’t want to ruin the installation in the process of getting rid of the stain.
- Control water content while mopping
Drenching the floor in water in the process of mopping it is detrimental to your wood floor. Here, wring out the mop during the floor cleaning, and use it while it is just damp. Alternatively, you can mop with units that have microfibre mop heads, where the higher efficiency of the material reduces the amount of cleaning solution that is needed for the task. Spray mops add to the efficiency of the task, given that only a little solution is misted out onto the floor at a time – which reduces the risk to the wood floor.
- Extra protection with entry mats and floor protectors
With mats positioned at the entrance of the building, you get to reduce the amount of dirt that is brought into the household. This means that there will be less wear and tear, since the soiling that is usually grinded against the floor surface is one of the leading causes of its deterioration. People wiping off their shoes on the mat before they get into the house minimises this effect. As a welcome bonus, it also reduces the workload that will be required during the routine floor cleaning. Remember to regularly wash the mat itself, since it locks in heavy loads of grime over time.
Regarding the furniture, those heavy sets put a strain on the floor – which over time leads to dents forming. The normal usage also sees tiny movements which can create scratches. The risks are higher with units like the dining tables and chairs which are frequently used. Having felt pads under the different pieces of furniture helps in protecting the floor from such effects.
As the sun beams into the building, directly onto the wood floor, it can have lasting effects, especially on the aesthetics of the installation. Here, this will depend on the wood species installed, as well as the type of finish that it has been treated with. Some woods will darken, and others will fade due to the effects of the UV radiation. When it comes to the finish, oil-based lacquers in particular have a tendency of developing a yellow hue over time. This is actually one of the reasons why water-based lacquers have become more popular. Measures like rearranging the furniture to even out the effects, as well as closing the blinds on those particularly hot sections of the day, will help in protecting the floor.
Speaking of evening out effects, this is also required when dealing with the levels of wear that the floor witnesses. You will notice those frequently walking in areas developing traffic lanes. Sections at the foot of that sofa that everyone in the household uses are bound to get more faded compared to those under the furniture itself. This is also seen at areas like the dining table. When you shift around the furniture, this general wear gets distributed, as opposed to simply letting a few sections of the floor take the beating. That way, the rate of deterioration of the entire surface is reduced, and you get to have a longer waiting time before the next round of floor sanding and refinishing is required.
