Hardwood floors can be a beautiful addition to your home and can last for over a hundred years when properly taken care of. They exude a natural elegance that can only come from the luster of wood.
People often think that maintaining this type of surface is difficult, but this truly isn’t the case. In this article, we present to you five quick and simple ways that will help you take care of your hardwood floors.
Watch your steps
Make it a point to avoid denting the surface with a lot of pressure in concentrated points. Furniture is sometimes the biggest culprit when it comes to damaging hardwood floors. The bottoms of chair and table legs can easily put pressure on floors when they aren’t cushioned with a pad. High heels may also damage the floors, so it would be best to tread lightly or even avoid wearing them when walking on hardwood surfaces.
Use a mat
Place mats or rugs at entryways to minimize the dirt, sand, and other unwanted particles on your floors. These particles sometimes clings on the soles of your shoes and, when walking around, it may ruin the floor’s finish. Be careful of certain mats as well. Rubber-backed mats may cause a vacuum and trap moisture in the area that they are covering, ironically damaging the surface it’s protecting.
Clean out dust
When dust is stepped on against hardwood floors, it may cause scratches. It is important to sweep or vacuum two to three times a week. Be careful of certain cleaning liquids as their acidity may damage the surface’s varnish. Use a pH-neutral cleaner to counteract this. Ordinary mops may damage the floor as well. Using a microfiber mop for hardwood floors is one way to ensure that the surface stays intact and scratch-free.
Keep it cool
The temperature of the room may also wear down the wood floors. Keeping the temperature at around 60 to 80 degrees Fahrenheit is ideal. This prevents the floor from being damaged by heat, condensation, and moisture. This may also lead to fungal growth. Changes in temperature also cause the wood to expand and contract, causing the planks to push against themselves or leave gaps.
Call in professionals
Sometimes it can’t be helped that wood loses its luster. If this is the case, you should consider hiring an expert to apply a coat of finish rather than doing it yourself. Floors are bound to have things fall in them, be it spills from drinks, foot traffic, or pets walking around. This may cause an unleveled and craggy exterior. Having the flood sanded can remedy this type of damage.
One of the most easy yet effective ways for maintaining hardwood floors, thanks for sharing very useful.