Are Hardwood Floors Hard To Maintain?
How do I keep my wood floors looking good? Like many aspects of homeownership, parts of it are hard (pun intended) but worth it. Read on for some basic tips to keeping your hardwood floor in great shape.
If you are a new homeowner in the Minnesota area or have recently decided to look under that carpet and refinish your hardwood floors, you may be thinking, now what? Being a homeowner comes with an array of responsibilities, and over our 40 years of business, we believe one of the hardest things about homeownership is maintenance.
Maintaining critical features of your home, especially your hardwood floors, is essential to uphold the value of your investment and save money when it’s time to sell.
Maintaining Your Hardwood Floor
An average family can have a lot of traffic on wood flooring. Pets, children, and even avid sports fans can do a number on your floors when you’re not paying attention. We know that life happens, but it doesn’t mean you can’t prepare.
For the best results with wood flooring, we recommend for the best longevity to your floors to buff & recoat them every 3-5 years. Between your coatings, we suggest you head some of our hardwood floor maintenance tips. Below are our top five maintenance tips for beautiful wood floors.
Our Top 5 Tips For Hardwood Floor Maintenance
1. Use A Dust Mop To Remove Dirt
A dust mop is the best way to remove dirt, dust, sand, and hair effectively. It is important to clean at least once a week because these particles and grit can grind on your finished floors. Of course, sweeping and mopping will remove dirt too, but dust mops work best. If you do choose to vacuum, be sure to use the softer bristled attachments.
2. Avoid Using Polish Or Wax
We are experts when it comes to buffing and coating wood flooring in Minnesota. To avoid trouble with your next buff and coat, please avoid using waxes or polishes on your hardwood flooring. A film layer will form on your floors from wax or polish that will prevent your floors from being properly coated. If this has happened to you, please reach out to us. We can help!
3. For Heavy Dirt Or Spills On Wood Floors Use A Damp Mop
When you have a significant spill, a lot of mud, or any other mess, we recommend using a damp mop with a cleaner such as Dave’s Floor Sanding Citrus Cleaner. Your cleaner should be easy to use. All you have to do is mist the floor and wipe with a microfiber cloth or terry rag with most cleaners. The right wood floor cleaner should not harm your floors or leave a filmy or sticky residue. The keyword here is damp; you do not want to use a wet mop. You also don’t want a cleaning solution to remain on the floor for a long time because it can penetrate and damage the wood.
4. Use Furniture Padding To Save Your Floors
Padding may seem like an obvious solution, but many wear and tear can be avoided by using furniture padding and other barriers between your furniture and hardwood flooring. For example, rugs, felt, sofa feet pads, and even cardboard can be suitable wood floor protectors from tables, chairs, and other furniture items, especially if your furniture is metal.
5. Maintain The Humidity In Your Home
The National Hardwood Flooring Association recommends a relative humidity of 30-50% and an ideal temperature of 60-80 degrees Fahrenheit. In Minnesota, this could mean a dehumidifier or air conditioner in the summer, and a humidifier is appropriate in the winter. Keeping a consistent humidity level will keep your floors from getting linear cracks.
Questions? Ask Our Professionals!
Daves Floor Sanding has been serving the Twin Cities metro for decades. We are dedicated to making the hardwood floor installation process as smooth as possible. So whether you need a service or just have a general hardwood flooring question – feel free to reach out today!
Call 763-784-3000 or fill out our contact form today!