Hardwood floors can add immense value to the feel and look of your home, as well at the value. Well maintained hardwood floors are an investment that can last for many years. No matter what type of wood floors or finish you have, proper care and maintenance is essential to keep the wood looking good and functioning well indefinitely.
Hardwood floors are a major selling point for a home, so keeping them in top condition is really important to the resale value of your home. Refinishing floors will bring them back to their original glory, but refinishing can be very expensive and can be avoided just by proper care and maintenance.
The first thing you need to know in caring for your hardwood flooring is what kind of floor you have. There are many different types of wood used in flooring and each has a different need you should be aware of. For example, Brazilian Cherry is a very hard wood and will be affected by sunlight and the interior environment. As your wood floor matures and acclimates to your home it will tend to darken so you must move floor mats around to even out the color. To protect your wood floor and other interior furnishings, window coverings and ultraviolet tinted windows are recommended.
Prevention is a big part of the care for hardwood flooring. Scratches, dents and dulling diminish the look and value of your floor. To prevent scratches, use door mats to minimize the amount of dirt and sand that make it into your home. Dirt and grit that make it inside should be frequently removed using a soft bristled broom and dust mop. If sand and grit is allowed to stay on the hardwood, just walking on the floor can create scratches and abrasions.
It is important to educate yourself about the types and properties of your wood floors. A softer wood such as American Cherry will dent and scratch more quickly than a harder wood such as Oak. If you have a softer wood species be sure to take extra caution to protect it.
High heeled and other hard soled shoes can actually damage the wood, so consider only wearing soft soled shoes in the house. Softer woods also tend to expand and contract with the change in humidity more than a harder wood species such as Oak or Hickory. A central humidifier will help through out the year to keep the humidity at a constant amount in your home.
Furniture is also another cause of scratching and denting hardwood floors. All furniture resting on hardwood should have either coasters or felt pads on or under the legs to protect from scratches and dents. Never move furniture by pushing, always pick up the furniture piece and move it to prevent scratches and gouges in the hardwood.
Cleaning a hardwood floor can be very simple because most of the time all you have to do is vacuum or use a dust mop to pick up the dirt, grit and other particles on the floor. When using a vacuum cleaner you should use one that has a soft brush or suction type. Never use a beater brush type vacuum cleaner as this might damage the floor. Also make sure that the wheels of the vacuum are in good working order as they can also scratch the floor.
If you need deeper cleaning then you can use a lightly damp mop and clean the floor that way. Just lightly dampen the mop because you do not want water to make puddles on your floor. Using a PH wood cleaner in either a spray or water solution on your floor can also clean very nicely and quickly, and leave your hardwood floor clean and sparkling. Be very careful with what you clean your floors with as some products can damage the finish.
McCurley’s Floor Center provides a large selection of hardwood floor care and maintenance products such as mops, refill cartridges, furniture safe glides and others. Make sure to follow the manufacturer’s recommendations and instructions for all products. We carry all the major brands of flooring cleaners and accessories including Bona, Mannington, Mirage, and Mullican hardwood cleaners as well as DuPont StoneTech, repair kits, floor refreshers and more.
Come to our showrooms in the Northern California Bay Area in San Ramon CA, Danville CA and Concord CA, Walnut Creek CA, to see hardwood flooring and cleaning accessories on display. Call us for a free estimate and design consultation; we also professionally install hardwood flooring in most Bay Area cities including San Ramon CA, Danville CA, Alamo CA, Concord CA, Walnut Creek CA, Diablo CA, Livermore CA, Pleasanton CA, Blackhawk CA, Orinda CA, Lafayette CA, Moraga CA and Santa Clara CA as well as many others.
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