| Proper care of your
wood floors will go a long way toward getting the longest life out of
them, and keeping them beautiful.
WHAT TO DO:
Vacuum or sweep your floors regularly. A sponge mop slightly dampened
with water can be used.
Clean spills immediately.
Place mats at outside entrances. Avoid using mats with rubber backings
on your floors.
Use felt floor guards on the feet of all furniture. Check the
felt periodically to insure they aren't worn, and that there is no grit
imbedded in them. Replace as necessary.
Use area rugs that can "breathe" - avoid rubber backed rugs.
Clean your floors periodically with a product like BonaKemi Hardwood
floor cleaner.
Maintain a constant humidity level to avoid swelling, shrinking, and
cracking of the wood. Use a humidifier & dehumidifier.
Keep the nails of your pets clipped.
Keep shoes in good repair. High heels are tough on floors.
When your floors starts to show signs of wear,
beautify & protect them with Clean & Healthy ReVive . It is more
convenient, and a fraction of the price of sanding & refinishing. It must
be done before the finish is worn through to the wood.
WHAT NOT TO DO:
Never use general purpose household cleaners on your floors.
Don't clean your wood floors with vinegar and water.
Do not use products that contain oils, wax, or silicones on polyurethane
finished floors. Oil Soaps should not be used.
Don't wash or wet-mop your floors - avoid excess water.
Don't use rubber backed carpets or area rugs. The rubber may contain
chemicals that can damage your floors. Your floors need to breathe.
SUNLIGHT:
The ultraviolet rays that can burn and age our skin will affect any
organic material, including wood. That’s why the finest art
collections are kept in rooms without windows. Prolonged exposure to
sunlight will change the color of virtually any wood floor, regardless
of the stain or finish. Some woods lighten when exposed to sunlight.
Others, like cherry and oak, tend to darken. High quality water-based
urethane finishes do not "amber" like oil-based urethane finishes, which
turn to a brownish-yellow
color of amber. Although modern water-based finishes do not change color
like oil-based urethanes, sunlight can still pass through them and
affect the color of the wood beneath them.
FACTORY FINISHED WOOD FLOORING:
The recommendations above apply to factory finished floors.
Use the cleaner recommended by the manufacturer, or BonaKemi
hardwood floor cleaner.
Some factory finished floors products are engineered flooring
systems. They are made by bonding a thin layer of hardwood on top of
layers of other wood - similar to plywood. It is very important to
have this type of floor recoated when it starts to show wear, as the
layer of hardwood may be too thin to be sanded and refinished. The
alternate may be to tear out and replace the flooring.
If your
floor has a 15 - 25 year wear guarantee, don't be fooled into thinking
recoating won't be necessary for that time period. Nearly every manufacturer
of factory
finished flooring requires regular recoating to keep their guarantee valid. (You have to do a lot of reading to
find it, but it's there.)
EUROPEAN HARD WAX / HARD OIL FINISHES:
Hard-oil & hard-wax finishes like OSMO, and Rubio Monocoat can
be "refreshed" and even spot-repaired successfully. Follow the
manufacturer's instructions, or the work professionally done.
WAX & OIL FINISHED FLOORS:
The recommendations above apply to waxed floors, and floors finished
with penetrating oils, such as Waterlox..
Although these finishes aren't as durable as modern polyurethane
finishes, they can be maintained for many years by
reapplying the (wax or oil) finish when the floors start to show wear. A
major advantage of these finishes, is that they can be touched-up in
high traffic areas, without recoating the entire floor. Waxed
floors can also be buffed between waxings, to restore luster to
the floor.
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