How do I care for my hardwood flooring?
To ensure the full benefit of the warranties and to extend the beauty of your new hardwood flooring for the many years to come, we recommend the following steps to be considered: Use floor mats at all entrances to keep dirt and moisture from being tracked. Mats and area rugs should be slip resistant with backing that will not scratch your floor. To prevent scratches and dents, install felt floor protectors under furniture legs.
Use soft rubber casters for rolling furniture. You can visit www.castercity.com for a variety of hardwood friendly office chair casters. Hard plastic chair casters will damage the finish on your floor. You need to replace them with rubber weels. Avoid high heels or shoes that need repair. Even a woman of average built with spike heels, can exert 2000 psi when she takes a step. Oak’s hardness is 1280 on Janka scale.
Some types of high heel shoes can severely damage your hardwood floor. A healthy humidity level at 35 – 55%. Humidity control is highly recommended. To reduce excessive shrinkage of your wood floors in the winter a humidifier is recommended. Sweep and vacuum your floor regularly – do not let dirt or grit build up on your floors. Never clean your hardwood floors with water or steam. Never use products such as, soaps, detergents and oil soaps, vinyl or tile floor care for hardwood cleaning.
When needed, spray a fine mist of hardwood floor cleaner on the floor, which is specified for polyurethane coated hardwood floors, and wipe it dry with a micro fiber cloth. Hardwood floor clears are available at flooring stores and most hardware stores. Never wet mop your hardwood floor and never use wax. Remove wear spills or other liquid spills immediately. Keep pet nails trimmed regularly.
Keep potted plants on stands that allow air circulation not directly on the floor. Please note: Exposure to sunlight and its UV rays will cause the floor to darken somewhat – depending on the wood species. This is a normal process. We recommend re-arranging rugs and furniture periodically, so the floor ages evenly.
Some exotic wood may also change in color. This is a desired and natural process and needs to be taken into consideration when purchasing exotic hardwood flooring. Also protect your floor from direct sun light and the extreme heat it comes with in the summer. It will cause your floor to fade.