Maintenance for wood flooring

Wooden floors are elegant, beautiful and timeless. Wooden floors can last for decades if looked after diligently. Most types of wooden flooring are reasonably long lasting and hardwearing. However, with that said, wooden floors would need appropriate care to prevent them from damages. Maintaining any type of wooden floor is effortless and straight forward if you follow the advice below.

Tips & tricks to maintain my wooden floors

• Wipe water spills immediately. Water spills that are left unattended could penetrate your wooden floor. This could cause it to warp, swell and distort.
• Remove footwear before walking on your floor.
• It is not advisable to drag heavy objects across the floor.
• Sweeping away of dirt and dust daily.
• Clean your floor using a microfiber mop and wooden floor cleaning spray.
• Never use a steam mop, wet mop, furniture polish or abrasive products.

Maintenance and Protection

An important part of maintaining the beauty of any wooden floor is to protect it from unwanted damage. One of the most vital things to remember is to wipe away any spills immediately. The top layers of lacquer or oil will protect your floor initially, but if the liquid is left to soak into the wood then it can cause irreparable damage. Another way to maintain your flooring is to protect it from scratches and dents.  Small marks and indentations are inevitable. However, there are things that you can do to prevent things from deteriorating.  Firstly, remove footwear before walking on your wooden floor.  Outdoor footwear is likely to have dirt and grit on the bottom that can easily scratch your floor if walked on.  Ideally, leave shoes and boots in a porch, garage or cupboard. Alternatively, you could have a doormat or shoe rack. 

If you notice any stones or grit on your wooden floor, remove them straight away. You will also want to prevent furniture or heavy objects from scratching your floor.  Always pick up heavy objects to move them, rather than dragging them across the floor. You can use anti-scratch felt protector pads.  These can be applied to the bottom of furniture and act as a soft barrier between the wooden floor and heavy object.

Cleanliness

Cleaning your wooden floor can be made effortless. All you need to do is sweep the surface of the floor with a soft bristle brush.  We highly recommend that you do this every day to remove any small surface dirt or dust.  You can also use a vacuum cleaner but will need to make sure that you have the correct attachments for a wooden floor. Once your floor has been swept, you can then clean it to remove any surface stains or marks. 

This only needs to be done about once a week, or when you notice any surface stains.  To clean your floor, we would recommend using a microfiber mop and PH neutral cleaning spray.  This will be gentle but effective on your wooden floor.  Try to clean in the direction of the grain. You should never use furniture polish as this will leave a slippery residue.

Also, never use a steam mop. The steam will penetrate the wooden floor and can cause damage over time.

Sanding and Re-finishing

Sanding and Re-varnishing can help to revive and refresh your floor and can remove unwanted marks and stains. There are a few options available, but they are dependent on what type of floor you have and why you want to refinish your floor. If your wooden floor has an oiled finish, and you want to reduce the look of small scratches then you can apply more oil to the floor.  Firstly, you will need to thoroughly clean your floor.  Then apply another layer of oil.  This will need to be left to dry for the appropriate amount of time before replacing furniture and walking on it.

  It will brighten and refresh your wooden floor. If your wooden floor has a lacquered finish, and you want to reduce the look of small scratches then you can lightly sand the surface and then apply more lacquer.  The finished look will be fresh and revived wooden floor. If you have large, deep dents or scratches then you may need a deep sand and then refinish with oil or timber finish.  For any type of refinishing, we would recommend using a wooden flooring specialist.

If you are still unsure if you can take on the task of installing an engineered hardwood floor, allow MuFlooring to help you. MuFlooring provides quality services & products for your Utmost Assurance. From selecting product variety to the after-sales service, they’ll help to guide you in choosing the best for both your house and budget. Their services include Space Planning, Supply and Installation, Outdoor Decking, Sanding & Varnish, Interior Painting, and Timber Supply.

If you need a free assessment of your timber flooring, you can contact us at
9228 1132 / 9327 1132 / 9851 2923.