Refinished wood floors transform your space by adding a touch of style and warmth. And to make sure they keep on doing so for years to come, it is essential to maintain their beauty.
But with everyday wear and tear, spills, and other mishaps, it can become quite daunting to achieve that. Thus, in this blog, we will delve into numerous tips that describe how to maintain your refinished wood floors.
From daily care routine to tips on avoiding damage, we’ve got you covered everything so that you can enjoy the charm of your refinished wood floors for many years.
Table of Contents
Eight Remarkable Care Tips To Maintain Your Refinished Wood Floors
1. Vacuum And Sweep Regularly
With every passing day, dirt, dust, and other debris gather on your hardwood floors. Although it’s quite common, bear in mind that these tiny particles act like sandpaper that can scratch your refinished wood.
Thus, to protect your floors from damage like such, vacuum or sweep them daily. Vacuuming or sweeping removes these particles that can dull the finish of your wood floors. This, in turn, also helps prolong the lifespan of your floors and delay the need for refinishing.
2. Address Spills On Time
Spills happen but there’s nothing to be concerned about unless you do not clean them on time. Many spills, like those that contain dyes or acids, can seep the wood finish if left to sit. As a result, they can cause a permanent stain.
On the other hand, some spills like alcohol or vinegar can break down the protective finish over time, while water-based spills can cause the wood to swell, warp, or buckle.
Thus, to avoid such damages in the first place, ensure you clean spills as soon as they occur and protect your refinished hardwood floors.
3. Invest In Felt Pads
Furniture adds a touch of style to your space, but can also scratch down the floors when moved. This is particularly true in the case of heavy furniture like chairs, tables, and sofas.
So, here’s where felt pads come as a handy help. Feld pads act as a strong barrier between the furniture and the wood floor. And acting as such, they prevent scratches or scuff marks that occur when the furniture is moved.
They also help preserve the finish of the wood by reducing the friction that occurs when you shift furniture. This helps maintain the sheen and longevity of the refinished floor.
4. Maintain Humidity Levels
Wood is a natural material. This means that it expands and contracts with changes in humidity. High humidity can cause the wood to soak moisture and swell. Meanwhile, low humidity can make the wood shrink. Such changes can ultimately lead the wood to warp, cup, or even form gaps between the boards.
Changes in humidity can also affect the finish. Too much moisture can dull the finish or cause it to peel away, while too little moisture can result in cracking or flaking on the finish.
So, keeping such aspects of humidity in mind, it is crucial to maintain proper humidity levels in your home (ideally between 35% and 55%).
5. Avoid Direct Sunlight
Sunlight is vital for your body, but essentially it’s not good for your hardwood floors. Direct sunlight can cause the colour of wood floors to fade with time. This happens when UV rays seep into your home and break down the chemical bond in the wood’s finish and stain, leading to a loss of colour and an uneven look.
Besides, these UV rays can increase the temperature of the wood surface and cause it to expand. As a result, this can warp or cup the planks, provided there are changes in humidity levels.
What’s worse is that they can also degrade the finish that you apply to the wood. This makes it dull and less effective at protecting the wood from spills. Therefore, it is important to limit sun exposure in your home to maintain your refinished wood floors.
One way to do so is to use blinds or curtains. They help limit the impact of these UV rays and protect your refinished floors.
6. Keep Harsh Chemicals At Bay
Cleaning the hardwood floor regularly is important, but so is using the right solutions. Harsh chemicals can rob away the natural glow and colour of the wood, making it look aged or unsightly.
Let’s take an example. Many homeowners often use strong solutions like bleach to remove pet urine stains from the wood floors without realising that it can actually discolour their floors and cause permanent damage.
In addition to bleach, harsh solutions like ammonia can strip away the protective finish on your wood floors. This can make them appear dull and more prone to scratches and wear.
Hence, mind that you use gentle cleaning solutions to clean your hardwood floors the right way and help maintain their beauty.
7. Trim Pet Nails Periodically
Let’s face it. Practically, you can’t keep your pets off the hardwood floors. But sometimes, pets can end up damaging the wood. Pets, especially dogs and cats try to dig the floors, as they posses the nature of digging randomly on floors , and in doing so, their long, overgrown nails can end up scratching the hardwood.
Those sharp edges of nails can leave visible marks on your refinished hardwood floors that, with time, can become difficult to remove and may require refinishing to fix.
Hence, by regularly trimming your pet’s nails, you can avoid such damage to your hardwood floor and ensure their well-being as well.
8. Recoat When Needed
As time goes by, the protective layer on wood floors can wear down due to foot traffic, furniture movement, and other everyday activities. This makes the protective layer more prone to scratches, dents, and other forms of damage.
Regularly inspecting your floors and recoating them when needed helps restore the original lustre of your wood floors, making them look new again and also keeping any risk of damage at bay.
Let’s Close It!
Refinished hardwood floors help improve the overall appeal of your space. But a number of factors can dull or wear out this finish, which can make the floor more prone to damage and appear unsightly, as a result.
Therefore, to maintain your refinished hardwood floors, it is essential to know such underlying factors and take the right steps. This will ensure that you enjoy the warmth and comfort of your hardwood floors for years that exceed your expectations.
You can also read: Common Tile And Grout Cleaning Myths