Looking after your natural wood flooring
If you’ve had new natural wood flooring fitted in your home or office, it’s important that you know how to maintain it to keep it looking beautiful. The great thing about natural wood flooring is that if you look after it properly it will literally last for generations. Remember, there are 500 year old houses still inhabited that feature the original wooden floors – and with today’s advancements in design and processing hardwood floors these days are even more durable.
Lacquered: Natural wood flooring that is lacquered is actually really easy to maintain, and it will look beautiful for years to come. Lacquered floors consist of a very hard wearing surface, this lacquer is made from polyurethane and all you should need to do to maintain your hardwood floor is vacuum or clean with water. You can also use mild detergents for daily cleaning.
Oiled: For daily maintenance of your oiled natural wood floor simply vacuum the area or use water and mild detergent. If your floor becomes more difficult to clean, then you may need to re-oil the surface. Usually, oiled hardwood flooring will need to be re-oiled twice in the first year and then once per year thereafter.
Unfinished: If you have had an unfinished hardwood floor fitted, then maintenance will depend on the finish you have applied. If you don’t do this then your floor is more likely to get stained or marked, and will still need some protection from daily wear. There are preventative measures you will need to take to help keep your floor as beautiful as the day it was installed. If you follow these steps you will find that our floor will last for many years, and like any quality product it does require some looking after.
1. Make sure that you put rugs and doormats by exterior doors, and make sure they are made from natural fibres and don’t trap moisture between the floor and the mat.
2. If you spill any liquids, make sure they are mopped up straight away using a damp, not wet, cloth and that the area is dried properly.
3. Make sure that you place furniture castors at the bottom of tables and chairs to avoid dents or marks. Also makes sure that you don’t drag or push anything across the floor and always lift rather than drag furniture.
4. Don’t use anything abrasive to clean your floor, such as wire brushes or wool, hard bristled brooms, scouring pads etc. Use a soft cloth or mop at all times.
5. Be careful of which detergents you use, only use very mild floor cleaners that have been heavily diluted, and avoid vinyl or tile floor care products as your floor may become slippery or dull over a period of time.
6. Remove high heels and avoid walking on the floor in stilettos, if you have a party it may be worth asking people to remove their shoes or you may find that you have little heel marks appearing! Some sports shoes can also cause dents, such as outdoor football boots.
7. Make sure your dog doesn’t have sharp nails, as these can also cause little dents. Just trim them and berate your pet if they skid along the floor!
8. It may be worth investing in a humidifier in the winter months to keep all wood movement and shrinkage to a minimum. natural wood flooring