General Wood Floor Care Guide
Protect your Investment

Understanding the characteristics of hardwood, as well as proper care and maintenance will ensure that your new hardwood floor will provide many years of enjoyment.

• Don't Damp Mop - Water and wood floors don't mix!  Avoid oil or water based cleaners. They can build up and create a cloudy haze to your floor. Instead, neutral pH cleaners made specifically for wood floors are recommended.  We can to advise you of what the wood manufacturer recommends for proper maintenance. Use only the manufacturer's recommended cleaning products on your hardwood floor.
  
  Apply hardwood surface cleaner directly to the mop instead of the floor. When mop or cloth becomes soiled replace it with a clean one. Terry cloth mops are good for this purpose, the covers are re-useable, so wash and dry the covers periodically or use soft towels.
• Wipe Spills Immediately - when accidents happen and some liquid gets spilled on your hardwood floor, you should use a slightly damp white cloth, or paper towel to immediately clean up and dry the effected area. For more difficult spots, follow the manufacturer's recommended cleaning procedures.
• Vacuum Regularly (no beater bar) - Sweeping or DRY mopping is key to keeping a floor looking good.  A vacuum can also be used. Small stones, mud and gritty dirt tracked in from outside can play havoc on the wood floors finish. To help combat this use long bristle welcome mats placed at all outside entrances for people to wipe their feet on before entering onto the floors. Also, vacuum using a soft bristle brush attachment.
  
  Vacuums with beater bar or power rotary brush head can damage a wood floor and never should be used.
• Use the Proper Chair Glides - Narrow wheels, sharp wooden legs or metal furniture legs can scratch and dent hardwood floors. Chairs with rollers can be very hard on hardwood finishes as they tend to attract sand and debris that can scratch the finish. Any furniture that rests directly on top of a hardwood floor should have felt protectors, or furniture coasters under all it's feet. For extremely heavy objects such as a piano, use wide, non-staining rubber cups. Purchasing floor protectors is cheap insurance for protecting your hardwood floor investment. Felt floor protectors used under the legs will help prevent scratches. 
• Protect from Direct Sunlight - your wood floor may change color or fade due to exposure to direct sunlight. The sun's UV rays accelerates the oxidation and aging of wood so periodically rearranging your furniture and closing the curtains during intense periods of sunlight can help avoid the problem.
• Don't Use Oil Soaps - There are many over the counter oil-based soaps and wax based cleaning products that may damage or dull the finish of your wood floor. The best suggestion is to only use the manufacturers recommended cleaning products on your hardwood flooring.
• Never Wax a Urethane Wood Finish - If your hardwood floor has a polyurethane finish never use a paste wax on the floor's surface. A paste wax may form a sticky film on your floor and allow tracked in dirt to stick to your wood finish. Polyurethane finishes will not adhere to any wax and adding a fresh coat of polyurethane to your floor will be very difficult.
• Trim Pet's Claws - Pet's claws may scratch you floors finish. Regularly trim dog's claws to help reduce scratching your floor's finish.
• Protect when moving furniture - Lift the furniture to move it — avoid dragging. Protect your floor with 1/4" piece of plywood or Masonite when using a dolly for moving furniture or appliances. Never slide or roll heavy furniture or appliances across the floor.
• Control humidity levels by use of a dehumidifier or humidifier -  The National Wood Flooring Association recommends maintaining relative humidity range of between 35% - 55%.  Falling above or below this range can result in cupping or gapping.

In case you were wondering ...

• Why does my floor make noise?  As a floor expands and contracts due to changing humidity and temperature levels, you may hear small crackling noises. 
• Why are some edges slightly higher than others?  Wood flooring is milled to certain tolerances established by individual manufactures.  When cutting any natural product, a slight difference is common and is a natural characteristic of hardwood floors.
• Why is the color of my wood different under my rug or couch?  Sunshine and some lighting may have an effect on the color of ageing wood.   Rugs and furniture in the same place for a long time can cause this change in color.  Some Exotic woods can change more rapidly than traditional wood species.  Moving furniture and rugs will keep your floor well blended.
  

We carry the manufacturer's maintenance products. Stop by to get the right floor care product for your new floor.

Our service to you does not end after installation.  Please call us with any questions or concerns that may arise: contact us - we love to talk about flooring.