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MAINTAINING
AND CLEANING YOUR FLOORS
All
Hardwood Floors and Laminates should be maintained properly to keep the
beauty long lasting.
Every
floor must be dust mopped, vacuumed or swept with a soft bristle broom
daily, or as often as necessary, to remove grit and dust from the
surface. Walking on dusty or dirty floor is the fastest way to damage a
finish.
Floor
Mats
at all
exterior entrances. This will capture much of the harmful dirt before it
even reaches the hardwood floor. Shake out, wash or vacuum mats and area
rugs frequently.
Floor
Pads
of
soft felt or similar material should be placed on the bottoms of the
legs of the furniture. Floor protectors must be kept clean of grit and
periodically replaced.
High
Heels
- An unprotected tip will dent any hardwood floor.
Kitchen Floors
experience the most traffic in a home. To prevent premature wear of the
floor, place an area rug in front of the sink and stove area. Shake out
or vacuum the rugs frequently. Recoat with compatible finish as needed
(12-18 months) This process will save you from having to refinish to
bare wood, which could be a major concerns as to down time and if your
engineered floor can be resanded?
Humidifier or Dehumidifier
in conjunction with a furnace or air conditioning system to maintain
relative humidity in the home at 30-50% will maintain the moisture in
the wood and minimize cracks between the boards.
Urethane Finishes Routine Cleaning
- Use
the finish manufacturers or the prefinished floor manufacturer's
recommended cleaning system. If the manufacturer is not known or has no
recommendation, use a cleaner that will not leave a residue that would
inhibit bonding and recoating. NEVER wax a urethane finish. Do not
generally wet a wood floor with water. When using any wood floor cleaner
which requires mixing with water, follow mixing directions precisely. A
cloth wetted with water and squeezed dry may be used to wipe up food
stuffs and other spills, provided the area is buffed dry immediately.
Heel or scuff marks and stubborn stains may be removed by lightly
rubbing with a cloth and a wood floor cleaner. Other maintenance tips
for urethane finished floors:
·
Most
finish manufacturers DO NOT suggest wet mopping
·
Never
use household DUST TREATMENTS
·
Always
use manufacturers recommended cleaning products, if not know use a
hardwood floor cleaner from a local retail outlet/ wood floor
contractor.
·
NEVER
use wax
·
Wipe
spills immediately with soft lightly damp cloth, following up with
cleaning solution and/or a dry soft cloth.
·
Never
use petroleum-based floor cleaners for waterbased finishes
·
For
stubborn stains use floor cleaner on a soft cloth directly on stain,
wiping with the grain.
·
When
the floor loses its shine/luster, it's time to recoat. Screening
( light sanding is required) applying a compatible finish of the desired
luster shine level you prefer. High gloss will show wear area faster, as
satin tends to give a waxed look
Long-Term Maintenance
-
Urethane finishes eventually will show wear patterns from surface
scratching. When high traffic areas begin to look dull it is time to
recoat or restore the finish. Always follow the manufacturer's
recommendations. Screening (light sanding) and recoating with same
finish every 12-18 months will help maintain your wood floor for years
to come. Make sure no oil soaps, and other "contaminates" have been used
on the floor, intentionally or otherwise. This can create an adhesion
problem for the new finish, causing peeling and flaking. If unknown,
always inform the wood floor contractor, as this improper maintenance
can cause finish failure, making for serious concerns as to the end
results, and who is responsible.
Wax
Finishes -
Use
the finish manufacturers or the prefinished floor manufacturer's
recommended cleaning system. Never use water based cleaner on a wax
floor. Once dirt and dust have been removed, the luster may be restored
by buffing. Apply additional wax only in heavy traffic areas, if needed.
Caution, do not over wax. An application of a solvent based cleaning
product will remove dirt and allow the floor to be buffed clean. Spills
must be wiped up immediately with a lightly water dampened cloth and
then hand buffed dry.
Remove
White Spots
caused by water spills, use fine steel wool (#000) and a small amount of
mineral spirits, and then rub gently in a circular motion until spot is
gone. Then apply additional wax to the area and buff.
Long-term Maintenance
- Wax floors that have been neglected may be restored by deep cleaning.
An application of a renovating system with fine steel wool, proper dry
times and a complete re-waxing will clean and reseal the wood as well as
restore color and luster.
Note:
Once wax, in any form, has been applied to a wood floor, only wax may be
used as a coating over the floor. Urethane and other surface finished
cannot be applied over an existing wax finish.
Acrylic
Impregnated Floors - Non-Urethane Coated
-For
general cleaning always follow the manufacturer's recommendations and
use their floor care products. Long-term Maintenance - An acrylic
impregnated floor that has been neglected or improperly cleaned may need
restoration. Stripping, sanding or screening the floor may be required,
always contact the floor manufacturer for complete instructions.
Urethane
Coated
- Some
acrylic impregnated floors are coated with urethanes. For general
cleaning of these types of floors, follow the manufacturer's
recommendations and cleaning procedures for surface finishes. Many
manufacturers using a special cleaning solution made for today's
urethanes.
What type of finish do you have?
Here
are some simple steps to determine if the finish is a wax finish,
shellac, varnish, or surface finish. If the floor was installed, or last
serviced, before the mid '60s, you should assume that it is varnish or
shellac. To determine this, scratch the surface with a coin or other
sharp object in a corner or other inconspicuous space. If the finish
flakes, it is probably shellac or varnish. Shellac and varnish are
rarely used anymore and require full sanding to remove before
application of a surface finish or wax finish.
Next, check the floor for wax finish. In an inconspicuous area, corner
or behind a door, apply two (2) drops of water. If, within ten minutes,
white spots appear under the drops of water, the floor has a wax finish.
To remove the white spots, gently rub the spots with #000 steel wool
dampened with wax.
If the finish does not flake from scratching with a coin and white spots
do not appear from the drops of water, the floor has a surface finish
and should be
maintained
accordingly.
If in
doubt call a professional wood floor contractor for a free estimate.
It's always good to get two or three opinions.
FREE ESTIMATE - CALL 808.944.6552 |
