Hardwood Floor Care Will Keep Your Hardwood Looking Fantastic
Hardwood is still the homeowner's favorite choice of flooring and caring for it takes minimal effort. Unlike laminate or engineered wood, hardwood can be refinished many times, and will add years of beauty and warmth to your home, as well as increase its value and speed its resale. Ongoing floor care is needed to keep your hardwood looking its best, however, and there are four major aspects of hardwood floor care: 1. Hardwood floor cleaning 2. Hardwood floor repair 3. Hardwood floor refinishing 4. Hardwood floor protection Clean Your Hardwood Regularly Knowing how to clean hardwood floors is important because the bane of hardwood is dirt and grit, which will scratch and mark the floor if not removed promptly. As well, dust is seen more easily on wood floors than it is on linoleum or on carpet, especially in the sunlight and especially if the floor has a dark stain. Hardwood floor care, therefore, means sweeping and dusting regularly - once a week, at least, and after any event that leaves dirt and grit behind. Regular household dusting and cleaning products will cause damage, however, and you must use only products specifically designed for hardwood. Vacuuming is preferable to sweeping because it allows the dirt and dust to be pulled from between the boards, but use a vacuum with a bare floor attachment, not a beater bar, which can damage the wood. When a more in-depth cleaning is required, use a cleaning method appropriate to the finish on your floor. If your floor has a glossy finish, it means that polyurethane, or a water-based urethane, or a similar finish has been used to form a protective barrier over the hardwood. If it has a matte finish, it means that the floor is protected with a penetrating seal of oil and/or wax. On neither of these finishes is water an acceptable cleaning agent, but both of them can accept a surface, damp-mop cleaning, which means the mop is not wet but only damp to the touch. You are cleaning only the surface and not using enough water to penetrate even the oiled-and-waxed hardwood. When using a damp mop on oil and waxed hardwood, you can add a little neutral ph hardwood floor cleaner to the water before dipping the mop into it. A floor with a protective glossy barrier can accept a generic hardwood floor cleaner providing it doesn't contain any wax or oil. The don'ts are every bit as important as the do's in hardwood floor care; 1. Don't use ammonia, regular floor cleaners, household cleaners, or dusting products on hardwood. 2. Never use wax on a floor with a urethane or other glossy finish. 3. Never wash hardwood; use only a slightly damp mop. Repair Any Damage to Your Floors as Soon as Possible In most cases, when your oil and waxed hardwood floors have suffered surface damage, you have to remove the finish with a wax or oil stripper before dealing with the damage. After completing the repair, you then re-wax or re-oil the area. Surface damage occurs less often on hardwood protected by polyurethane or a similar type of sealer, and when it does, the damage is not as obvious. When repairing floors with such finishes, strip the finish from the entire board or boards where the damage has occurred. Make your repairs and then apply a finishing product to those boards that is consistent with the rest of the floor. 1. Water marks: Remove the protective finish, rub the marks with fine grade steel wool. Repeat if necessary, clean, and then refinish. 2. Burn marks: Lightly sand the area, use a damp cloth to pick up the grit, and then refinish as desired. 3. Scratches and gouges: Conceal shallow scratches with matching wood putty or a putty stick. After the area is dry, sand and refinish. Refinishing Your Worn Hardwood Floors Will Recapture Their Original Beauty and Value In a home with shabby hardwood floors, the biggest improvement you can make is to refinish the floors. Begin by making any necessary repairs, and then removing all the furniture and drapes and sealing the vents and registers in the room so that you won't spread dust throughout the house. Sanding floors is easiest to do with a drum sander and an edging machine for the sides and corners of the room. You can rent these machines, and it is a good idea to rent a buffer or floor polisher at the same time. Plan to make three passes with your sanding equipment, using increasingly finer sandpaper each time. Vacuum carefully and pick up every bit of fine dust and grit with tacking cloths. All dust and dirt must be removed. You can now apply a stain if you wish or you can leave the natural color and design of the wood - such as the popular oak, maple, or cherry - to be displayed. Polish and clean the dust and dirt from the floor again, and then apply your sealer - a polyurethane or a water-based urethane that provides a protective barrier, or oil and wax, which penetrates the wood and protects from within. Carefully read all the information accompanying each product, follow the safety advice, and apply as many coats of stain or sealer as suggested by the manufacturer of the products you are using. Hardwood Floor Care Means Providing Ongoing Floor Protection As well as regular cleaning, and repairing and refinishing when necessary, there are a number of protective measures you can take to preserve the beauty of your hardwood: 1. Use area rugs and mats in high traffic areas and sites of frequent spills (e.g., in front of the stove, sink, and refrigerator). Move these rugs frequently so that these areas of the floor remain the same color as the exposed floor. As well, it is best to choose cotton mats as they do not trap water under them as rubber or vinyl might. 2. Keep high-heeled shoes in good repair and avoid using stiletto heels. 3. Keep nails trimmed on pets. 4. Clean up spills immediately with a paper towel or dry cloth. A damp cloth can be used for sticky spills, but dry the spot immediately afterwards with another towel or cloth. 5. Lift rather than drag furniture when moving it and use felt contacts under furniture legs to prevent scratches and gouges. 6. Use sheers or blinds to protect your floors from the discoloration caused by direct sun rays. With proper care and maintenance, your hardwood floors will retain their beauty and enhance any décor that you choose. When your floors become worn, or if they become damaged, they can be restored to their former glory with a little time, effort, and money. Use the Internet to check out quality products, read the information on how to use them, compare prices, and place your orders. We can help with all your hardwood floor care needs - everything from discount hardwood flooring to hardwood cleaners - and all items can be purchased online and delivered to your door. Let us help you keep your hardwood floors looking their best. Scott Gray is currently freelance writing and enjoys providing information and moneysaving tips to consumers who are in the market for hardwood floors, hardwood floor care, and hardwood flooring articles.
MORE RESOURCES:
|
Discover the Best Out of HandymateI-Newswire.com (press release)They can cater all important aspects of home improvement services as well as general building services such as painting and decorating home and buildings, ... |
Google News
|
 |
|
|
RELATED ARTICLES
The Joy Of A Patio Awning
Some people will dream of the perfect patio. They dream of having the perfect place just outside, in the back garden or on the patio, where they can sit and relax, enjoy the weather and just enjoy the day.
Remove Ink Stains From Carpet
One of the best solvents you can use to remove ink stains from carpet is also one of the cheapest: rubbing alcohol. It works better if it is 90% isopropyl alcohol, but there is no danger in trying the ones that are 70% if that's what you have available.
Mexican Artisans Promote the Use of Recycled Copper in the Fabrication of Their World Famous Copper
For many years copper has been the main raw material used by the Mexican artisans of Santa Clara del Cobre for the fabrication of their beautiful artisan items. Originally artisans relied on the natural supply of copper of their lands for the fabrication of their items.
Building or Decorating Your Home Requires House Plans
There are some things to consider when creating plans for your home. There are two situations that call for plans or blue prints, either you are building a new home or decorating your present home.
Home Remodeling Business
Need for home remodelingThe need for home remodeling is on the rise as many people like the neighborhood they live in and the affordability of their existing homes. By incurring a little cost they can remodel their old houses to increase space and add new amenities.
You Say Jacuzzi and I Say Whirlpool
What's in a name? Whirlpool baths have been around forever, right? If it weren't for the Jacuzzi brothers in 1956, we wouldn't have the fantastic whirlpool baths of today. According to the Jacuzzi Company, the brothers invented the first pump that could be placed in a bathtub, circulating the water to aid arthritic aches and pains.
Refinishing A Hardwood Floor
Want to bring your hardwood floors back to their former beauty, but don't have the money? Then read on for some tips on how you can refinish the floor yourself.If you have the time and don't mind doing the work, then refinishing your floors yourself is a great option but before starting out, it's not a bad idea to get an estimate from a professional so you can compare the cost of doing it yourself to what they would charge.
House Plans - Research Is Key
When you think about building your new home consider your needs and your lifestyle. If you are newlyweds your choices will be different from a couple who is ready to retire and is looking for a smaller home.
How To Choose The Perfect Granite Work Surface
My Grandmother used to say to me "Nothing cheap is good and nothing good is cheap". This ring true when dealing with the purchase especially on the internet of Granite Work Surfaces.
New Jersey Home Remodeling
The U.S.
Non Slip Maintenance Of Honed Interior Marble
A honed finish is a satin surface with relatively little light reflection. It is specified for floors, thresholds and other locations where the presence of water might make a polished finish slippery, or where heavy traffic would wear off the polished finish.
Planning Permission Tips UK - Is Todays Popular Quest For Contemporary Design The New Bad Taste
Can you remember when people used to install slatted louvre windows as replacement units in their Victorian semis or the stone cladding revolution of the 1980's.We look back & 'tut tut' at these blunders with a comfortable glow of self satisfaction that we would never make such obvious design & development errors in our own projects - we have a far greater sense of good taste haven't we?Trends in the residential development world seem to go in huge swings of about 7 to 10 year cycles and it is often not until the end of one cycle we realise what the mistakes were which is usually triggered by the complete abandonment of the previous trend or methodology for another system.
Do You Have a Master Bedroom? You Shouldnt! Tips for Remodeling Your Bedroom
The word "master" is an antiquated term that suggests control, domination, and inequality, and in today's cooperative partner and/or single parent household, the label "master suite" has become obsolete. In that light, master bedrooms would more properly be called "main bedrooms" in today's society.
Feng Shui Tips For Your Home Office
Did you know that over 50% of women now run their own home business or work from home? Get your compass out and find the following directions because we are going to try and make things run a little smoother for you using the ancient art of object placement - Feng Shui.The most ideal locations to situate a home office, in order of best to second, third ad fourth best are the North (the Career Sector), the Southwest (the Wealth sector), the Northeast (Skills and Talents sector) or the South (the fame and recognition sector.
About Lighting Your Home
Lighting is such a critical part of any home improvement project. Whether it's a kitchen remodel or a brand new home, the lighting plan should be well thought out.
The Art of Ice Dam Removal
You may have noticed long icicles hanging from your gutters and not realize the significance of the damage that may be occurring behind them. Icicles are usually one of the first warning signs of possible ice dams on your roof.
Why You Might Need a Waterproofing Consultant
Waterproof consultants perform a wide variety of functions. Why should you hire a waterproofing consultant for your project? Firstly, professional consultants in this field are often very knowledgeable in finding the problem and the best way to fix it.
How To Find Cat Mailboxes
You can add a personal touch to your home or give apersonalized gift that will be treasured for years with ahandcrafted cat mailbox. Choose from adorable wall mount,house mount, or freestanding mailboxes adorned with yourfavorite feline in playful, adorable designs.
Building Permits and Inspections
Probably the most intimidating part of building your own house is the permit process. Not only do the the requirements vary from township to township, but at times the decisions made seem so subjective that we find ourselves seething in frustration.
Different Materials Used for Roofing and Determining the Cost of Each One
There is never a structure you will find that lacks a roof; it is an essential part of the house or building. It plays a very important role of providing protection and shelter much like the walls.
|
