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How to Care for Solid Hardwood Floors! Living with Natural Hardwood Floors Solid hardwood floors repay
a little care with a lifetime of value. When you first glimpse a solid
hardwood floor, you sense richness, warmth and natural beauty. Gradually,
you get to know its distinct personality -- visual harmonies, the traces
of history in the forest and in your home. Take a closer look.
Nature's
diversity lets you create dramatic looks with unique textures, colors,
patterns and styles of solid hardwood flooring. Solid hardwood floors are among the easiest to keep clean. Protect their warmth and character with simple, everyday cleaning techniques. It's important to know how to prevent damage to your solid hardwood floors. Oak
and maple are the most popular hardwoods used in flooring. Ask, beech,
birch, cherry, hickory and walnut are other favorites for floors and decorative
accents.
Perhaps your hardwood floors were installed just a few years ago, but you haven't taken care of them and now they look old. What can you do? Before you do anything, check the condition of the finish and the wood to see whether they need special cleaning or more involved repair. Follow these steps to evaluate the condition of your hardwood floor and its finish. Finish Condition Has the finish been worn off or is it just dirty? See if the finish is dull, chipped, scraped or gouged. To test if the finish has worn off, begin in a high-traffic area and pour one to two tablespoons of water onto the floor. If the water soaks in immediately and leaves a darkened spot, the finish is worn and water can damage the wood. If the water soaks in after a few minutes and darkens the wood only slightly, the finish is partially worn. If the water beads on top, the surface is properly sealed. Repeat this test in low- and medium-traffic areas. Wood Condition It
the finish is worn, the wood may have been damaged. Are there stains,
burns, cuts, gouges, holes, cracks or warped boards? If the wood is damaged,
repair or replacement may be required before you deep clean your floor
or apply a maintenance coat.
The same care and maintenance techniques are used for all finishes in good condition, but when it comes to removing stains or restoring the finish, methods differ. If you don't know what kind of finish your floor has, ask your contractor or Realtor, or try these simple tests. Surface Finishes: (pre-finished floors, polyurethane, water-based urethane and catalyzed) Nearly all floors installed today have surface finishes, mostly polyurethane. They are often glossy and may look like a layer of clear plastic on top of the wood. A small amount of paint remover in an inconspicuous area of the floor will cause the surface finish to bubble (unless it is a water-based urethane, in which case there will be no reaction). Surface finishes shield floors from harm by forming a protective layer on top of the wood. Penetrating Seals: (acrylics, oils and waxes) Oils
and waxes usually have a satin or matte finish. If you can feel the wood
grain when you run your hand across the surface, it's most likely a penetrating
seal. Paint remover will have no effect on a penetrating seal, but wax
stripper or ammonia will soften and whiten the surface. Oils and waxes
penetrate the surface of the floor protecting the wood from within.
Your hardwood floor will eventually need extra care. It's here that much controversy exists. DAMP MOPPING Some professionals recommend that you damp mop your hardwood floor and others cringe at the suggestion. Just remember, if your floor's finish is in good shape and mopping is done correctly, the water won't penetrate even the oil and wax finishes. You're cleaning the finish, not the wood, so don't use water if the finish is in poor shape. Damp Mopping is the fastest and best way to deep-clean solid hardwood floors. Depending on how much use your floor gets, you may have to mop it as often as once a week. Use a neutral pH wood cleaner and water, or manufacturer-recommended products. Wet the mop and wring so it's about half-dry. Wet the floor with the mop. Dip the mop into clean water, wring it as dry as you can and mop over the floor again. Heavy-Duty Mopping MAINTENANCE COAT If you can't restore your solid hardwood floor's luster with deep cleaning or by simply buffing, you may want to apply a maintenance coat. Waxing is an easy way to restore your hardwood floor's natural beauty. Though a controversial treatment for surface finishes, floor polish or wax can give you a good-looking floor in a matter of minutes. If you don't want to apply a wax to your surface finish, consult a professional.
No matter how careful you are a stain can still occur. Water Stains Rub the spot with No. 2 steel wood and rewax. For more serious water stains, lightly sand with fine sandpaper, clean the spot with No. 1 or 00 steel wool and mineral spirits or floor cleaner then refinish and wax. Cigarette Burns If not severe, the burn can be removed by rubbing with steel wool moistened with soap and water. Heel and Caster Marks Rub vigorously with fine steel wool and floor cleaner. Wipe dry and polish. Ink Stains and Other Dark Spots Use No. 2 steel wool and floor cleaner to clean the spot and surrounding area. Thoroughly wash the affected area. If the spot remains, sand with fine sandpaper, re-wax and polish. Stubborn stains may require that you replace the affected area. Chewing Gum and Wax Deposits Ice until the deposit is brittle and crumbles off. Pour floor cleaner around the stain so the fluid soaks under and loosens it. Alcohol Spots Rub the spot with liquid or paste wax. Repairing Wax Finishes Rub fine steel wood in a puddle of reconditioner or paint thinner and clean as you go. Apply wax and buff. Always start cleaning at the edge of a stain and work toward the center so it won't spread.
Use
steel wood or sand paper to remove one or two complete layers of finish
along the entire length of the board where damage has occurred. Remove
all dust. Apply the same type of finish that was removed, being careful
not to build additional layers on top of adjoining boards.
When the air in your home becomes extremely dry, your floor will lose moisture and contract. Conversely, when humidity is high, your floor will absorb moisture and expand slightly. As humidity stabilizes, hardwoods regain their original dimensions. Air conditioning in summer and humidifying in winter will keep your home's humidity comfortable for you and your floor. Prolonged cycles of shrinking and swelling of your hardwood floor may result in squeaks. They can be easily corrected. Silencing Squeaks Apply liquid wax, powdered soap, talcum powder or powdered graphite between floor boards that are rubbing together. If that doesn't stop the squeak, drive two-inch finishing nails through pilot holes on both edges of the board then hide the hole with matching color putty or wax. If you need to refinish or replace your hardwood floor, consult a professional for best results. Information furnished by: Hardwood Manufacturers Association 800/373-WOOD
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Mr. Sandman Flooring Inc.• |
