Maintenance : Preventative Maintenance
Protecting Your Investment
In addition to the regular day to day maintenance tips, we also recommend the following preventative measures. These tips will extend the life of your floors by lengthening the intervals between re-surfacing your floor. Remember, it’s not uncommon for hardwood floors to last 50+ years with the proper maintenance.
1. Use throw rugs both inside and outside doorways, in front of your kitchen appliances, or any high traffic area to help prevent grit, dirt and other debris from being tracked onto your wood floors. Please no area rugs for 30 days after your floor has been refinished, this will allow the finish to properly cure.
2. Make sure your tables and chairs have soft fabric glides on the bottom of their legs to help prevent scratches. Clean these glides regularly to keep grit from getting embedded in them. These glides will periodically need to be replaced and they are readily available at furniture stores and hardware stores. Please contact our office if you have questions on where to find them.
3. Please do NOT walk on your hardwood floors with sports cleats or high heels if you are concerned with denting your wood floors. Both men’s and women’s shoes should be properly maintained and surfaced to avoid damaging the surface.
4. Never slide, roll, drag, or scoot anything like furniture or appliances across your hardwood floors. If you are unable to pick-up and move the item, we recommend using a dolly or cart with air-inflated tires.
5. Even though we do our best to acclimate your new floors prior to installation, it’s not uncommon for gaps and cracks to appear in the winter months. Please work with your trusted HVAC dealer to install a humidity control system that will allow your home to maintain stable humidity levels in order to minimize any seasonal changes in your floor.
6. Please keep your dogs nails trimmed to minimize surface scratches. Even the most durable of finishes can be scratched by dogs so please use rugs in areas your animals frequent the most.
7. Even with proper maintenance, eventually your floor may become dull or worn looking. The Hardwood Floor Company offers a 1-day topcoat service that is a fraction of our refinishing costs and should generally be applied every 3 to 5 years.
