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that you have a beautiful hardwood floor, you want to make
sure you take care of it. Follow the following guidelines
for maintaining your floor:
• Dirt and grit act
just like sandpaper on any floor. To keep grit
from entering in your home use dirt-trapping, walk-off mats
at all exterior doors. NOFMA recommends placing throw-rugs
or small sections of carpet just inside the entrances. Always
remember to keep door mats clean.
• Vacuum regularly,
as often as you vacuum carpets; a brush attachment works
beautifully. Don’t use the beater bar; it can damage
the finish. Sweep or use an untreated dust mop daily or
as needed. Please be aware that vacuum wheels may scratch
the surface.
• Do not use a household
dust treatment, sheet vinyl or tile care products
as this may cause your floor to become slick, dull the finish,
or interfere with re-coating.
• For cleaning dirty areas, sweep,
vacuum and follow with the manufacturer’s recommended
cleaner(s). To apply cleaner, dampen or spray a cloth until
moistened, not wet. As you clean, dry up the residue with
a dry sponge mop or terry pad mop. Newly finished
floors should not be cleaned with water/cleaner until the
finish has completely cured, which takes approximately 3-4
weeks. When high-traffic areas of surface finished
floors begin to show significant wear, abrading and re-coating
an entire floor is the least involved choice for maintenance.
• For site finished floors, it is
extremely important that the finish is fully cured
(Approximately 3-4 weeks) before placing any rugs, rug pads,
etc. on the floor to keep from affecting the finish and
leaving a prominent “rug print”.
• Use a rug pad
with any rug placed on your wood floor. (NOTE: Kitchen mats
are the exception to this rule.) For rug pads choose 100%
non-solvent based waffle type rubber, an untreated natural
fiber such as wool or jute, or 1/4" chopped urethane.
Do not use sticky or tacky backers. The plasticizers they
use can attack and discolor finish. These same plasticizers
may also be present in the backer of some rugs.
• In kitchens, use area
rugs at high spill locations and at work stations–
stove, sink, and refrigerator. Cotton is generally the best
fabric since it is easily washed.
• Some finishes and certain chemicals
in wood are affected by ultraviolet light and heat, causing
the wood and some finishes to change color, develop a patina,
or age. To avoid uneven appearance, move area rugs
occasionally and drape or shade large windows.
• Wipe up spills promptly
with a dry cloth or paper towel. Use a slightly moistened
cloth for sticky spills if necessary, but be sure to wipe
the floor dry with another cloth or paper towel.
• Avoid walking on your
wood floors with cleats, sports shoes and high heels.
A 125-pound woman walking in high heels has an impact of
2,000 pounds per square inch. An exposed heel nail can exert
up to 8,000 pounds per square inch. This kind of impact
can dent any floor surface.
• Pets need a rug
for drool and wet coats. Be sure to keep all toys, bones,
etc. that have hard corners away from the floor. Also, be
sure to trim your pet’s nails regularly to avoid deep
scratches.
• Put felt fabric glides
on the legs of your furniture; they allow furniture to be
moved easily without scuffing the floor. Periodically clean
glides since grit can become embedded in the fabric. Replace
when the glides show wear (typically 6 to 12 months depending
on use). Avoid casters made of hard materials like metals
or hard plastics. If casters are necessary, use gray, non-marking
rubber casters.
• Older furniture with wooden or
metal wheels can severely damage wood floors when moved.
To avoid damage, place a felt-bottomed coaster under
each wheel, allowing the piece to slide, rather
than roll, when moved.
• Use a humidifier
throughout the winter months to keep wood movement and shrinkage
to a minimum.
Never apply water on your floor. Never wet-mop your
floor. A damp/dry mop is fine as long as the moisture is
limited to an amount that will evaporate almost immediately.
Any additional water will seep through plank cracks causing
the finish to break down and wood fibers to expand. A wet
rag may be used for cleaning up spills. However, be sure
to dry afterward to avoid leaving any moisture on the floor.
DO NOT APPLY MOISTURE UNNECESSARILY,
VACUUM INSTEAD. SPRAY/MIST/DAMP MOP ONLY AS NECESSARY.
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