General Maintenance With the correct care, your floors will stay beautiful for many years to come. Common sense and a few preventative steps can lengthen the life of your floors. A regular cleaning routine will simplify your floor care. Good preventative maintenance lengthens the time between major renovations, such as buff & coats, refinishing & repairs. Everyday dust & dirt are your floors worst enemy. Dust. mop, vacuum or sweep regularly. To keep your floors as beautiful as the day they were installed or refinished, simply follow these easy steps and always use the manufacturers recommended cleaning product. Wood and water DON'T mix!! Excessive amounts of water can cause damage to your wood floor to swell and cup. Use a slightly damp mop to clean your hardwood surfaces. Vacuum beater bars can cause damage to your floors surface. If possible, turn off the beater bar, or use the hose or wand attachment with a soft upholstery nozzel for your hardwood surfaces. NEVER use household treatments or furniture polish on hardwood or highly polished floors, as this may cause your floor ro become slick or dull the finish. NEVER place potted plants directly on contact with your hardwood floor, even if they are placed in a waterproof saucer. Condensation can develop under these saucers and damage your flooring. To avoid this, place your plants on trivets or stands, so that air can circulate underneath. Dog and cat nails can scratch and dent your floors surface. Keep nails trimmed regularly. Immediately clean up pet urine, as it will damage the floors finish if allowed to dry. Use dirt trapping mats at all exterior doors to prevent dirt and sand (which can act like sandpaper) from entering the home. Sweep or vacuum floors thoroughly before cleaning/mopping. Use area rugs on high traffic pathways and pivot areas: at end of steps, near doorways, etc. All rugs should allow floors to breath. Avoid rubber backed or non-ventilated rugs. Wipe up food or other spills immediately, using a recommended cleaner or soft cloth. Keep high heels in good repair. Heels that have worn down or lost their protective cap, exposing heel support rod will dent and pit wood. A person in stilletto heel, weighing 125lbs exerts approx 2000 lbs of pressure per square inch. Certain chemicals on wood oxidize in strong light causing the floor to change color. To avoid any uneven appearance, move area rugs occasionally and drape or shade large sun-facing windows. Always put felt protective pads on the legs of your furniture to be moved easily without scratching or denting your floors finish. This also provides a sound deadening barrier but remember to replace your felt pads often, as dirt and grit can become embedded in them or as they become worn. In conclusion: Wood flooring with proper care will last generations, sometimes even more than 100 plus years. Wood floors can be refinished (recommended every 10 years) or buffed & coated (every 3 years) to look like new PREVIOUS POSTNEXT POST