Things You Should Do Every Year for Hardwood Flooring Fall Maintenance
When treated with proper care, your hardwood flooring can become a beautiful and durable part of your home. Proper hardwood flooring maintenance will help you enjoy the benefits that hardwood offers over other types of flooring. If you’re unfamiliar with the care needs of hardwood flooring, the following practices for fall maintenance for hardwood will help you get started.
Monitor the Indoor Humidity
The colder weather brings drier air, which can cause wood flooring to shrink or warp. You can buy a hydrometer in most hardware and department stores. This device will help you watch humidity levels in your home, which should stay between 35-50% in the fall. If you find that your indoor humidity is dropping too low, run a humidifier to compensate for the dry air. This hardwood flooring maintenance practice will help you reduce fall wear and tear damage.
Sweep Your Hardwood Floors Often
It’s essential to be diligent in cleaning up spills that occur on hardwood flooring. While liquid spills can stain the wood, other types of spills can be just as damaging. For instance, spilling sugar or salt on the floor will create a coarseness that can scratch the wood. In addition, when grains of sugar or salt get grounded into the wood, they can penetrate the finish and scratch the underlying wood. Avoid this situation by sweeping up spills immediately. You should also make it a habit to sweep the entire floor daily to remove dust and debris.
Vacuum Hardwood Surfaces Regularly
Make sure to vacuum your flooring weekly as a part of your hardwood flooring maintenance routine. Weekly vacuuming will remove any dirt and debris you missed when sweeping the floors. In addition, this will help you eliminate unnoticed items that could otherwise damage the flooring. Adjust your vacuum cleaner for bare floors when caring for hardwood floors. This setting is best for hardwood floors since it will enable the vacuum to clean closer to the surface.
Invest in Furniture Pads
If you’re not already using them, this is an excellent time to buy a bunch of furniture pads for the furnishings in your home. Place the pads under the furniture and chair legs to prevent scratching the floor. Something as simple as pulling a chair out to sit can leave scratches on the wood. Furniture pads will prevent this type of damage.
Mop Once a Month
Although you should do monthly mopping throughout the year, it’s more critical as fall maintenance for hardwood. The weather is wetter in the fall, leading to mud and dirt getting tracked into the house. A monthly mopping will remove dirt that has previously gone unseen. Make sure to use a good quality wood cleaner. Test any new cleaner on a small area to protect against discoloration or wood damage. If your flooring retailer recommends a specific cleaner brand, make sure to use that product.
Consider Refinishing Your Hardwood Floors
While your hardwood floors don’t need refinishing every year, you should have this done every three to five years. Adding a fresh coat of wood finish will help you maintain the beauty of the wood and reduce the risks of scratches. It will also protect the wood from stains caused by accidental spills. In determining your fall maintenance for hardwood, look at the amount of foot traffic in your home. If you have a big family or frequently entertain guests, your floors need a new coat every three years. If you live alone or with a partner, wait five years before adding a new treatment of wood finish.
Trust the Experts with All of Your Flooring Needs
Elite Hardwood Flooring can help you take care of the hardwood flooring already in your home or install new flooring. To get the professional flooring care you need, contact us today!
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