Hardwood Flooring – Maintenance and Care
Hardwood is one of the best choices when it comes to flooring options. Hardwood floors are preferred over carpet flooring because it does not retain allergy causing pollen. Also, carpets need a lot more cleaning and maintenance than hardwood floors. Carpets also tend to smell over time, while hardwood doesn`t.
Aside from carpets, hardwood floors also beat other synthetic materials in the sense that hardwood floors are more durable and elegant. Hardwood floors will add style, grace and value to your home that other types of synthetic flooring can`t do. If you want a romantic and warm tone to your home, hardwood floors will also have an advantage over other extracted flooring material like stone. Beyond these however, one of the best benefits of having wood flooring is the ease of cleaning these beautiful hardwood floors.
Cleaning hardwood floors entail occasional sweeping with a regular broom to get rid of dust that may have settled on the floor. Be sure however that when cleaning hardwood floors, you use only a soft broom that will not scratch the polyurethane varnish off the floor. You can also even just use a slightly damp mop immediately followed by a dry one to make sure that dust will be thoroughly picked up in cleaning hardwood floors. One thing you cannot do in cleaning hardwood floors is to scrub with a hard brush on the floor surface. By doing this, you will create marks on the even and shiny finish of your hardwood.
Another thing is that you should not excessively wet the area when cleaning hardwood floors to avoid the water from seeping into the wood and making it swell. Swelling, which results from incorrect methods of cleaning hardwood floors, will cause the wooden planks to become uneven and in some cases, chip off. Be very careful not to spill or mop up quickly any spills that may occur on your hardwood.
Generally, modern wood stains and polyurethane varnish finishes the wood and gives it a protective coat that will shield it from untoward accidents like spills and the like. You also don`t have to worry about too much wear and tear on the hardwood floor because the usual protection from the varnish usually lasts for years before a reapplication is needed.
Even cleaning hardwood floors is made a breeze by these modern wood finish and varnish aids because the surface of the floor becomes very even and smooth, which makes it hard for dust to settle. Any dirt or dust is easily lifted off the surface without much effort.
In collecting the aid of cleaning tools for your hardwood floors, make sure that you don`t use any substance that can ruin your floor`s protective varnish. For instance, some cleansers may contain alcohol or other harsh liquids that can ruin your floor`s finish.
Also, be sure not to use equipment not meant for cleaning hardwood floors. Some surfaces or edges from certain equipment may unduly scratch and create grooves on your floor so be sure to think twice or better yet, consult a hardwood floor expert for advice. Whatever the case, cleaning hardwood floors can be a total breeze with a little effort and common sense. No more scrubbing or back breaking work. Just give it a few sweeps and your floor will retain its warm luster and look like new.
Brought to you by: the Alliston Home Inspector
