Whether you a historical home or a fairly newer home, hardwood floors are a beautiful addition. Besides the beauty of natural wood flooring, they can also increase the value of your home. There is little maintenance needed to secure the life of your flooring, but nevertheless, these steps are important in caring for your investment.
The prevention of certain damages to your flooring can greatly reduce your need for constant repair. Some of the more common wear and tear to your wood flooring may include worn-out areas due to scratches from moving furniture, scratches from inadequate footwear, scratches from dirt, and small rocks. Most of these occurrences can be prevented by placing area rugs in higher-traffic areas. To avoid scratching the floors while moving furniture, you can add rubber soles under your table. It is also a good idea to remove your shoes at your front door to avoid tracking excess moisture and dirt into your home.
Other ways to avoid damage that you can use for your hardwood floors are among your common cleaning routines. You should broom your floors on a regular basis with fine bristles. Mopping your floors regularly with neutral PH wood cleaner will also assist in keeping your floors in good condition. Even though most natural wood floors are stained, excess water can still cause damage, so making sure that your floors are dry at all times is important.
Wood floors have been known to lose their shine over time due to natural aging or negligence. There are some very simple ways to identify if your floors may need a little TLC. Tests like adding a little bit of water to suspected damage areas may reveal if your floors are in need of some repair. After adding water, if the area turns a darker color, it usually is a sign of concern. The task of making drastic repairs should be left to a professional if you are not knowledgeable about wood repair.
Since most natural wood surfaces usually have a sore poly urethane finish or wax, repairing an area can be as simple as refinishing the damaged area. You can visit your local home improvement store to compare and match your wood finish. If your floor has a wax finish, you can use a #2 steel wool pad soaked in soap and water to rub out most stains. Once the affected area is smoothed out, you can then re-stain and wax.
Hardwood floorings such as Brazilian wood are a long-lasting cost-effective way to raise your home’s value and add beauty to your home. With the proper care, natural wood flooring can maintain its beauty for years to come. Even though these maintenance methods are not difficult, they are mandatory in preserving the life span of your wood floors. Proper care and prevention will prove to be the keys to protecting your investment from unnecessary damage.
