Hardwood Flooring

AERIAL CARE

DO’s:

Wipe up spills immediately.
Vacuum, sweep or dust mop your hardwood floor once a week, or more, if needed. The vacuum head must be brush or felt, and a wand attachment is preferable.
Use interior and exterior doormats at entrances to collect dirt and moisture and prevent it from being tracked onto the floor.
Area rugs are recommended in front of kitchen sinks, at all pivot points and within high-traffic areas. The rugs must be made of a breathable material to prevent moisture entrapment.
Place runners and area rugs (with slip-resistant backings) along high-traffic areas.
Keep animal nails trimmed to prevent finish scratches.
To prevent surface damage avoid rolling heavy appliances and furniture on the floor. Use plywood hardboard or appliance lifts, if necessary.
Use leg protector pads under all furniture legs.
Replace hard, narrow furniture rollers with wide rubber rollers.
Keep the relative humidity in your home between 35% and 55%.
Protect your floor from direct sunlight.
Place rugs/mats around the entrance in the winter and sweep or vacuum your hardwood floors every day in order to prevent salt to damage the floor.

DON’T:

Use any of the following products (or products similar in nature) on your floor: ammonia based cleaners, acrylic finishes, wax based products, detergents, bleach, polishes and oil soaps, abrasive cleaning soaps or acidic materials such as vinegar.
Allow water to stand on your floor for any length of time – wipe up immediately.
Walk across your floor in poorly maintained shoes with heel taps, spike heels or with any sharp object protruding from your shoe.
Allow furniture to rest on the floor on small metal tips or hard domes.
Use rubber, foam back or plastic mats as they may trap moisture and possibly discolor your floor.
Do not use vacuums with beater bars or hard heads.
Do not use vinegar mixed with water to clean salt stains from hardwood floors.

Hardwood Floor Care Quick Fix Tips

Spills and Tracked-in Dirt

Clean immediately.
Apply Hardwood & Laminate Floor Cleaner lightly to the surface and wipe with a sponge mop or a soft cloth.
Excess cleaner that does not evaporate immediately should be dried with a clean towel. No rinsing is necessary.

Spots Caused by Food, Water or Animals

Apply Hardwood & Laminate Floor Cleaner to a clean soft cloth.
Rub the area to remove the stain or spot.
More stubborn spots may require additional cleaning with mineral spirits, followed by cleaning with a hardwood & laminate floor cleaner as recommended by floor vendor.

Grease/Lipstick/Crayon/Ink Spots/Rubber Heel Marks

Apply a hardwood & laminate floor cleaner as recommended by floor vendor to a clean soft cloth.
Rub the area to remove the stain or spot.
If stain remains, rub with a cloth dampened with mineral spirits and follow by cleaning the area with a hardwood & laminate floor cleaner as recommended by floor vendor

Chewing Gum, Candle Wax

Apply a sealed plastic bag filled with ice on top of the deposit.
Wait until deposit becomes brittle enough to crumble off.
After deposit has been removed, clean entire area with a hardwood & laminate floor cleaner

Minor Abrasions/Scratches

Use a touch up kit as supplied or recommended by the hardwood vendor
Apply special restore or fresh finish as recommended by the hardwood vendor

Deep Scratches/Gouges

Individual planks, strips or parquets that are heavily gouged or damaged can be replaced by a professional flooring installer.
If needed, the entire floor can be refurbished by applying one or more coats of a special restore or fresh finish as recommended by the hardwood vendor

Periodic Hardwood Floor Care And Maintenance

Buffing your hardwood floor between waxing will restore the original sheen. Large, heavy weight buffing machines impart a much higher sheen to wax finish than small, lightweight machines. Use a fiber bristle brush attachment only.
It may be desirable to wax the floor slightly more often in drier climates, during the winter, and in heavy traffic areas.

Expansion Cracks and Squeaks

Recognizing that hardwood floor dimensions will be slightly affected by varying levels of humidity within your building, care should be taken to control humidity levels within the 35-55% range. To protect your investment and to assure that your floors provide lasting satisfaction, we have provided our recommendations below.

Heating Season (Dry)

A humidifier is recommended to prevent excessive shrinkage in hardwood floors due to low-humidity levels.
Wood stoves and electric heat tend to create very dry conditions.

Non-Heating Season (Humid, Wet)

Proper humidity levels can be maintained by use of an air conditioner, dehumidifier, or by turning on your heating system periodically during the summer months.
Avoid excessive exposure to water from tracking during periods of inclement weather.
DO NOT obstruct in any way the expansion joint around the perimeter of your floor.
NOTE: Final inspection by the end-user should occur from a standing position.

Removing Salt from Hardwood Floor in Winter

Salt can take a great toll on hardwood floors for a few reasons. The crystals are usually rough and jagged in texture, so they can scratch the surface if they’re dragged across the floor when they get caught under shoes. Secondly, salt is made of calcium chloride crystals so there is also the potential for the particles to wreak chemical damage on the floors.
Place rugs or mats around the entrance (clean or shake them out regularly) in order to prevent salt from getting onto and damaging hardwood floors. Make time to sweep or vacuum your hardwood floors every day, which can help remove salt before it has a real chance to do significant damage to your flooring.
Use special cleaning product and a standard mop that will remove salt stains and still preserve the hardwood floor’s finish. Consider help of professional floor care cleaner or renting a portable hardwood floor scrubbing machine when your floor has stained the hardwood surface.
DO NOT use vinegar mixed with water since it can do more harm than good to the floor. Water is a natural enemy of hardwood floors and vinegar can strip the finish and leave harmful residue on the flooring.