Carpets & Flooring
CRI Articles
IEHA Articles
IICRC Articles
Features
Keeping your hardwood floors looking beautiful is a lot easier than you might think. Today’s hardwood floors can be cared for with minimal effort, and in most cases, a little preventive maintenance today will help keep your floors looking beautiful for many years to come.
No matter what kind of wood floors you have, or which type of finish is used on them, all hardwood floors should be cleaned regularly. To accomplish that, simply sweep, dust mop or vacuum the floors with the beater bar turned off to remove dirt and grit from the surface of and between the floor boards. You should avoid using a wet mop on your hardwood floors (although a damp mop is ok provided the finish is intact) as it can dull the finish, or even damage the wood over long periods of time.Place scatter rugs at all entrances, avoiding those with rubber backs, which can discolor your wood floors. Special rug mats can be purchased from your wood flooring retailer that will protect your floors from discoloration. Scatter rugs will help keep outside dirt and other debris from scratching your floors. You also can prevent scratching your floors by placing floor protector pads on the bottoms of the legs of any furniture that comes into direct contact with your wood floors.
When spills occur, be sure to clean them immediately with a dry or slightly damp cloth. Allowing spills to remain on your wood floors could damage the finish, as well as the wood.
You also should avoid walking on your floors with sports cleats or high heel shoes that are in disrepair. These can scratch the finish of your floors, or even dent them.
Beyond these general maintenance guidelines, it is important to know which type of finish has been used on your wood floors for other maintenance concerns. Different wood flooring finishes require different kinds of care, and it is important to use the right maintenance products on your floors to protect them and prolong their life.
Generally speaking, there are three types of finishes available for wood floors: surface finishes, wax finishes and acrylic impregnated finishes.
Surface Finish
Surface finishes are very popular today because they are durable, water-resistant and require minimal maintenance. Surface finishes are blends of synthetic resins. These finishes most often are referred to as urethanes or polyurethanes and remain on the surface of the wood to form a protective coating. They generally are available in satin, semi-gloss and matte finishes.
If you are unsure if your wood floors have a surface finish on them, you first should check the original records from the installer or refinisher to see if the information is documented there. If those records are not available, you can try scratching the floor gently with a coin in an inconspicuous area, such as behind a door or in a corner. If the finish flakes off, your floor likely has a surface finish. Another test you can try is to apply two drops of water in an inconspicuous area. If white spots do not appear within 10 minutes, your floor likely has a surface finish and should be maintained accordingly.
To clean surface finish floors, you should use cleaning products recommended by the manufacturer of the flooring, or the installer if the floors were finished or refinished in your home. If the manufacturer of the wood is not known, you should use a generic hardwood floor cleaner, which can be purchased at your local retail flooring store. You should be aware, however, that you should never use a wax-based product on a surface finish floor, as it will damage the finish. Petroleum-based maintenance products should be avoided on water-based finishes as well, for the same reason.
If you have a spill on your surface finish floors, you should wipe it up immediately. To clean spills properly, use a slightly dampened cloth to remove the spill, and follow with the manufacturer’s recommended cleaning product or a generic hardwood cleaning product.
For stubborn stains on your surface finish floors, lightly dampen a cloth with the manufacturer’s recommended cleaning product or a generic hardwood cleaning product, and gently rub the stain area. Repeat this process as often as necessary until the stain is removed completely.
When your surface finish floor begins to lose its luster, you should contact a wood flooring professional to refinish your floor and restore it to its original beauty.
Wax Finish
Another type of finish available for wood floors is wax finishes. Wax finishes soak into the pores of the wood and harden to form a protective penetrating seal. The wax finish will give off a low-gloss satin sheen. Wax finish floors generally are maintained with additional thin applications of wax when needed. Only solvent-based waxes, buffing pastes or cleaning liquids made specifically for wax-finished wood floors should be used on wax finish floors.
To determine if your floor has a wax finish, check the original records from the installer or refinisher. If those records are not available, you can try using a small amount of mineral sprits on a clean, white rag in an area that has not been exposed to high traffic. If a slight yellow or brown color appears on the rag, you likely have a paste wax finish on your floor. To test for acrylic waxes, mix a small amount of dish soap, ammonia and water, and place a drop of this mixture on the floor in an area that has not been exposed to high traffic. If the spot turns white, you likely have an acrylic wax finish on your floor and it should be maintained accordingly.
There are products available at retail flooring stores that can be used to clean wax finish floors. You will need to be sure to follow the cleaning product manufacturer’s directions carefully to determine how long the cleaner should remain on the floor. Once the floor is cleaned properly, you will need to apply a new coat of wax to the floor to restore luster.
As with surface finish floors, wipe up all spills immediately with a dry or slightly damp cloth. If it is necessary, clean the spill area with the manufacturer’s recommended cleaning product, or odorless mineral spirits. If the area becomes dull after cleaning, buffing may be necessary to restore the luster of the floor.
If you have white spot stains on your wax finish floors caused by water, use #000 fine steel wool and a small amount of mineral spirits to remove the stain. To accomplish that, rub the stains gently in a circular motion until the spots are gone, then wax and buff the area to restore the luster of the floor.
For floors that have lost their luster in heavy traffic areas, thoroughly buff those areas with a polishing brush or pad. If this does not work, try waxing the areas and buffing again. To restore the finish on the entire floor, you will need to strip, sand, and re-finish the entire area.
Acrylic Impregnated Finish
The final type of finish available for wood floors is acrylic impregnated. Acrylic impregnated finishes are injected into the wood to create a super-hard, extremely durable floor. Acrylic impregnated finishes rarely are used in residential applications. They most often are used in very high traffic areas in commercial settings such as malls and restaurants.
To determine if your floor has an acrylic impregnated finish, pull up a floor vent and look at the side of the wood. If you can see consistent color throughout the board, top to bottom, you most likely have an acrylic impregnated wood floor. You should note, however, that some species of wood will have a consistent color throughout the board and are not acrylic impregnated floors, so if you are in doubt, you should contact a wood flooring professional for guidance.
How you clean an acrylic impregnated floor will depend on the finish. If you have a urethane-based finish, you should follow the same procedures for surface finished floors mentioned previously. If you have a nonurethane-based finish, you will need to use a spray and buff system, as recommended by the manufacturer.
Wipe up any spills immediately and then clean the affected area with the manufacturer’s recommended cleaning product. When the spill is thoroughly removed, hand buff the area to return the floor to its original luster.
For stains on acrylic impregnated floors, follow the manufacturer’s recommendations. Light sanding may be required, or, in the case of nonurethane-based finishes, you may be able to use mineral spirits or hydrogen peroxide to remove the stain.
Dull finishes on nonurethane-based floors may require light screening, followed by a thorough cleaning and conditioning with the manufacturer’s recommended maintenance products. For urethane-based finishes, sanding and refinishing the floors may be required.
If in doubt about how to care for your hardwood floors, you should contact a wood flooring professional. The National Wood Flooring Association can help you find a professional in your area. Simply visit the National Wood Flooring Association’s web site at www.woodfloors.org , and click on the “Find a Professional or Product” link. You can search by city, state, zip code, mileage or telephone area code.
