How to Maintain a finished wood floor?
Caring for wood floors can be quick and easy with the right products and information. No matter what kind of wood floor or finish you have, there are certain steps that must be taken to maintain a new or existing wood floor. Regular maintenance requires no more than sweeping with a soft bristle broom, micro fiber mop or vacuuming with a soft floor attachment. For floors that are excessively dirty and greasy or have surface build up from products which contain acrylic waxes, a wood floor cleaning product is recommended. Vancouver Island Floor Finishing leaves a new bottle of floor cleaner after all our refinished wood floor contracts on Vancouver Island, BC.
Newly finished floors:
Walking on floors is generally recommended after 24hours when using water based finishes. It may be possible to walk on floors sooner. Vancouver Island Floor Finishing will advise on the earliest possible time to enter the completed areas. Replacing furniture is recommended after a minimum 24hours. Household items must NEVER be dragged or slid across any finished wood floors. We also Recommend not to cover floors with rugs for 1-2 weeks. If needed, while completing other trade work, we recommend laying fresh drop cloths, cardboard sheeting or similar protective coverings over the entire floor during finish carpentry, painting etc.
Floors finished with our water based surface coatings, take at least 30 – 60 days to cure depending on surrounding conditions. Therefore, treating your new floor finish with a little love and care in the early stages will minimize premature scratching and scuff marks.
Vigorous air circulation is very important to help the curing process. As soon as practically possible(after coating has tacked off) open windows, doors and use fans(if available) to assist fresh air circulation.
General Floor Maintenance Guide
- Vacuum / Electrostatic Dust Mop; Sand and grit will cause premature wear. Placing walk-off mats inside and outside of key entry points and near kitchen sinks will help prevent the spread of such material. Regular vacuuming and sweeping will keep premature wearing to a minimum.
- Do not use sheet vinyl or tile floor care products on wood floor finishes. Self-polishing acrylic waxes cause wood floors to become slippery and appear dull quickly.
- Do not wet mop a wood floor. Standing water can dull the finish, damage the wood(excess moisture) and leave a discolouring residue. Wipe up all spills immediately with a slightly dampened towel.
- Do not wash your newly coated floor for approximately six weeks, allowing ample time for the floor finish to cure and harden.
- Do not wax a wood floor. If the floor dulls it may be time for a re-coat? Ask us about a re-coat before the finishing system wears out. Once the top 2 coats of your finish have worn out at key entry points it may result in complete resurfacing of the surrounding areas? We recommend walk of mats in key entry points after the floor has cured.
- Fit felt floor protector pads under the legs of all furniture to prevent scuffing and scratching.
- Avoid walking on your wood floors with cleats, sports shoes and high heels. An exposed heel or nail can exert up to 3,500kg/sq. cm. This kind of impact can dent any solid or engineered wood floor surface. Rubber soled/sports shoes, if passed across the floor surface quickly, will most likely result in scuffing the surface.
- Trim your pet’s claws often to prevent small scratches and dents in the wood and finishing systems.
- Clean up spills immediately with damp cloths or paper towels as excessive use of water can alter the moisture content of wood flooring. Regular cleaning should be done with our recommended floor cleaner or floor cleaner concentrate diluted with warm water to achieve the best results. Do not use household cleaning products on your site coated wood floor.
- Even the most well maintained floors will eventually require re-coating. Contact us to arrange a re-coat prior to excessive deterioration of the coating system and prevent the need for re-sanding and resurfacing.
- When moving heavy furniture and appliances, do not slide it on the wood flooring. It is best to pick up your furniture and appliances completely to protect the wood floor finish. When replacing or moving heavy items including fridges and appliances, we suggest a dolly system be used. As an alternative, lay hard protective coverings under the item you wish to move such as thin ply wood products.
- Using a humidifier throughout the winter months can also keep the wood movement and shrinkage to a minimum.
Cleaning products
For all protective and maintenance products please talk to me during, after or before I have completed your floors. I am happy to provide all the necessary items needed to care for your floors. For general cleaning please use a damp micro fiber style mop and warm water and for deep cleaning, I recommend Loba Floor Cleaner Concentrate. This cleaner concentrate when mixed at the recommended ratio of 50:1, produces up to 5 years of cleaning power(when used once per month on a small size home). This PH balanced floor cleaner is great at breaking down grease, oils and other “sticky” substances common on floors. Unlike other floor cleaners, Loba floor cleaner concentrate has no acrylic waxes(which build up and dull floors) and leaves a streak free floor once dry. I supply this product with free delivery to clients in Nanaimo, via my shop page. For other areas of Vancouver Island, BC shipping is also offered when purchasing from our store page.
