Hardwood flooring do’s and don’ts

This is a must read for hardwood floor supporters. As with anything, there are definite do’s and don’ts when considering the switch to, and maintaining hardwood floors. Many times these are basic changes you can make to your routine and lifestyle, which greatly enhance the lifespan and look of your floors.

The Do’s of Hardwood Floors

• Do address liquid spills ASAP. Hardwood floors are porous, and look forward to absorbing any liquids that happen to remain on the floor for too long, so wipe up spills immediately.
• Do maintain your pets. Both cats and dogs with claws can wreck havoc on your pristine hardwood floors. By clipping their nails, you save your floors from the unwanted scratches and scuffs that might arise each time Fido or Mittens scurry across to great you.
• Do pad your furniture if not on a rug. The legs of furniture can act just like the paws of your pets when you drag them across the floor. Even pieces you don’t plan on moving, play it safe, and add the pad.
• Do consider area rugs. Hardwood floors and carpet are like macaroni and cheese, peanut butter and jelly, mustard and ketchup… they go well together. Adding a nice area rug to a room with hardwood floors gives you the comfort of carpet while maintaining the sleek look of wood.

The Don’ts of Hardwood Floors

• Don’t use any oil-based products on your wood floors. Not only does oil linger, but it can ruin the finish of your hardwood.
• Don’t use wet mops. Switch to steam mopping if your worried your floors aren’t cleaning well with dry products. A word of caution with the steam, however: leaving it too long in one spot can result in stain discoloring.
• Don’t drag anything… especially furniture. If you didn’t heed our suggestion from above to pad your furniture legs, dragging furniture on your hardwood floors is a sure-fire way to create new scratches and dents.
• Be careful when you slip and slide on floors. Since wood expands in certain weather, this can often times create gaps between the boards. Sliding can sometimes result in slivers of wood breaking off, and splintering into your foot. It’s not as common as you’d think, but still something every hardwood owner should be aware of.
• Don’t install hardwood floors in an area of excessive moisture. The flooring might look great in your kitchen or bathroom, but consider how much water reaches the floor in these areas. Unless you’re willing to wipe and re-wipe every time a spill occurs, stick to something like tile or laminate.