Hardwood Floors refinishing Maintenance Tips

 

Once your floors have been newly installed or refinished there are a few things you can do to maximize the life of your floors.

 

1. Do not use water on the newly hardwood floors refinishing for one week.

2. Allow 48 hours before placing furniture and having pets on the floor.

3. Before furniture is put in place, apply felt floor protector pads on the bottom of all furniture legs to prevent      scratching.

4. Place all rugs 1 month after the final coat has been applied.

5. Use a breathable rug pad under all rugs that do not have a breathable backing.

6. Rugs or wipe off mats need to be placed at all entrances and wherever heavy traffic occurs.

7. Keep pet’s nails trimmed and filed in order to minimize surface indentations and scratches.

8. Stiletto heels and cleats have high-pressure point objects that may cause indentations in the finish and wood.

9. Never drag any heavy furniture or appliances across a wood floor.

  Have your wood floors screened and recoated when necessary.

 

High traffic areas such as kitchens may need to be screened and coated after 3-4 years, while low traffic floors may last up to 20 years without being recoated. Have your floors recoated when you notice wear patterns. Recoating will not remove dents, deep scratches or bring the color back to extremely worn areas. Recoating is a process of light sanding that abrades the surface and applying another coating of polyurethane. This process is designed to prolong the life of your existing finish—not repair damage to the flooring.

 

Daily Maintenance

 

Properly cared for hardwood floors can last a lifetime and are easy to maintain. Of course, there are a few things you should be aware of to keep your hardwood flooring in tip-top shape. Once you know the DO's and DON'Ts of hardwood floor care, maintenance will be a breeze.

 

*Use the microfiber dusting pad to sweep regularly. Dirt and grid will damage a hardwood floor by scratching the surface. If you do not own a microfiber dusting pad, we recommend sweeping with a soft bristle broom or vacuuming with a soft brush attachment. DO NOT use steam cleaners on your hardwood floors. Any throw rugs or door mats must also be cleaned regularly as the dirt from them may spread to your hardwoods.

 

* Don't use ammonia cleaners or oil soaps or any harsh cleaning agents such as Comet, SOS Pads, Mop-N-Glow, Murphy Oil Soap, etc. on your wood floors as they will dull the finish.

 

*Wipe up spills immediately with slightly dampened towel.

 

* Wood and water don't mix, so never wet mop a hard wood floor. Standing water can dull the finish, damage the wood, and leave a               discoloring residue.

 

* Try to keep high heels and grit off the floor to prevent scratching. Never drag furniture or heavy object across the floors, instead use gliding  furniture pads. Try to keep children from dropping anything heavy onto floors. If possible use area rugs to protect your floors.

* Use window coverings to prevent the sun from bleaching a portion of you wood floors.

 

 

* Install floor mats at each entrance to prevent dirt and grit on wood floors.

 

* Use furniture pads to place under tables and chairs legs and under the feet of dressers and armoires.

 

* Never wax a floor with urethane finish.

 

 Installation/Hardwood Floor Refinishing Preparation Checklist for Homeowner

 

• Prepare family for not being able to walk on the floor for 3-4 days or maybe more depending on job.

• Relocate pets as needed, especially birds.

• Remove all furniture, all hangings, window treatments, appliances (if necessary), and any items in the work area that you don’t want dusty (e.g. clothes in closets, small kitchen appliances off counters, bottle of wine in rack).

• Cabinets should be taped closed with low adhesive tape. PLASTIC SHOULD NOT BE USED. It will not keep the dust off counters or out of cabinets. It also may get in the way of our workers and machines.*

• Wire closet and pantry units should be removed. If shelving is used in closets or pantries, it will be beneficial to have bottom shelf, as a minimum, removed.

• For Hardwood Floor installation, homeowner should be available to choose a color at the beginning of the first day of sanding, unless arrangements were made prior, to where a color has already been chosen.

• A pathway to the circuit breaker or fuse box, with the entire box being unobstructed, must be made available for powering our machines.

• Refrigerators, stoves, and dishwashers usually do not have to be moved. Consult us on the way we handle your particular situation.

 

 Part of our normal service includes hanging plastic sheeting to contain the dust to the area we are working in. We hang the plastic with low adhesive painter’s tape. We take as many precautions as we can to insure that the tape will not pull paint off of walls and ceiling. We also tape cold air returns, so as to save the dust from going through the ventilation system.