TIPS ON MAINTAINING YOUR HARDWOOD FLOOR

              

With today’s advances in wood flooring stains and finishes, cleaning your wood floors has never been easier. Regular maintenance requires little more than sweeping with a soft bristle broom, and vacuuming with a soft floor attachment if your wood floor includes a beveled edge that could collect debris. You also should clean your floors periodically with a professional wood floor cleaning product recommended by a wood flooring professional. 

 

There are other steps you can take to minimize maintenance and maintain the beauty of your wood floors as well.

1. Do not use sheet vinyl or tile floor care products on wood floors. Self-polishing acrylic waxes cause wood to become slippery and appear dull quickly.

 

2. Use throw rugs both inside and outside doorways to help prevent grit, dirt and other debris from being tracked onto your wood floors. This will prevent scratching.

 

3. Do not wet-mop a wood floor. Standing water can dull the finish, damage the wood and leave a discoloring residue.

Wipe up spills immediately with a slightly dampened towel.

 

4. Do not over-wax a wood floor. If a wax floor dulls, try buffing instead. Avoid wax buildup under furniture and other light traffic areas by applying wax in these spots every other waxing session.

 

5. Put soft plastic or fabric-faced glides under the legs of furniture to prevent scuffing and scratching.

 

6. Avoid walking on your wood floors with cleats, sports shoes and high heels. A 125-pound woman walking in high heels has an impact of 2,000 pounds per square inch. An exposed heel nail can exert up to 8,000 pounds per square inch. This kind of impact can dent any floor surface.

 

7. When moving heavy furniture, do not slide it on wood flooring. It is best to pick up the furniture completely to prevent scratches.

 

8. For wood flooring in the kitchen, place an area rug in front of the kitchen sink.

Use a humidifier throughout the winter months to minimize gaps or cracks.

WATER DAMAGED HARDWOOD FLOOR REPAIR

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Hardwood floors and water don’t mix well together.  You might have to find a hardwood floor water damage repair company if water sits on your floor for more than 24 hours.  Little spills, if cleaned up in a few minutes, won’t leave a stain but if the water sits for more than few day then you’ll have a big stain.

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Especially if you have a flood or any type of water damage on your hardwood floor you’ll have a big problem to deal with.  Water does damage hardwood to the point it can’t be walked on and will need to be either replaced or sanded and fixed.

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When moisture soaks into the flooring such as if you had a fire in your house then the fireman will use water to put it out.  It will go all through the house and even if the fire didn’t damage the flooring, the water will.  You’ll need hardwood floor fire damage repair or you’ll have to replace the flooring. There are companies that deal with these types of problems.

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Do It Yourself Hardwood Floor Water Damage Repair?

 

Hardwood floor water damage repair can be expensive if it’s left too long.  As soon as it’s feasible the hardwood floor should be repaired.  Hiring a professional to take care of the floor is the best way to deal with water damage floors.  You can fix it yourself if you have the knowledge and expertise to take care of it.  However, there is a lot to know about how to dry and flatten the floor because it will be warped and stained.  The floor will have to be sanded and re-strained or re-varnished to make it like new again.

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Plus, you’ll have to put a sealer on it as well.  The hardwood floor will be subjected to mold and mildew if left for any amount of time and that will have to be repaired.  It’s not an easy job to fix a hardwood floor with water damage.  The repair alone can take days if not months to dry it out and refinish it.  There is the maintenance after it’s repaired that also needs to be taken into account.  Flooring stores usually have "do it yourself" hardwood flooring repair kits you can purchase but it does take time and knowledge to repair a damaged hardwood floor.

 

As long as you know what you’re doing you should be able to affect a hardwood floor water damage repair yourself but if you don’t think you can it’s best to call in the professionals.  It could cost more if you don’t.

REPAIRING DAMAGED HARDWOOD FLOORING



​Damage on Hardwood floor as a result of dropped objects, moved furniture or sun exposure cannot always be avoided. Pets, children and daily wear and tear can also take a toll on most hardwood floor types. In order to properly address potential damage, you’ll need sound advice in regard to hardwood floor maintenance. With the right repair regimen, a professional hardwood floor technician would be able to restore the luster in your damaged hardwood floors and repair specific sections without having to replace the entire floor.

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1. Damages should be expertly assessed  If the damage is on the surface, a good refinishing or sanding can make your hardwood floors as good as new. In some cases a section of hardwood can be sanded and then filled in with wood putty.

2. The entire hardwood plank that needs to be replaced, will be removed carefully with a wood chisel and hammer. It will be removed it in a way that the other planks are not harmed. 

3. If only a section of the hardwood plank needs to be replaced,  holes will be drilled along the edge of the damaged section. Next, a hammer and a wood chisel to split the section open will be used. Once the damaged section has been pried up, a replacement piece of a new hardwood piece will be cut to fit. Ensuring the new piece fits before applying adhesive and tapping it into place. To ensure a snug fit, the piece can also be nailed .

4.  Buckled hardwood pieces will be repaired by placing a heavy weight on the buckled section of flooring to push it back into place. After this is accomplished the floor will be accessed from below so screws can be inserted to help push the planks back into place.

 

The removal of hardwood floor damage can be a difficult process. In addition to sanding the area, you’ll also need to stain the floors. Finding a stain that matches your hardwood floor finish can be hard. In order to get the exact match, you may need to ask an experienced hardwood flooring contractor.