4 Essential Tips for Taking Care of Your Home’s Hardwood Floors

Hardwood floors require special maintenance that other floors don’t. Learn more about how homeowners can better take care of their hardwood floors.

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4 Essential Tips for Taking Care of Your Home’s Hardwood Floors

Posted by Gary Ashton on Monday, April 20th, 2020 at 11:11am.

4 Ways to Care For Your Hardwood FloorsFor many homeowners and home buyers, hardwood floors are at the top of the list for things they look for in a home. Hardwood floors give homes a look of classic style, and they can even add value to a home when it comes time to sell. However, homeowners need to know how to maintain their hardwood floors in order to get the most out of them. Just like any other flooring type, hardwood floors need some special care. Here is what homeowners need to do in order to ensure their hardwood floors stay looking great.

Use Furniture Pads to Prevent Scratches

While hardwood is durable, it can still be scratched when a sharp object is put against it. Moving furniture is oftentimes when homeowners accidentally scratch their hardwood floors due to the weight of the furniture being dragged across the surface. In order to prevent scratches, homeowners should purchase furniture pads to place on the feet of their furniture. These pads can be made from a variety of materials, but plastic and felt are the most common, with felt being the best option for wood floors because the soft surface helps the furniture glide over the wood easier than other materials. Many furniture pads adhere to the furniture, but some rely on the weight of the furniture to stay attached.

Clean Spills Immediately

It’s inevitable that accidents will happen, and wood floors will see their fair share of spills. When any sort of liquid gets spilled on a wood floor, it needs to be cleaned up quickly. Hardwood floors are typically always sealed with some sort of sealant or finish to protect against warping and other damage, but if left to sit, moisture can permeate that seal and damage the wood. This can lead to discoloration or the wood becoming misshapen, which can be an expensive repair if the homeowner chooses to get it fixed. To prevent damage to the floor, it’s important for any spills to be cleaned up as quickly as possible.

Get the Floors Refinished Regularly

One of the nice parts about hardwood floors is that when they start looking old, they don’t need to be completely replaced. Instead, the homeowners can get them refinished, which is a fraction of the cost and gives similar results to getting the floors replaced. When hardwood floors are refinished, the topmost portion of the floors are sanded off, getting rid of any scratches and damage that they have sustained, leaving the floors looking clean and new. How often a hardwood floor should get refinished will depend on how damaged it is and the personal preferences of the homeowner. Some homeowners refinish their floors every 3-5 years, but some wait at least a decade before having it done.

Perform Regular Maintenance

Like with any other flooring type, hardwood floors need basic, regular upkeep in order to prolong their lifespans, and that means vacuuming, sweeping, and mopping. In order to stay on top of cleaning, it’s a good idea to have a schedule such as vacuuming once a week, mopping every other week, and sweeping as necessary. Homeowners can choose a schedule that works for them to help keep their floors clean and in a good condition.

Hardwood floors do need some special care that other floor types don’t, but knowing how to handle them is the best way to get the most out of them. Keeping these tips in mind can help Hendersonville homeowners preserve their floors for years to come.

 

Gary Ashton

The Ashton Real Estate Group of RE/MAX Advantage

The #1 RE/MAX team in the World!

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