Nooooooooo. There are marketers of cleaning products out there who often say their products are suitable for cleaning your beautiful wood floors. Please do not use a steamer to clean your wood floors. These steamers are right on top of your wood floor with moisture being pushed into your wood floor. Wood floors and moisture don’t mix. Please check your manufacturers website or warranty documentation to see what is recommended based on the finish you have on your wood floor. Common sense and research are your best friends when looking for advice.
Are you doing a remodel of a room or perhaps your entire residence? Are you planning to install new wood floors and perhaps doing some painting?
Something you want to be aware of and one of the most common mistakes made, you should not or your builder should not be painting a room or the entire house after your wood floors are installed. Don’t forget that wood is hygroscopic. What does hygroscopic mean? It means that wood adjusts to the environment it is exposed to, paint represents moisture, moisture and wood do not go together! This is a very common mistake made in new construction, not to mention that you must avoid getting paint on your floors by adequately covering them up. All of the moisture from the paint is going to be absorbed within the room. Please do yourself a favor and protect your wood floor investment, painting should be done before the installation of a new wood floor NOT beforehand.
One cannot recommend enough the use of a hygrometer to measure relative humidity. As a general statement a room or home with wood flooring should be kept at 40-60% relative humidity at all times. If a room is to dry it will cause shrinkage and gaps or in severe dryness, surface checking or cracks on the face of the flooring. If the moisture is too high, cupping of the floor can occur as well as other moisture related issues.
Species of wood are as unique as individuals. It’s important when choosing a new wood floor to consider your climate and how one species behaves in your climate compared to another species. Wood is hygroscopic, and this means it adapts to the environment it is in. Some species are more stable than others which means they move less in service.
During the winter months with the heater on to maintain a pleasant environment, wood will shrink, and this is what creates the “gaps” you commonly see in the floor. There is nothing wrong with the floor and it is not defective, it’s simply shrinking due to the dryness in the air or low relative humidity. A humidifier is highly recommended for winter months. In the summer months, more humidity means the wood swells again and gaps typically close up. Depending where you live, a dehumidifier may be necessary in the summer months. Some woods shrink less than others and are more stable than others; if this is a critical point for you, then comparing species stability should be on your list of considerations in selecting the right species of hardwood for your new floor.
Routine Wood Flooring Maintenance
With today’s highly advanced coating technology used in wood flooring stains and finishes, caring for 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. You also should clean your floors periodically with a professional wood floor cleaning product such as Bona or Loba floor care. There are other acceptable cleaners, just make sure if you have a polyurethane aluminum oxide finished floor, you use a cleaner which is approved for this finish.
Preventive Maintenance
The following are additional steps which should be put into your routine maintenance plan and to extend the life of your beautiful wood floors.
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. Walk off areas are essential. 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 help prevent scratching.
3. Do not wet-mop a wood floor. Standing water can dull the finish, damage the wood and leave a discoloring residue.
4. Wipe up spills immediately with a slightly dampened towel.
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 protect the wood flooring.
8. For wood flooring in the kitchen, place an area rug in front of the kitchen sink. This is a high traffic spot.
9. Use a humidifier throughout the winter months to keep wood movement and shrinkage to a minimum. Maintaining relative humidity throughout the year to 35-55% is recommended as excessively low or high relative humidity can have negative consequences.