Top 6 Maintenance Regime for Timber Flooring

Regular maintenance is required for floors as these are exposed to the natural wear and tear. Homeowners find timber flooring for fascinating to the various reasons. They look good, are suitable for those suffering from allergy and conceal dust. Just a little bit of care will help you keep your floor looking beautiful. 

If you are buying a home with timber flooring, you need to make sure that you find out about the finish the floors have. This is important as it will help you to decide how to maintain it.    

Timber Flooring

General Maintenance 

• Do not walk on newly finished timber flooring within 48 hours once coated and after that use only socks because coating systems take around 10 days to completely cure and it can easily be damaged during this period.

• If your furniture has pre-fitted plastic feet remove them and use felt or carpet pads. When you bring in appliances you need to make sure that each appliance is moved across a sheet of fiberboard and straight onto a second one, till the appliance is in the right position.

• The kind of coating that is used on your timber boards will help you decide on what sort of maintenance is needed. Oil-based coatings will scratch but can easily be patch-coated.

• Retouching would depend on the way the flooring is used. You might have to retouch between of one and three times a year. If patch-coating is done with water and solvent-based polyurethanes it will leave application marks.   

Taking care 

Minimal care will keep your timber floor in good condition, but you must take some precautions to make them last.  If you take care, it will also help to retain the beautiful look and feel of the flooring.

Flooring Clean

1. Doormats: Make use of doormats outside and also inside at entryways to trap dirt. If you are the kind who is very finicky you may want to go to the extent of even requesting your guests to remove their shoes.
2. Electrostatic Brooms: Either vacuum clean or use an electrostatic broom to remove dirt. No matter what kind of timber flooring you have, the fundamental cleaning method remains the same.  Once the coarse materials are removed, spot-clean the floor with a damp cloth and mild cleaner.
3. Damp Mop: Use a slightly damp mop because water is the biggest enemy of timber floors. Wring out the mop well and never use hot water. Use a recommended cleaning product Wipe up spills immediately with a soft cloth or paper towel. Do not use abrasive cleaners. Do not use a sweep mop that is oil-impregnated, as they may cause slip hazards.
4. Curtains and Blinds: These help to prevent fading and discoloring so close curtains and draw the blinds whenever possible. Heavy blinds are suitable for rooms which get the sun during most part of the day. 
5. Move Rugs: The rugs placed on timber flooring can cause them to fade unevenly. The best way to tackle this problem is to keep moving rugs and furniture once in a while to allow the flooring to 'even out'.
6. High Heel and Stiletto Shoes: These kinds of shoes can cause dents in timber flooring so the best thing to do is to remove them before walking on the floor. Request guests to do the same. 

When you love your home, it seems hardly any effort to be a little careful about maintaining that home. When it comes to your timber flooring a little bit of care will make it last a lifetime. Armed with the tips above get going and give your home that much cherished lived in a look by installing timbers floors and taking care of them.