Schaefer Hardwood Floors : Flooring Tips
Cleaning
This is generally our most asked question.
- DO NOT USE wax, oil soaps or polishes on the floor.
- DO NOT GET any type of silicone on the floor (stainless steel cleaner is full of silicone).
- DO USE plain water.
- DO USE recommended floor cleaner. There are products available in most stores or give us a call and we can help you out.
Place, do not slide furniture across your floor.
Be sure all furniture has floor protectors. Also, change your floor protectors on chairs and stools that are used daily at least three times a year. They will become compressed as time goes on and they should then be replaced.
On a newly finished floor, do not place rugs or mats on the floor for 20 days with an oil based finish and 7 days with a waterbased finish.
Refrigerators require special attention. Even if your wood is at the top of the hardness scale, you need to use floor guards or masonite when moving a refrigerator out.
Remove grit regularly with a dust mop, soft broom, or vacuum.
Wipe of spills with a clean damp cloth.
High heels can dent your floors. The compression from a stelleto heel that has lost its rubber tip is like that of an elephant standing on your floor.
All surfaces, whether oil or waterbased, can be scratched. Keep your dogs toenails trimmed.
Wood is a natural product. It will react to the humidity levels in your home. Dry air will cause your floor to contract in the winter, causing separation – this is very normal. We recommend a humidifier in the winter to help with this situation. In the summer too much humidity can cause a floor to swell. Air conditioning can help with this. Just remember, your floors will constantly move because they are a natural product that reacts to its environment.
Long Term Maintenance
The screen and coat process is recommended every 2 – 4 years for oil based and water based finishes. The frequency of this process should be determined by the wear in the highest traffic areas. The screen and coat process actually abrades the surface of the floor with a screen and then a coat of new polyurethane is applied. This process takes approximately one day and you can be back on your floors. |
