Floor Care & Maintenance
Caring For Your Floor
Beautiful timber floors are a long term investment that will last a lifetime IF routine cleaning and maintenance are carried out, and if the floors are protected from moisture and abrasion. During our daily life it is likely that we will sometimes scratch or dent our timber floors but this will not detract from their natural beauty.
Routine Maintenance Is The Key
The most important thing you can do to keep your floor coating looking like new is to establish a regular maintenance/cleaning program. Just how regularly you need to maintain/clean the floor is totally dependent on the environment the floor is in. Factors such as the level of traffic, the degree of grit carried onto the floor, pets and children, the condition of the immediate outside area etc. all have significant influence on the wear of the floor. Shoes carry sand, grit and small stones which will abrade the floor surface in the same way that sandpaper does. Place mats at entrances and where possible place a mat on the inside as well as outside. Use runners and rugs in high traffic areas.
DAILY/WEEKLY
Use an anti-static dust mop to collect dust and dirt. If using a vacuum cleaner use a soft bristled brush on the vacuum head and don't let it wear thin allowing the floor to be scratched by the metal parts.
WEEKLY/MONTHLY
Wash the floor. Avoid harsh detergents and abrasive cleaners. Never use common household products like Methylated Spirits or Kerosene, all-purpose household cleaner, window cleaner, steel wool pads, aerosol furniture polish, wax or similar products to clean your floor. Some are too abrasive and will scratch the surface others will make your floor dangerously slippery and could leave a film of silicon or wax in the timber which will interfere with any future recoating of your floor. Also, any type of petroleum distillates will degrade the finish over time and eventually cause it to look irreversibly dull and drab.
We recommend flooring products which have been specially formulated for the maintenance your floor coating. These products are available from A1 Flooring Co. The Timber Flooring Centre. Follow the directions on the label. It is essential that the floor is cleaned using a minimum amount of water. Use a damp mop only, never a wet mop, and mop with the grain of the timber not across it. Don't allow water to stand on the floor and wipe up spills immediately. Too much water can result in moisture penetrating the finish which could lead to the delaminating or cupping of the floorboards.
Do not use steam mops on your timber floors. They force steam (moisture) into small incisions, breaks or cracks that appear in the surface of your floor and could cause the finish to peel and delaminate. All finishes degrade over time by the process of oxidation - a process that is accelerated by heat.
Direct Sunlight
Avoid Direct Sunlight. Like any quality furnishing or floor covering in your home, direct sunlight will cause discolouring over time. To minimize fading and discolouring, filter direct sunlight with curtains or blinds. Timber, like many natural materials (such as your skin) will change colour when exposed to ultraviolet (UV) radiation. Even an old floor that is resanded will expose new timber fibres to the light which begins this colour change process. The amount of change is dependent upon the amount of direct and indirect sunlight exposure the floor gets and the response of different species of timber is variable. This colour change is the most dramatic in the first 6 months after it is sanded and finished. It is recommended that rugs be moved periodically during this time to avoid leaving areas of uneven colour.
Many modern homes have large expanses of glass allowing sunlight to beat directly onto the floor surface. The heat generated on the surface of the timber speeds up the process of oxidation by which all finishes degrade. It can also dry out the surface of the timber increasing the chance of the floorboards cupping when they lose moisture faster from one side than the other. Direct sunlight beating on the timber surface dries out moisture from the topside of the boards making the top drier than the bottom. The boards may then cup away from the area of highest moisture with the top edges curling upwards towards the board centre.
To reduce unwanted colour change, the possibility of the floorboards cupping or accelerated degradation of the finish, it is best to filter the sunlight that shines directly onto your timber floors with blinds, drapes or window tinting.
Rugs, Dogs & Elephants
Don't place rugs on the floor for at least 2 weeks after the final coat is applied to ensure the finish is completely cured. Place mats at exterior door entrances, preferably inside and out, to reduce tracking abrasive dirt and grit inside. Move rugs periodically as ultraviolet light can change the colour of exposed timber giving the floor an uneven appearance. Be aware that some rubber or foam backed rugs and non-slip pads may contain chemical additives that could discolour the floor.
Dogs claws should be kept trimmed to reduce scratching and denting of timber floors.
Exposed nailheads on chair legs and stiletto heels can severely damage timber floors. Did you know that a woman weighing 57kgs wearing high heels exerts a force of over 2,000 psi on a timber floor? Amazingly this is 20 times greater than the pressure exerted by an elephant on the same floor.
Recoating
It is advisable for your A1 Flooring representative to apply a maintenance coat before the surface has been excessively worn. This will save the need for total resanding. When this maintenance coat will be required is entirely dependent on the degree of wear.
Ensure you keep the details of the type of coating used. This information is vital at recoat time because we will know which recoat material is compatible with the original coating.
Floor Care Products
A1 Flooring The Timber Flooring centre provides cleaning products and accessories to suit your timber flooring needs.
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