5 Tips for Protecting Hardwood Floors
Having hardwood floors in your home will look nice and will be easy to maintain. Still, hardwood floors can get easily damaged, so it’s important to take proper care of them. With proper care, they will last longer and provide that perfect touch unique style to your home. They will also increase the value of your home.
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Why should you use hardwood floors in your home?
Not only do hardwood floors look beautiful, but they have plenty of benefits. Here are some of the main benefits of hardwood floors:
- Low maintenance;
- Safe and clean;
- Sustainable;
- Valuable.
Once you have them installed, you need to nurture them. It would help if you established a routine to keep them looking their best for years to come.
Why is maintaining hardwood floors important?
Maintaining your hardwood floors is important for health reasons and your savings. They will be better for people with allergies, and keeping their glow will save you funds in the long run.
You need to know how to preserve their fresh and unique look. This guide will provide you with 5 tips for protecting your hardwood floors:
Use area rugs
A simple way of keeping your floors from getting damaged and scratched. By putting rung in areas with high traffic, such as your hallway or your living room, you will prevent damage from being done to your floors.
Adding rugs will also help you add a stylish touch to your spaces and create a modern feel. We also advise having a no-shoes policy so that high heels or sneakers can’t damage your flooring.
Build a cleaning routine
It would help if you created a cleaning routine to maintain your floors fresh and spotless. Hardwood floors are not waterproof, so you need to clean spills immediately. You need to sweep at least once a week and try to vacuum every day if possible.
That way, you will prevent dirt, dust, or pet hair from reaching the floors. Try to have a scheduled time so that you don’t forget to clean them. Don’t mop as mopping can damage hardwood floors. Instead, use products specially made for those floor types.
Groom and take care of your pets
We all love our pets as a part of our family, but pets inside can scratch your flooring and cause damage. If you are trying to protect your wood floors from dog urine or cat scratches, you need to be consistent.
Trim your pet’s nails daily, and teach them to potty outside of the house. If, by any chance, pet damage occurs, you can sand and refinish your floor, and they will look brand new.
Reduce high humidity and avoid low humidity
These are two important factors when it comes to your hardwood floors. Wood is a natural material, so it expands with high humidity. When humidity is high, the floors can start to separate, and you can see the cupping.
Cupping happens when water vapor in the air gets absorbed by the wood fibers. Since the boards don’t have anywhere to spread, edges might rise and create an uneven surface.
Low humidity takes the moisture out of the wooden boards on your floor, making them separate and get cracks. The recommended humidity in your home to keep your hardwood floors undamaged is 35%-55%.
Apply furniture pads
Putting furniture pads on the feet of your furniture in places where you don’t have rugs will save your hardwood floors. You can put them under your sofa, dining table, or your workbench.
It will prevent your floor from chair bumps and scratches, and it will also help if you ever decide to rearrange the furniture order.
