Hardwood floors are a great investment. They add value to your home and provide a beautiful, long-lasting flooring solution. Carpet easily becomes a hassle when you begin to suffer the effects of the extra regular maintenance it often requires.
At Smith Bros Flooring, we have been providing hardwood-flooring solutions throughout Calgary for more than 100 years. We recognize the benefits of both engineered and solid hardwood, and we strive to help every customer find a satisfactory product.
If you’re still deciding whether or not to install hardwood floors in your home, you start by learning more about the process of maintaining hardwood. Here are some simple suggestions for hardwood care and damage prevention:
Outside Maintenance
The first step in keeping your hardwood floors clean and damage-free requires a bit of exterior maintenance. Dirt and debris that gets tracked into your home easily causes scratches if it remains underfoot for extended periods. Entryways, patios, and the garage should receive extra attention once your hardwood floors are installed.
Protecting High Traffic Areas
More trafficked areas of your home are, of course, more likely to suffer damage over time, so protecting these areas with rugs or mats is a great way to keep high traffic areas free of damages. Ultimately, this will also help to extend the life of your hardwood floors.
The foyer, main hallways, and kitchen should be your focus areas when placing mats to avoid excessive accumulation of dirt and debris. Because you shouldn’t allow excessive moisture to remain in contact with your floors for an extended period of time, be sure to avoid rubber-backed floor mats.
If you want to stay one step ahead of dust and dirt, you might consider implementing a “no shoes in the house” rule. This will keep dangerous debris in your main entrance area rather than having it tracked throughout the home.
Staying High and Dry
Water is one of the most dangerous substances for your hardwood floors. Minor water damage can appear as a hazy or white stain on the surface. Pooled water, squishy floorboards, and soaked drywall are three common signs of more severe water damage.
Soaking up any liquid that spills on your floor as quickly as possible is essential to preventing water damage. If water remains on the surface of your floors for too long, it will seep through the floorboards and compromise the integrity of the subfloor and the floorboards themselves.
If you do notice minor surface damage, try buffing it out using automotive polish or even toothpaste and applying light pressure with a cotton cloth. More extensive damage, however, could mean having to replace your entire floors altogether.
New hardwood floor owners should be carefully aware of soaking up all liquids spilled if they wish to reduce the likelihood of water damage. If you have, unfortunately, noticed a few signs that could indicate water damage to your subfloor, please don’t hesitate to contact the expert team at Smith Bros Flooring at 403-917-0847 today!