To keep wood floors looking and performing well for generations, follow these guidelines. Individual maintenance schedules will vary depending on use, wear and tear, and lifestyle. Regular maintenance includes sweeping with a soft bristle broom or dusting with a dry microfiber mop. If the floor has beveled edges, vacuum with the beater bar turned off to remove dust from between the floor boards. Clean the floors periodically with a professional wood floor cleaning product, we recommend using: Bona Hardwood Floor Cleaner. Bona offers a wide selection of cleaners and hardware that will make cleaning your hardwood floors a breeze. Bona is available at most local stores.
Recommended Maintenance Schedule:
Daily: Sweep or dust mop.
Weekly: Vacuum using the bare floor setting.
Monthly: Clean with recommended wood floor cleaner >>>Bona.
Every 3-5 Years: Buff and Coat
Every Few Decades: Sand and refinish.
Recommendations for Care after Floors are Newly Finished:
We highly recommend using EZ-Glides on the legs of all of your furniture to prevent scuffing and scratching. Replace them often as dirt and debris can become imbedded on the pad and act like sand paper on the flooring surface.
For wheeled chairs, we recommend purchasing rubber casters which are specifically made for wood floors. Check them out at www.castercity.com.
Vacuum regularly, as often as you would vacuum carpets. A brush attachment works well. Dust mopping also works well, but DO NOT use a household dust treatment on your mop, as this may cause your floor to become slick or dull the finish. Such dust treatments can also leave a film that can impair the bonding of future recoats.
Things to Avoid:
DO NOT use ammonia-based cleaners, wax-based products, detergents, bleach, polishes, oil soaps, abrasive cleaning soaps, or acidic materials like vinegar. Wipe up any spills immediately with a slightly dampened cloth.
DO NOT wet-mop or steam mop a wood floor. Water and steam can dull the finish and even damage the wood.
DO NOT walk on your floors with cleats, damaged high heels. Keep high heels in good repair. Heels that have worn down or lost protective caps may have exposed steel support rods in the heel which can dent any floor surface.
DO NOT drag furniture across floors or roll refrigerators on floors without sufficient protection.
HUMIDITY’S IMPACT ON YOUR FLOOR
To protect your investment and ensure that your floor provides lasting satisfaction, the following precautions should be taken to help control humidity levels in and around your floor. For best results, keep the relative humidity in your home between 35% and 55%.
• Heating Season (Dry Conditions) – a humidifier is recommended to prevent excessive shrinkage in hardwood floors, which causes gaps between the boards, due to low humidity levels. Wood stoves and electric heat tend to create very dry conditions.
• Non-Heating Season (Humid and Wet Conditions) – To prevent excessive expansion, cupping and peaking of the floor, which could lead to cracking and checking of the wood finish, maintain proper humidity levels with the use of an air conditioner, dehumidifier or by turning on your heating system periodically during the summer months. Immediately wipe up spills and wet areas to avoid excessive exposure to water. Do not obstruct in any way the expansion joint around the perimeter of your floor.
Protect and preserve wood floors with humidity control from Aprilaire.
Wood floors add beauty and uniqueness to your home that should be enjoyed for a lifetime. Don't let humidity cause unsightly and expensive damage. Aprilaire offers solutions for wood floor protection through total humidity control.
Both excess humidity and dry air cause damage to wood floors and other woodwork in your home:
Too Much Humidity and your wood floors can:
Too Little Humidity and your wood floors can:
Preserve wood in your home now before it’s too late!
Aprilaire Offers Wood Floor Protection Through Total Humidity Control
Industry experts recommend keeping your home's humidity between 30-60% to help protect your wood floors and other belongings. Aprilaire makes it easy with whole-home humidifiers and whole-home humidifiers that automatically maintain the optimum levels of humidity throughout your home.
We work closely with Aprilaire dealers, ask us which Aprilaire solutions are right for you and your home.
Recommended Maintenance Schedule:
Daily: Sweep or dust mop.
Weekly: Vacuum using the bare floor setting.
Monthly: Clean with recommended wood floor cleaner >>>Bona.
Every 3-5 Years: Buff and Coat
Every Few Decades: Sand and refinish.
Recommendations for Care after Floors are Newly Finished:
- Wait 4 to 6 Hours before Walking on Floors with Stocking Feet and 24 Hours for Shoes.
- Allow 48 Hours for Furniture and Pets.
- Use NO Water on floors for One Week.
- Place Carpets or Other Area Rugs after 7 to10 days.
- Have Your Floors Buffed and Recoated Every Two to Three Years in High-Traffic Areas and Every Three to Five or More Years in Areas with Lower Traffic.
- Use dirt-trapping walk-off mats at all exterior doors to help prevent dirt, grit, and sand from getting inside and onto your floors. Throw rugs or small area rugs just inside the entrances are also helpful. Dirt and grit are any floor’s worst enemy.
We highly recommend using EZ-Glides on the legs of all of your furniture to prevent scuffing and scratching. Replace them often as dirt and debris can become imbedded on the pad and act like sand paper on the flooring surface.
For wheeled chairs, we recommend purchasing rubber casters which are specifically made for wood floors. Check them out at www.castercity.com.
Vacuum regularly, as often as you would vacuum carpets. A brush attachment works well. Dust mopping also works well, but DO NOT use a household dust treatment on your mop, as this may cause your floor to become slick or dull the finish. Such dust treatments can also leave a film that can impair the bonding of future recoats.
Things to Avoid:
DO NOT use ammonia-based cleaners, wax-based products, detergents, bleach, polishes, oil soaps, abrasive cleaning soaps, or acidic materials like vinegar. Wipe up any spills immediately with a slightly dampened cloth.
DO NOT wet-mop or steam mop a wood floor. Water and steam can dull the finish and even damage the wood.
DO NOT walk on your floors with cleats, damaged high heels. Keep high heels in good repair. Heels that have worn down or lost protective caps may have exposed steel support rods in the heel which can dent any floor surface.
DO NOT drag furniture across floors or roll refrigerators on floors without sufficient protection.
HUMIDITY’S IMPACT ON YOUR FLOOR
To protect your investment and ensure that your floor provides lasting satisfaction, the following precautions should be taken to help control humidity levels in and around your floor. For best results, keep the relative humidity in your home between 35% and 55%.
• Heating Season (Dry Conditions) – a humidifier is recommended to prevent excessive shrinkage in hardwood floors, which causes gaps between the boards, due to low humidity levels. Wood stoves and electric heat tend to create very dry conditions.
• Non-Heating Season (Humid and Wet Conditions) – To prevent excessive expansion, cupping and peaking of the floor, which could lead to cracking and checking of the wood finish, maintain proper humidity levels with the use of an air conditioner, dehumidifier or by turning on your heating system periodically during the summer months. Immediately wipe up spills and wet areas to avoid excessive exposure to water. Do not obstruct in any way the expansion joint around the perimeter of your floor.
Protect and preserve wood floors with humidity control from Aprilaire.
Wood floors add beauty and uniqueness to your home that should be enjoyed for a lifetime. Don't let humidity cause unsightly and expensive damage. Aprilaire offers solutions for wood floor protection through total humidity control.
Both excess humidity and dry air cause damage to wood floors and other woodwork in your home:
Too Much Humidity and your wood floors can:
- Warp or rot
Too Little Humidity and your wood floors can:
- Shrink, crack and creak
Preserve wood in your home now before it’s too late!
Aprilaire Offers Wood Floor Protection Through Total Humidity Control
Industry experts recommend keeping your home's humidity between 30-60% to help protect your wood floors and other belongings. Aprilaire makes it easy with whole-home humidifiers and whole-home humidifiers that automatically maintain the optimum levels of humidity throughout your home.
We work closely with Aprilaire dealers, ask us which Aprilaire solutions are right for you and your home.