Taking care of your hardwood floor

Wooden floors unlike other materials provide a warm feel to a room that is hard to beat due to the fact that wood is an organic material that is probably the most natural substance used in any type of building work. The downside to using wood though is that it isn't very resilliant unlike other materials such as concrete, stone and metal and is a victim of wear and tear incuding decay. However, this is easily remedied if you take good care of it. In fact a properly treated hardwood floor, whether it is a pre-finished Ted Todd floor or a floor you've treated yourself, can last up to twenty years and more with the right care. For more information on everything flooring go to www.indigofloors.co.uk.

A well cared for hardwood floor which lasts for years and years can also prove to be a very astute investment for it isn't cheap, even if you've taken up the job of laying the floor yourself. Seeing as you are reading this page I can only assume that you already possess a hardwood floor and wish to know how best to keep it in tip top condition which I will explain shortly.

It doesn't matter whether you've bought pure untreated hardwood, Ted Todd prefinished hardwood or if you've bought old hardwood from a builder who has removed it from a previous house, the maintenance still applies.

The Main Elements That Damage A Hardwood Floor

Sunlight

A major element which damages wood is sunlight believe it or not. The UV rays penetrate the wood and will at the very least fade the coloring so if a lot of sunlight comes in through several windows or one large window it's best to use a suitable window covering. As they say, prevention is often the best cure. Sheer curtains are a popular choice but perhaps a better one is to use blinds as you can keep blinds open but angle the sunlight away from the floor. You could also use shutters for the same purpose depending on what your preference is.

Furniture

Furniture is a major cause of floor damage whether it is stationary or not. If furniture remains in the same spot without the legs being cushioned at the base expect to have dents in the floor due to the weight. You can avoid this by simply placing felt contacts underneath each leg thereby stopping the furniture from having contact with the floor. All the weight is absorbed into the felt and the hardwood floor remains without marks if and when you decide to move the furniture around or move out of the house altogether.

Speaking of moving furniture this is probably one of the most common causes of scratch marks due to the fact the people are lazy and will often drag the furniture across the floor instead of lifting it up properly. Sometimes there is no choice as the furniture is too heavy to lift for one person but it's a prudent idea to wait instead and call on a friend or neighbor to help you so no damage is done. The other alternative is to use a dolly which you can lift the furniture onto and then slide it where you want.

By taking these two simple tips onboard you'll save your hardwood floor from much of the damage seen on other wooden floors and will have no scratch marks, dents and a worn out faded look due to the sun. Think of how much time this will save in the long run if you just use some common sense and don't rush things. I assure you that repairing a damaged floor is a lot more time consuming and in some cases costly if you don't treat your Tedd Todd harwood floor right or any other wooden floor for that matter.

Accidental Spills

Unlike vinyl or tiled floors any spillages can have damaging effects on a hardwood floor. Even plain water can be a problem when it gets into the wood and this is why the wood is coated and finished to help prevent any damage caused by liquids and other causes. So if the floor has just been laid with brand new treated and finished boards you don't really have too much to worry about. You should still clean up anything spilt on the floor as sonn as possible but it won't usually cause any damage.

However, if the floor has been down for some time and hasn't been coated with anything for a while then there is a chance that the finish has worn away somewhat allowing liquid to penetrate the wood. If this happens you'll end up with a bad stain which will need to be taken care of which, you guessed it, will require time and patience to remove. In worse cases you may end up having to remove the damaged board altogether and replace it with another.

Keeping Everything Tidy

It goes without saying that a floor should be kept clean as much as possible and non more so than a hardwood floor as it will attract dust if left which at the very least will be unsightly. So you need to regularly sweep the floor with a brush with fine bristles. Don't go for one which is too soft mind as you need a broom that attracts as much dust as possible. You can buy brooms, cloths and other cleaning material which are specially for hardwood floor cleaning. Just do some research on the internet or speak to a hardwood floor supplier. If your floor has branded prefinished wood such as Ted Todd speak with your supplier who should be able to help you also.

In Summary

Your hardwood floor if treated right in the sense that you take care of it properly should last an awful long time and it's worth doing because a well kept wooden floor really looks great in most any room. I once laid a hardwood floor in the master bedroom and it still looks as good as it did when I first put it in. The best thing about taking care of your floor though is the fact that you don't need to break your back doing any extra work mending scratches or removing stains. It also makes a hardwood floor a very cost effective option and one I'm glad I chose as my bedroom floor is going to be one that lasts indefinately.