Wooden flooring is the best way to get an earthy feeling inside your home. Apart from the aesthetic flooring options, the wood floors are making huge statements in the home interior and renovation world.
Besides adding more to the overall look and feel of the home, the wooden flooring is durable and robust to choose from. While it gives your home a sophisticated look, it demands extra care and maintenance in return.
Wooden floors – A floor type high on demand
When talking about the best wood flooring in demand, it’s hard to miss timber flooring. From its unique texture to its appealing colors, timber flooring is an ideal choice to light up your space without overdoing the interior scheme. It feels so good that you can’t resist walking barefoot on it. There is hardly anything on the Earth that would match the charm of timber flooring.
The market is overflowing with multiple timber flooring options, including – composite, engineered, laminated, parquet, and much more. No matter which timber flooring type you choose, you need to be concerned about its maintenance for the best finishing throughout the year. Here, note that the different weather conditions tend to have an impact on the flooring type, therefore, consider all maintenance measures seriously.
Some essential maintenance hacks for you –
Hack 1 – Remember, moisture is an enemy – The timber floors are enemy to wooden flooring. The timber floor is made up of hardwood, including walnut, oak, cherry, ebony, maple, etc. however, it’s one of the solid woods we have, but its quality degrades when it gets in touch with puddles of water. Therefore, the hardwood flooring should be installed away from a moist area. For instance – avoid timber flooring around the kitchen and bathrooms the most. And if you have already done so, try to keep the areas crystal clean.
Moreover, whenever the floors are wet, clean them immediately to avoid locking moisture. Talking about cleaning it, prefer using a pure and clean cotton button which offers the best results. Cotton cloth contains microfibers that do not ruin the quality of the flooring; instead, it helps to dry the floors quickly. Avoid involving any sharp-edged equipment like nozzles, bristles, brushes, etc.
Hack 2 – Recoating – A good timber coating floor can last up to 20 years, at least. This is when you maintain and clean it regularly. Here, cleaning the timber construction floor with a broom, mop, and vacuum cleaner won’t be enough. You should consider recoating the entire floor at least once in every three to four months.
The process of coating timber construction includes applying a thin layer of sealer on the flooring. This is to cover the minor or major loopholes left in the wood. It keeps the floor durable and ensures the best reliability. You can choose from two different types of coating – oil-based and water-based. If you have congested rooms with less ventilation scope, go for water-based timber coating, which absorbs less. On the contrary, the oil-based solutions are best to obtain a unique shine leaving a lasting impact.
Above all, the coating process is necessary to cover all open pores of the flooring. It adds shine, makes the floor water-resistant, and has exceptional grace that becomes the center of attraction of your house.
Hack 3 – Mopping the engineered timber flooring – The engineered timber construction like parquet demands delicate and thorough maintenance. However, it is one of the firmest timber flooring types available; still, you need to keep it clean all the time. Here, it’s essential to keep it away from liquid elements which release excessive moisture on the upper layer.
Just like the other hardwood flooring types, it’s not essential to mop the parquet floor regularly. However, it’s necessary to mop it at least once a week with a damp cloth. If you see it as a daunting task, have faith in readymade parquet floor cleaners. Such cleaners are an apt blend of dishwashing liquid and water, giving you the best results after first use. Ensure to dry the floor as soon as possible to avoid moisture damage issues.
A few things to remember when dealing with hardwood flooring
- You must have heard the trick of using lemon juice, baking soda, and vinegar to clean timber floors? Don’t you? Well, this secret formula works amazingly well to get rid of any stain or greasy residue left on your timber floors. However, avoid using it regularly or on the entire floor as the acidic elements of the formula may hamper the quality of flooring.
- Avoid using an abrasive cleaning product containing ammonia or alkaline. This may reduce glossiness, making your plush floors prone to scratches and a rough appearance.
- Many people often use the steaming technique to tenfold the results and get a clearer floor. But when you wake up to the realities, you see it ruining your floor’s appearance to the scratch. He warm water or steam cleaning works the best for ceramic tiles and vinyl texture only. Therefore, consider not to try this on your extensive timber flooring.
- With the lure of making your timber floors shine better, people are likely to use furniture cleaning sprays or oil paints the most. Unarguably, it may give you a desirable appearance, but it adversely ruins the floor’s quality.
- Avoid cleaning the timber floors with an abrasive household tool or harsh brushes, which may hamper the coating quality, making it prone to scratches and further damage.
- Maintain the right room temperature and humidity level to keep the wood flooring in good condition.
- Choose the rugs and doormats wisely. Your doormats should be able to avoid debris and dirt.
- If you are likely to place heavy furniture, try securing the floor first.
Final Words
The grace of wooden flooring, especially timber, enhances when you are maintaining it timely. Such floors may give your home a desirable touch but, at the same time, requires consistent maintenance and care too. From excessive moisture to using the proper cleaning process, you need to keep a check on many factors.