News — Hardwood maintenance

Tips for Maintaining Hardwood Floors

Knowing how to properly take care of your flooring is vital. Here are a couple of ways to maintain your floors, so that'll last long.

- Use hardwood products designed specifically for your flooring type.
- Don't use ammonia-based products or any other harsh chemicals to clean the floor.
- Don't apply topcoats to your floor before consulting with a hardwood floor specialist.
- Place padding under furniture legs, don't drag furniture or heavy objects and trim pet nails to avoid scratches.
- Sweep or vacuum regularly to get rid of dust particles.
- Limit your floors from direct sunlight to avoid color fades.

If you have any questions feel free to contact us at (408) 333-9771 or (408) 509-8627. You can also visit our showroom in 1190 Mountain View-Alviso, Ste N, Sunnyvale, CA 94089

Dark Tone Hardwood Floors

Choosing the right color for your hardwood can be difficult; choosing between dark tone and light tones can be even more challenging sometimes. Before selecting a dark tone, here are some things you should consider:

The biggest issue with having dark hardwood floors is maintenance. Because of their color, scratches and dust can be easily spotted whereas, in light hardwoods, they’re not as easily seen. If you have pets or a busy home, opting for light hardwood would be the right choice. However, if you’re set on having dark wood, the best ways to clean it are hoovering, mopping, and dusting. You should hover it once a week and use a hardwood attachment to avoid scratches. When mopping, you should use a microfiber mop and a hardwood cleaner instead of water. Dusting is simple, and there are plenty of low-cost dusters out there.

It would help if you also avoided glossy finishes for darker hardwoods. The gloss will give the floor a more reflective look, which will only make dust and dirt more noticeable. Satin finishes are a more appropriate option for this type of color.

Another thing to note is that dark woods tend to make spaces look smaller, which is great for bigger areas but might not be so well for smaller spaces. To avoid this, you should consider painting your walls brighter colors and adding more lighting.

Regardless of higher maintenance, dark hardwood floors are a great option that’ll make your home much more stylish.

From Carpet to Hardwood Floors

When it's time to decide and choose what kind of flooring type for your house, the first thing is you need to research about the advantage and disadvantage of each flooring types. Beside the function, you need to make sure about the durability, maintenance of the floors, and all other factors.

Carpet flooring was becoming on trend many years ago, but nowadays the carpet is not the best flooring choice especially if you suffer from asthma or allergies. Carpet tends to trap dust and skin cells in their synthetic fibers. It is crucial to routinely get your carpet cleaned if you have it in your home and you're suffering from allergies.

Hardwood floors are the ideal flooring type for those who suffer from allergies and asthma; the smooth surface doesn’t trap dust, mold, or other allergens and also it's effortless to maintain. With so many advantages of the Hardwood floors, that's why they prefer to choose Hardwood floors for their flooring surface option. Besides, the natural beauty and the elegance of Hardwood floors, it can be a good investment for the homeowner.

If you have any questions about hardwood floors and the installation as well, feel free to contact us at (408) 333-9771.

DO'S & DON’TS For Your Hardwood Flooring Maintenance

Cleaning and caring for your hardwood flooring is simple.

But there are a few guidelines you should be aware of to keep your investment in tip-top shape.

If you ever have any questions regarding our products, maintenance, installation, cleaning, and care DO reach out and ask us. We’re happy to help.

Below are some pieces of advice on how to do maintenance of your hardwood flooring:

DO consult with a licensed installer, the finisher or the manufacturer if there is any doubt of the kind of floor finish.

DO placemats and throw rugs at doorways, exteriors, and interiors to help prevent the tracking of grit, dirt, and sand.
DO put plastic or fabric-faced glides under the legs of furniture to prevent scuffing and scratching.
DO trim and file your pets claws regularly to help prevent small scratches.
DO place an area rug in front of the kitchen sink to catch water.
DO sweep, vacuum or dust mop.
DO clean spills with cloth, paper towel or napkins.
DO close curtains and blinds during the day when possible as direct sun exposure for an extended period of time can dry and/or fade natural wood.
DO maintain with a leading brand of prefinished hardwood floor cleaner.*

DON’T move heavy furniture without protecting wood flooring by slipping a piece of cloth or pile under the legs or covering each leg.
DON’T ever wet-mop a wood floor; standing water can dull the finish, damage the wood and leave a discoloring residue.
DON’T wear cleats, sports shoes and high heels on your wood floors as they can dent any floor surface.
DON’T allow abrasives such as sand and glass to sit on your floor as they can damage your floors finish. Sweep or vacuum regularly.
DON’T use oil based soaps.

PROTECT YOUR FLOOR INVESTMENT
Hardwood floors are a lifetime investment and you have spent a considerable amount of money to add value to your home. The first thing you should understand about caring for your new floor is that you are not actually cleaning the wood. You are actually cleaning the polyurethane. The wood is beneath a protective layer of polyurethane. It is important to keep this protective coating in good condition to protect the wood. Routine maintenance should include protecting the surface finish from moisture and heavy wear, which creates scratches.