Quality timber flooring products can last a lifetime if some basic maintenance steps are met to keep your timber floors looking better for longer. Here are some of Andersens home care tips for Timber floors;

Timber flooring is a very stylish flooring choice for your home or office. If possible, prevent dirt, sand and grit from accumulating on the surface of your floor – they will act like sandpaper and abrade the finish. Mats should be placed at all exterior exits, and the floor should be swept or vacuumed frequently.

Wet Mopping

You should try to avoid wet-mopping a hardwood floor, and always clean up spills as soon as possible. With water or any other cleaning agent, make sure that you thoroughly wring out your mop prior to applying it to the floor. Excess moisture that is allowed to seep into the seams between the planks may cause damage to your flooring. We would suggest a bucket less mop, ultra minimal amount of water on a mop similar to image on the right.

Steam Cleaning

We recommend DO NOT polish or steam clean timber floors. Additionally, in areas such as bathrooms, kitchens, and spaces where food service occurs, top-coating the floor will help prevent against moisture damage

Scratched flooring

All timber floors mark, dent and scratch from time to time. The use of felt floor protectors under furniture and dirt trapping mats at external entrances helps to keep scratching and premature wear to a minimum. Sweep or vacuum your timber floor regularly to remove grit and small stones. These can scratch and abrade your timber floors.

Indentations and deep scratches in timber floors can often be filled using a matching coloured timber putty or special filling wax.

Re- Coating

Re-coating is usually required every 5 – 10 years in most homes, depending on the level of traffic and wear and tear your floors are exposed to. In commercial areas, floors may need re-coating more regularly. Contact your local Andersens store to obtain a quote.

Lastly here are some general flooring maintenance tips

1. Only use maintenance products recommended by the manufacturers of the flooring you have selected and installed.
2. Save any guarantees, warranties and preventative maintenance tips that come with your new fl ooring. Always refer to these when attempting stain removal, to avoid unnecessary long-term damage.
3. Any spills should be cleaned immediately, especially on carpet. The longer a stain sits, the harder it will be to remove.
4. Pre-test any treatment on a small inconspicuous area of the floor to ensure against damage and possible colour/texture changes.
5. Read the labels on all household products before using, since many contain chemicals which can damage carpet and other fabrics.
6. Use mats at entrances to reduce dirt from outside being tracked inside, and don’t forget to regularly clean your mats.

If you have further questions on floor maintenance, contact Andersens today