Hardwood Maintenance

Congratulations on choosing Hardwood Flooring as part of your home decorative environment. Hardwood Floors are one of the best investments you can make and with proper care; they will remain beautiful and last for a lifetime.

So, how do you "Protect Your Investment" and keep your floors looking as beautiful as the day they were installed? This Maintenance Guide is intended to help you. Follow these simple guidelines and you will have beautiful floors that will enhance your surroundings by always looking their best.

Preventative Maintenance.

Preventative maintenance is a term commonly used today, but its importance cannot be overlooked. The following are some basic rules that apply to all Hardwood and Hard Surface Laminate Floors:

Use walk-off mats at all exterior doors to prevent dirt, grit and sand from getting into your house. Throw rugs or small sections of carpet inside entrances are also helpful. Be sure to use rugs that allow the floor to "breathe". Avoid rugs with rubber backing or other non-ventilating material. Dirt and grit is your floors worst enemy and that includes Hard Surface Laminate as well as Hardwood Floors.

Certain chemicals in wood oxidize in strong light causing the wood to change color. To avoid an uneven appearance, move area rugs regularly and drape or shade windows that allow extended periods of direct sunlight on the floor.

Put soft, protective glides on the legs of all your furniture. This will allow the furniture to be moved easily without scuffing or scratching the floor. Be sure to clean the glides regularly as dirt may become embedded in them. It is also important to make sure that the glides are in good repair. Some furniture may require "barrel" type roller caster (ball type casters may damage the floor). Non-marking rubber casters are the best. Avoid any type of plastic caster.

Vacuum regularly, as often as you vacuum carpets (brush attachments work well, sweep or use a dust mop daily or as needed. Do not use a household dust treatment! This may cause your floor to become slick or dull the finish.

The "Advantage Plus" System can be used on all "Polyurethane, Water Base and Factory Finished, and hard surface laminate floors".

It is important to never use water to clean your Hardwood and Hard Surface Laminate Floors. Excess water will cause deterioration of the wood itself as well as the finish.

The "Woodpecker Cleaning" System available @PATRICK’S Hardwood Flooring Store.

Wipe up food and other spills using a dampened (not wet) cloth or a Bonnet. Then wipe the flooring with another dry cloth, paper towel or a Bonnet. If the area remains "sticky", lightly mist some Woodpecker Hardwood and Hard Surface Laminate Floor Cleaner on the area and repeat the procedure.

Keep high heels in good repair. Heels that have worn down or have lost their protective cap (exposing the metal support rod) will dent any floor surface!

Observing these simple suggestions will go a long way toward "Protecting Your Investment" and keeping your Hardwood and Hard Surface Laminate Floors looking beautiful for life.

Polyurethane, Water Base and Factory Finishes

Keep dirt and grit off the floor. Sweep and/or vacuum regularly. Keep walk-off and door mats clean.

Wipe up spills immediately with a dry cloth, paper towel or a Bonnet. For "sticky" spills lightly mist the area with Hardwood and Hard Surface Laminate Floor Cleaner and repeat procedure.

For general cleaning, spray a 6'x6' area with Woodpecker Hardwood and Hard Surface Laminate Floor Cleaner and use the Applicator in a "back and forth" motion to clean the floor, pick up dirt and remove any excess cleaner. Repeat procedure until the entire floor has been completed. It is not necessary to rewipe area with a dry towel as Woodpecker Floor Cleaner has been designed to dry quickly and without streaking.

BUFF AND RECOAT

When luster does not return in traffic areas such as hallways, kitchens or doorways, the floors may need a "Buff and Recoat" which is a one day process in which the floor is buffed and a new coat of poly is applied to give the floor a "new" look. 

SAND AND REFINISH

When a hardwood floor is showing raw wood through the surface, the protection barrier of the polyurethane has been breached and the floor will need to be Sanded down to bare wood and refinished with 3 coats of poly which will restore the floor to original durability, shine and beauty.  It is at this time homeowner may wish to alter the stain on existing hardwood. Consult PATRICK’S HARDWOOD FLOORING 342 0700.

Never wax a Polyurethane, Water Base or Factory Finished Floor! Wax will generally cause these floors to become slippery. Once waxed these floors cannot be screened and "re-coated". Refer to Sand and Refinish

.

Acrylic Impregnated Finishes

This finish has been injected into the cells of the wood and is throughout the entire thickness of the wear layer. The general cleaning practices of this product involve a spray and buff system requiring a commercial buffer. This practice is recommended for commercial applications.

For residential installations, where a commercial buffer is not available, you should refer to the manufacturer's recommended products.

The products mentioned above are available @ PATRICK’S Hardwood Flooring Store.

White or Bleached Floors

As with light colored carpet or vinyl these Hardwood Floors are far more susceptible to dirt and traffic areas than those with dark stained or natural finishes, therefore they need an increased frequency of maintenance. Sweep and vacuum often, wipe up spills immediately, and follow the maintenance guidelines recommended for the type of finish used on your floor.

Your may notice tiny cracks or separations between the strips of Hardwood Flooring. No need to worry, this is a natural characteristic of all wood flooring. Due to the "hydroscopic" nature of wood flooring, your floor will expand and contract as the humidity levels in your home rise and fall. During dry seasons when heating is on in your home these cracks will appear to be more prevalent. On a white stained or bleached floor the contrast of these black lines will seem more prominent.

Be aware that depending on the type of finish used on your floor, bleached or white floors may tend to shade over time.

Seasonal Wood Shrinkage

Hardwood lumber is kiln dried to ensure its predictability. Oak is traditionally dried to achieve moisture content of 7-10%. As the moisture content varies, wood changes dimension as it gains or loses moisture. It shrinks when losing moisture from the cell walls and swells when gaining moisture in the cell walls.

Wood in service usually is exposed to both long term (seasonal) and short term (daily) changes in the relative humidity and temperature of the surrounding air. Thus, wood virtually always is undergoing at least slight changes in moisture content and dimension. The short term changes are generally imperceptible, while the seasonal changes can be dramatic.

Even though engineered floors are inherently more stable than solid, it is possible for either type to develop cracks when subjected to drying conditions (i.e. heat and low humidity). These conditions often exist during the winter when buildings are closed and the heating system is in operation. Conversely, floors having developed such cracks can be expected to expand when humidity and cooler temperatures are introduced, for instance, when the building is opened in the spring or the AC is resumed.

It is also important to recognize that the stain color of the floor plays an important part in the visibility of these normal seasonal cracks. Cracks are progressively more noticeable when going from a dark stain color through the color spectrum to white or pastel colored floors. This simply is due to the contrast between surface color and dark shadowed cracks.

Since wood flooring is a product of nature, the natural tendencies of shrinkage and expansion should not be considered signs of defectiveness.

Due to the unstableness of the Ohio valley climate, your floor will be a prime candidate for seasonal shrinking. A humidifier set @ 40-45% moisture will help eliminate some shrinkage.

How Moisture affects Wood Dimensions

Wood is a product of nature, a hygroscopic material that will lose or absorb moisture until it is in equilibrium with the humidity of the air around it. Moisture loss results in shrinkage; moisture absorption causes expansion.

Moreover, wood does not expand or shrink equally in all directions. There is relatively little expansion or shrinkage likely along the grain (the length of a board), perhaps as little as 0.1%. Across the width of a board, however, expansion and shrinkage can range from 5% to 15% in plain-sawn boards, which are cut across the grain and parallel to the annular rings.

Quarter-sawn boards, which are cut across the grain and across the annular rings, can expand or shrink from 2% to 8% across the width of the board.

Most hardwood flooring manufacturers dry their products to between 6% and 9% moisture content, but ambient conditions at the job site can cause the flooring to shrink or expand. Therefore, most manufacturers of solid hardwood flooring recommend acclimating the wood to local conditions before installing.

The following guidelines indicate the possible expansion or shrinkage in plain-sawn, 2 ¼” solid oak flooring.

1%.....1/128” 7%....3/64” 14%. ...3/32” 22%....5/32”

3%....1/64” 10%...1/16” 18%... 1/8” 24%...11/64”

5%....1/32” 12%...5/65” 20%... 9/64”

OUCH ! those heels

High heel shoe indentations will cause indentations and scratches, not only in wood flooring but also in less dense, resilient materials. Even carpet, terrazzo, ceramic and metal surfaces can be damaged. It has been projected that a 2-ton car exerts only 28-30 lbs per square inch [PSI] of pressure on its supporting surface; a full grown elephant exerts 50-100 PSI while a 125 lb woman in high heels exerts as must as 2000 PSI when taking a normal step. That is because the heeled shoe measures only about 1/20 of a Square inch in size. Her weight is concentrated in a tiny area and therefore its effect is multiplied many times. However the solution is simple. Check your heels frequently and keep the tips of the heels in good repair.

If you have any questions or concerns relating to the care and maintenance of your Hardwood Flooring, please feel free to contact us at any time. Call Patrick, Tom or Kevin @ PATRICKS Hardwood Flooring 859 342 0700 or email patrickshardwood@fuse.net.

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