Cleaning Wood Flooring FAQ'sIf the finish manufacturer is known, follow the manufacturers recommended cleaning procedures and products. However, if the manufacturer is not known ...
For surface finishes, including urethananes:
Keep grit off the floors, dust mop or vacuum regularly and keep dormats
clean. Wipe up spills promptly with a dry cloth. Use a slightly dampened cloth for
sticky spills.
For general cleaning ( if the manufacturer is not known) use a generic hardwood
floor cleaner, or an environmentally friendly wood floor-care product ,which we
can supply.
If the lustre does not return to traffic areas, the floor may require recoating.
Consult your floor professional for this process.
Do NOT wax a urethane finished floor. Waxing a urethane finished floor will cause
the wood floor to be slippery, requiring continuous waxing as your maintenance,
and any re-surfacing will require a full sanding process.
Acrylic impregnated floors require a spray and buff system as recommended by the
manufacturer.
For Waxed Floors :
Keep grit off the floor, dust mop or vacuum regularly and keep doormats clean.
Wipe up spills promptly with a dry cloth or dry paper towel. Use a slightly
dampened cloth for sticky spills and buff with a dry cloth to restore luster. When
the floor looks dull, buff first to see if luster can be restored before waxing. When
areas of heavy use no longer respond to buffing, wax only those areas and buff
the entire floor to an even luster.
When the whole floor need attention, clean the floor with a solvent based wood
floor cleaner and then wax. Your floor should only need to be completely rewaxed
once or twice a year depending on traffic.
Cleaning a waxed floor with water will leave white water marks.
WHAT FINISH IS BEST FOR MY WOOD FLOORS ?
( * ) denotes pre-finishing available on our Artisan Wood floors,
both Solid & Engineered Reclaimed)
Wax or oil Finish * Durability good
Mild Odor
Slight Amber in color
Dry Time Varies with Product
Combustible
Wax luster
Water Spots
Water Base Urethane * Durability very good
Mild Odor
Clear to amber color
Fast drying
Non-combustible
Satin to Gloss finish
Oil Modified Urethanes Durability very good
(solvent evaporates to cure) Moderate Odor
Amber in Color
Slow Drying
Combustible
Satin to Gloss finish
Moisture-Cured Urethane Durability excellent
Strong Odor
Clear to dark amber color
Combustible
Satin to Gloss Finish
Conversion Varnish Durability excellent
Very strong odor
Clear to slight amber in color
Slow to fast drying
Satin to Gloss Finish
General Care - All Wood Flooring finishes
1-Use throw rugs both inside and outside doorways to help prevent grit, dirt and other debris from being tracked onto your wood floors. This will help prevent scratching.
2-Avoid walking on your wood floors with cleats, sports shoes and high heels. A 125-pound woman walking in high heels has an impact of 2,000 pounds per square inch. An exposed heel nail can exert up to 8,000 pounds per square inch. This kind of impact can dent any floor surface.
3-When moving heavy furniture, do not slide it on wood flooring. It is best to pick up the furniture completely to protect the wood flooring.
4-Put soft plastic or fabric-faced glides under the legs of furniture to prevent scuffing and scratching.
5-Use a humidifier throughout the winter months to keep wood movement and shrinkage to a minimum.
Cleaning Wood Flooring FAQ's
