Floor care and Maintenance

Use a broom or hardwood floor mop for cleaning wood floors daily. A microfiber dust mop pre-treated with a dusting agent will pick up dust and dirt and prevent scratches.

Vacuum your hardwood floor once a week. Use your vacuum’s “hard floor” setting. This raises the vacuum cleaner, deactivates the brush roll, and works only by suction.

Be careful to always turn the brush roll off as it can scratch your floors. Some models offer rubber wheels, which are less likely to leave scratches than models with hard, plastic wheels.

Regularly swept or vacuumed floors will almost eliminate any need to “clean” the floor with a cleaning product.
When a cleaning product is needed, we suggest only using a “hardwood specific, non-oil based cleaner.”
Cleaning products should be applied to the mop or hand towel, never pour cleaner directly on to the floor itself.

Quickly wipe spills from floor to protect wood from excess liquid.

Use walk off mats outside and inside entrances to prevent sand and abrasive build-up on your hardwood floor but avoid rubber or other dense mat backings that prevent airflow beneath rugs and retain abrasives and humidity.

Use area rugs or mats near sink, dishwasher and workstations to protect floor from cooking utensils, water spills, detergents, oils and other kitchen mishaps.

Apply felt pads under any furniture or chair legs to ease movement and prevent scratches on the wood floor. Keep pads clean at all times and regularly check for signs of wear. Felt pads will accumulate dirt and grit so change them out periodically to prevent damage.

Rolling chairs – soft polyurethane or rubber casters rather than narrow, rigid plastic ones. Use protective mats beneath rolling chairs and keep furniture casters clean.

Protect your hardwood floor when moving heavy objects. Place on a reversed mat and slide smoothly over floor. If
moving heavy appliance of furniture lay down ¼” plywood to protect the floors.

Be careful with pointed objects such as spiked-heeled and sport shoes that may damage the finish of your wood floor.

Maintain proper relative humidity level between 30% R.H. (heating) and 50% (non-heating) for optimal
performance of your wood floor. Proper relative humidity level is especially important during the winter/heating
months when the air can become much drier- wood can dry out causing checking splits or seasonal gapping.

The floor needs to be protected from sunlight and intense artificial lighting to reduce discoloration of exposed wood. This phenomenon with wood surfaces is normal and natural, and varies according to species.

Occasionally move furniture and carpets around and reduce intense light sources to minimize color contrasts.

Things to avoid:

• Never pour cleaner or any other liquid directly onto floor surface.
• Do not use a wet mop that leaves excess water on your hardwood floor.
• Do not use wax, oil-based detergents or other household cleaning agents on your floors, these products may dull or damage the floor finish. they can also leave a greasy film that makes floors slippery, and make maintenance of your
  hardwood floor more difficult.
• Do NOT use a steam cleaner/sweeper on your hardwood flooring.

Use a doormat outside each entrance to your home to prevent dirt, sand, grit, and other substances such as oil, asphalt, and driveway sealer from being tracked onto your floor. Use non-staining mats on your floor.

To minimize potential staining from asphalt tracking, we suggest you use a latex-based driveway sealer.

Close your curtains or blinds where extreme sunlight hits the floor. A combination of heat and sunlight causes most home furnishings, including resilient floors, to fade or discolor.

Support furniture with wide-bearing, non-staining floor protectors. Ideally, the protectors should be at least one inch in diameter, made of non-pigmented, hard plastic, and rest flat on the floor. Non-staining felt protectors are will also do the trick though. Casters with a minimum 3/4″ flat surface width or floor protectors are recommended for all moveable furniture. Make sure any metal protectors are rust-proof.

If you need to move heavy furniture and/or appliances, such as your refrigerator, across the floor, always use strips of wood or hardboard runways to protect the floor. Always use runways even if you have an appliance dolly, or even if the heavy objects are equipped with wheels or rollers.

Initial Maintenance (within 24 hours of installation)

• Keep traffic light during the first 24 hours so adhesive can dry properly (if adhesive was used)
• If the floor has been seamed, avoid stepping on the seam sealer for 24 hours so it can dry undisturbed
• Avoid scrubbing or washing floor for at least three days after installation. Spot clean floor avoiding all seams.

Routine Maintenance (daily/weekly as needed)

• Sweep your floor regularly (at least once a week) to remove loose dirt.
• Prevent stains by wiping spills promptly.
• Occasional mopping is recommended when dirt builds up and sweeping alone is not sufficient. Use a solution of clear, non-sudsy ammonia based cleaner in one gallon of warm water. Using more than the recommended amount of cleaning solution may leave a dulling film. Do not use soap or detergent products as they will leave a dulling film. Rinsing is not required, but if time permits, rinsing will provide the best care and highest shine.
• When damp mopping don’t flood the floor
• Never push, pull, or drag heavy furniture or furnishings across the floor. Always lift & carry the items if possible or use furniture sliders.
• Note that latex or rubber mats may cause yellowing or discolorations.
• Do not use any resurfacing coating, such as polyurethane or acrylics, as these may void the warranty or cause peaking.

High-heeled shoes can cause damage that your warranty may not cover. Keep shoe tips in good repair to combat this problem.

Appliances & heating ducts emit a direct flow of hot air that can cause discoloration over time. Keep motors & exhaust areas free of dust build-up to help reduce heat, while heating system dampers can be adjusted to control outlet temperatures & airflow direction.

Vacuum regularly.

• Vacuuming thoroughly and frequently is the most important thing you can do to keep your carpet looking great, particularly in high-traffic areas.  Vacuuming helps remove dirt particles which dull the carpets appearance.  Also, use walk-off mats at entrances to minimize the tracking of dirt particles onto the carpet and to reduce soil accumulation.

Remove spills immediately. Immediately scoop up as much of the spill as possible.  Then blot, do not rub, area with clean white cloths to remove excess moisture.  Use a wet/dry vac if spill is large.

Absorb any remaining moisture with layers of white paper towels weighted with a non-staining glass or ceramic object.  When carpet is dry, vacuum or brush the pile to restore texture.

Professionally clean as required (usually no more than once every year or two). Regular professional cleaning and maintenance are needed to keep carpet looking great year after year.