Hardwood floor installation gives you one of the most durable floors known to man.That may sound like hyperbole, but it isn’t. Hardwood floors, in the right circumstances and with the right care, can last for decades and even beyond a century. But are you ruining your installation?
In an environment like Florida, hardwood is exposed to temperature and humidity changes that can stress them, but it’s important not to overreact. Hardwood floor installation gives you a surface that you don’t actually have to maintain as often as you might think. A simple, thorough vacuuming every week does half of the work for you.
Don’t panic – just be proactive! If you drop something and dent the floor, for example, don’t then sand everything down to that imperfection. Taking that much off the floor grinds too much away. Wood will develop slight imperfections over time. You can screen the finish off and refinish a section or the whole floor if you really want. But you don’t want to start removing the wood itself or you’re going to over-correct to the point of damaging the floor.
Similarly, trust wood to re-shape itself. If you find standing water that you’ve missed, and the wood’s warped, dry it out and let it stand a few days. Beyond taking the moisture away, don’t seek to immediately fix it. As it dries, the wood will re-shape again. Fix it too soon, and you might be left with gaps when it un-warps. Wait until it corrects itself naturally, and then see if it needs any sanding. Residential flooring subcontractors know that chances are it’ll need less work after it dries than you thought.
Make sure the floor is guarded from plants you might water. If water collects invisibly beneath the pot and you don’t know, it will be trapped there and warp the wood until you discover it. Similarly, use furniture pads for stationary furniture and casters for rolling furniture in order to protect your wood floor from damage.
Maintain the floor regularly. Vacuum to get grit off, damp-mop with mild soap every week or so, and use mineral oil to mitigate the damage of scratches. Consult residential flooring subcontractors if you need to repair it, as there are tips and tricks to doing so that will stave off future headaches.