Are You Ruining Your Wood Floor?

When you decide to install a wood floor in your home, it is important to do what you can to ensure that it maintains its great look. Most people will agree that you cannot go wrong with wood flooring. You can benefit from the timeless beauty that will easily suit any home design. However, it is important to know that maintaining the good looks comes at a price. You need to treat your floors with care to avoid ruining the material. Following are some common mistakes that people make that ruin the wood flooring.

Sanding the surface improperly

Trying to deal with floor imperfections can actually do more harm than good. When you notice a dent on the floor, the temptation to smooth it out is strong. It is important to be careful if you decide to sand the wood because over sanding it will shorten its lifespan. Regular sanding will leave the floor looking less than attractive. If you need to refinish the floor, a light form of sanding known as screening should work. Screening using a floor polisher will remove the finish but leave the wood layers intact.

Damage from your house plants

Having plants in the home can make the space look great but you need to be careful where you place them. Failing to protect the floors from the plants can cause damage to your flooring materials. Before placing the plant on a saucer on the floor, make sure that you use a trivet. This will allow air to get under the plant and prevent water from pooling there. Water under the pot can ruin the floor underneath so that you will have to patch or sand the spot to fix the damage.

Walking around the house in heels

Just because you love wearing heels or stilettos does not mean that you should wear them indoors. It is important to know that the shoes you wear can ruin your floor. Shoes leave softwoods such as chestnut and pine with imperfections. Having a “no shoes” policy indoors will help to protect your floors ensuring that the surface maintains its great look for a long time. If you decide to patch your floor, make sure that you match the wood species and grid pattern to get the best results.

Failing to place floor guards under furniture

Furniture can ruin your solid hardwood floors especially if the floor has been refinished several times. If you have rolling chairs, make sure that you place rubber casters under the legs. If you decide to move your furniture, make sure that you place plastic sheets underneath to protect the floor. Even if you do not move the furniture, fabric or leather stick-on’s underneath will come in handy. Make sure that you check the guards often and replace any thin or worn out pieces.

There are other mistakes that can ruin your floor and they include failing to apply stains and finishes carefully and skipping weekly maintenance. If your floor needs finishing, it is a good idea to get professional services. There are different finishes in the market and using the wrong one can ruin your floor. Whatever finish you use, make sure that you clean or mop the floor every week. This will help to remove dirt and dust that can cause scratching.

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