Hardwood floors are gorgeous and can add thousands of dollars to the value of your home, especially when they are well-cared for.
However, they can become scratched, look worn and lose their natural luster if they are not treated with tender loving care.
Learning how to protect them from the shenanigans of your dog, effects of dirt and sand and stains from water will do wonders to protect this investment.
Dirt, sand and grit are enemies to your beautiful hardwood floors.
Why? Dirt, sand and grit are like sandpaper to furniture.
As people walk over the dirt and grit, the particles get ground into the wood, leaving nicks and small blemishes.
Vacuuming and sweeping your floors regularly is one how to protect hardwood floors technique.
Pets, especially dogs, can cause damage to hardwood floors.
Dog's nails that are long can easily etch in scratches into your new or refinished floors.
How to protect hardwood floors when you have pets includes keeping your dogs nails trimmed at all times.
Additionally, urine stains can be difficult to remove.
Make sure your dog is well-trained to do his business outdoors to avoid these kinds of accidents that may damage your floors.
Another way to protect the floors in your home tip has to do with humidity.
In general, wood flooring responds to elements that cause expanding and contracting.
For example, they will contract during periods of low humidity.
On the other hand, warm, humid summer weather will cause your wood floor to expand.
Since hardwood floors are an investment that can last a lifetime, it is a good idea to install humidity controls.
You can then control the level of humidity with a humidifier or dehumidifier.
Most experts recommend that a normal relative humidity level of 35% to 50% is best to keep your hardwood flooring from swelling or contracting.
That said, check with your hardwood flooring manufacturer to determine the specific recommended humidity level for your flooring type.
Water is also an enemy of hardwood floors.
Therefore, make sure that you wipe spills right away.
Further, don't clean your floors with water.
Instead, use a cleaning product specifically designed for hardwood floors or one that is recommended by your floor manufacturer.
Learning how to protect your floors from scrapes and scratches includes placing felt pads on the legs of any and all furniture that sits on it.
This is especially important for table chairs that will be slid in and out when using the table.
When rearranging or moving furniture, be sure to "lift" it to move it versus dragging it.
It's also a good idea to invest in a few protective throw rugs on high traffic areas.
Place throw rugs in strategic areas, such as an entrance way to contain dirt and grit.
Additionally, since sunlight can cause color changes in floors, place throw rugs in areas that receive direct and intense sunlight.
A few strategically-placed rugs can do wonders in your quest to discover how to protect them for a lifetime of enjoyment.
However, they can become scratched, look worn and lose their natural luster if they are not treated with tender loving care.
Learning how to protect them from the shenanigans of your dog, effects of dirt and sand and stains from water will do wonders to protect this investment.
Dirt, sand and grit are enemies to your beautiful hardwood floors.
Why? Dirt, sand and grit are like sandpaper to furniture.
As people walk over the dirt and grit, the particles get ground into the wood, leaving nicks and small blemishes.
Vacuuming and sweeping your floors regularly is one how to protect hardwood floors technique.
Pets, especially dogs, can cause damage to hardwood floors.
Dog's nails that are long can easily etch in scratches into your new or refinished floors.
How to protect hardwood floors when you have pets includes keeping your dogs nails trimmed at all times.
Additionally, urine stains can be difficult to remove.
Make sure your dog is well-trained to do his business outdoors to avoid these kinds of accidents that may damage your floors.
Another way to protect the floors in your home tip has to do with humidity.
In general, wood flooring responds to elements that cause expanding and contracting.
For example, they will contract during periods of low humidity.
On the other hand, warm, humid summer weather will cause your wood floor to expand.
Since hardwood floors are an investment that can last a lifetime, it is a good idea to install humidity controls.
You can then control the level of humidity with a humidifier or dehumidifier.
Most experts recommend that a normal relative humidity level of 35% to 50% is best to keep your hardwood flooring from swelling or contracting.
That said, check with your hardwood flooring manufacturer to determine the specific recommended humidity level for your flooring type.
Water is also an enemy of hardwood floors.
Therefore, make sure that you wipe spills right away.
Further, don't clean your floors with water.
Instead, use a cleaning product specifically designed for hardwood floors or one that is recommended by your floor manufacturer.
Learning how to protect your floors from scrapes and scratches includes placing felt pads on the legs of any and all furniture that sits on it.
This is especially important for table chairs that will be slid in and out when using the table.
When rearranging or moving furniture, be sure to "lift" it to move it versus dragging it.
It's also a good idea to invest in a few protective throw rugs on high traffic areas.
Place throw rugs in strategic areas, such as an entrance way to contain dirt and grit.
Additionally, since sunlight can cause color changes in floors, place throw rugs in areas that receive direct and intense sunlight.
A few strategically-placed rugs can do wonders in your quest to discover how to protect them for a lifetime of enjoyment.