Back to Maintenance & Care
Top Things That Can Damage Your Hardwood Floor
Hardwood floors are, indeed, one of the most desirable features of every home, no matter if it comes to a more traditional and classic style or a contemporary, cutting-edge modern interior. Hardwood floors fit anywhere and complement every interior, adding value to every property. Hardwood floors are really a valuable asset of every house, therefore, you want to keep and maintain yours in perfect condition and appearance.
In fact, real wood floors are designed to last up to a whole century and even longer if the right and regular upkeep is ensured. Take proper care of your floor and it will look and feel great for decades, ensuring functionality, comfort, durability, and unbeatable elegance. Wood floor maintenance should not be anything time-consuming, expensive, or requiring elbow grease, however, wood floor maintenance is definitely specific and unique.
A proper and regular wood floor cleaning and upkeep routine can go a long way and part of it is the proper prevention from common causes that can eventually damage the wooden floor. A proper and regular wood floor cleaning and maintenance routine will also help you avoid a wood floor repair service. Knowing the common reasons for wood floor damage will help you prevent and avoid them, therefore, today we present you some of the most common things you do on an everyday basis that will contribute to your floor's deterioration and how to prevent them.
You Don't Use Furniture Pads
It is important to ensure all furniture pieces you have around the house sitting on top of wood flooring to have furniture pads attached to the legs if you want to prevent scratches, dents, and marks. Heavy furniture pieces sitting atop hardwood flooring, dragging chairs and tables across the room, all these simple everyday things can cause marks and deeper scratches on the surface of the floor and affect the floor's appearance. Furniture pads ensure a cushioning effect that prevents scratching.
No Regular Dusting
Dust and dirt particles accumulate on top of your hardwood floor every day. It is important to remove the dust and dirt build-up as regular as required, otherwise, you risk the floor getting scratched from the dust and dirt particles, which will cause a worn and old appearance on your floor. Therefore, you are recommended to dust the floor regularly. You can either use a broom with soft bristles to remove the dust, you can opt for dry mopping, or you can vacuum the floor on a weekly basis. However, keep in mind that you need to use the vacuum machine attachment with a soft brush that is designed for hardwood floors especially and prevents scratching the surface of the floor while vacuuming.
Using Too Much Liquid Cleaner
Water damage is a thing. You can also damage your floor by using a cleaning product that is not designed for hardwood floors. Such damages can affect the finish of the floor, leaving permanent stains or causing fading or darkening of the colour of the floor. In order to prevent all that, make sure to use only a slightly damp mop when cleaning the floor and cleaning products designed for hardwood floors with neutral pH.
Using The Wrong Rug Pad
Even something as simple and often underestimated as a rug pad can cause some scratching and make the floor look worn and old. Therefore, always make sure to use the right padding for rugs that will help you avoid issues with your hardwood floor. Rubber-backed rugs can dull the finish of the floor, while pads made out of natural materials can scratch the surface and latex padding do not ensure enough airflow, which could eventually cause imperfections on the surface of the floor. We recommend you choose a combination of felt and rubber pad that will protect the floor and prevent the rug from sliding at the same time.
Not Placing A Mat Near The Front Door
It is very important to place a mat or rub near the entry door. Placing a mat strategically in this location will prevent too much dust and dirt from entering your home from outside when you walk in the house with your shoes on. This means you won't need to clean your floor as often, you won't deal with stubborn dirt build-up, and most importantly, you will be able to prevent dust and dirt from scratching the surface of the floor.
Wearing High Heels
Wearing high heels inside and around the house is one of the most common reasons for wooden floors getting scratched, marked, and dented. High heels are pointy, which means the body's weight is not evenly distributed, so your stiletto heels are most likely to damage your favourite wooden floor. So instead of wearing high heels around the house and shoes in general, you are recommended to opt for comfy and fluffy slippers.
Not Trimming Your Pet's Nails
You are recommended to keep your pet's nails well maintained and trimmed as this will help you prevent scratching and denting of your hardwood floor. Even something as simple as four enthusiastic paws running around the house can make the floor look too worn and old, therefore trimming of the nails is important and you want to do it regularly.
Not Preventing Pet Stains
Now, owning a pet at home sometimes means a lot of mess and accidents that cannot be prevented. Or maybe they could be prevented? First things first, if your pet has an accident on the floor, make sure to clean that up as soon as you spot it to prevent the occurrence of permanent stains and changes in the colour of the finish. While your pet is still a baby and just learning how to use the toilet you can even opt for using pet nappies.