How to keep your hardwood floors looking fantastic
New hardwood floors — or restored old ones — can be a beautiful addition to your home. But they’re also a huge investment. You can make that investment last longer with some simple care tips. Here’s how to keep your hardwood floors looking great, long after the installation or renovation
Start with a clean sweep
You need to sweep hardwood once a day, but your typical broom isn’t going to cut it. Invest in a dust mop such as the O-Cedar Dual-Action Microfiber Sweeper (which is what I use) or something similar. These mops have wide heads that trap dust without making micro scratches in the floor’s finish.
Be sure to push the mop in one direction and swivel to turn. Don’t lift the head of the mop off the floor until you’re done. If you lift the mop prematurely, dust and lint will be released into the air and you’ll need to re-mop the area you just finished. I learned this trick when I was a school janitor cleaning gymnasium floors way back in the day.
Keep it dry
This may be counter to what you’ve learned about housekeeping, but don’t use wet mops or steam mops on your wood floors. The moisture can damage the finish and may even harm the wood after a while, according to the National Wood Flooring Association.
Instead, use a cleaner that’s made for wood floors. Many of these products are formulated to work with the type of finish you have on your floors, so make sure you read the labels before you make a purchase.
Hardwood Floors: The Good, the Bad, and the Conclusion
They say that if something seems too good to be true, it probably is. Although we are strictly optimists, here at Trinity Surfaces, we also respect facts. And, the fact of the hardwood floors matter is: there are pros, cons, and horror stories to boot.
The upside of hardwood floors
Obviously, the beauty and allure of hardwood floors are the first things that come to mind. If hardwood is your thing, isn’t it difficult to imagine your taste being swayed in another direction? Even a vast list of cons doesn’t hold water when you see results like
Whether you’re a type-a, tidy person or someone who suffers from allergies, sticking with hardwood flooring allows for a cleaner space. Carpet is proven to harbor bacteria, dust, and other unwanted flooring stowaways.
The risks of hardwood floors
If you live somewhere with rough winters, hardwood flooring can be something you love six months out of the year but loathe the other half of the time. These types of floors can get extremely cold, and oftentimes, their beauty gets covered up with furniture or an area rug to prevent frostbitten feet!
Overall, hardwood floors = worth it
We put it to a vote, and sides with hardwood! When you weigh the pros and cons, there is a lot more to benefit from [than not] by having beauties
HARDWOOD FLOOR COLOR TRENDS THAT TOP DESIGNERS ARE LOVING
If you’re a commitment-phobic shopper, choosing interior flooring can feel like a never-ending process. While trends like linoleum and shag carpet (eek) went out of style as quickly as they came into it, hardwood flooring has—for centuries—been a failsafe choice for any and every aesthetic.
EUROPEAN WHITE OAK
“I love warm lighter woods for the floor. I think this has been and continues to be a big trend in home design. My favorite wood species is a European White Oak; in a wide plank (above 9’’). It adds the perfect balance of organic texture and modern warmth to any space.
DARK CHARCOAL
“We love a dark charcoal wide plank wood floor to ground a space and keep it looking rich. We custom blended three Minwax stains to get our favorite shade of charcoal without any red or orange hue’s coming through. The combo was Ebony and Dark Walnut with a touch of Country White.”
COOL BROWN WALNUT & YELLOW OAK
“I’ve watched clients and showrooms shift away from the cool gray finishes that were so popular for a couple years, and move towards wood tones that seem closer to their natural state. Personally and professionally, I’m also gravitating towards white oaks with yellow undertones, walnuts in a cool brown, and distressing only if authentic. Less is more. Except for chevron and herringbone…then the more the better.”
BRIGHT PAINTED HARDWOOD
“Bright painted hardwood floors are warm, soft, and forgiving when you drop something, and you can repaint them whenever you feel like it! I personally don’t have a favorite color because I paint my hardwood floors at home every 2-3 years to experiment and keep things fresh. I prefer colored hardwood floors especially in the kitchen as they generally have large amounts of tile and stone in them already (backsplashes and counters) and metal materials (appliances, pots and pans). This is a great solution when you may be looking for a material to soften a utilitarian space that most people spend the majority of their time in.”
Should You Use Hardwood Floors in Kitchens and Bathrooms?
Hardwood floors offer a number of benefits. They are both incredibly beautiful, and incredibly easy to clean. They are a great option for allergy sufferers as carpets can aggravate symptoms. Even homeowners without allergies can enjoy the seamless look of hardwood flooring.However, water can easily damage or warp these types of materials. So, is it a good idea to install hardwood floors in kitchens and bathrooms? Freshome asked several experts, including designers, realtors and water damage restoration experts to weigh in on this topic.
Pros of hardwood floors
believes that hardwood floors make an excellent choice in the kitchen. “Hardwood flooring is stylish and sustainable, comes in a variety of natural colors, and doesn’t absorb dust or debris, making it easy to clean and maintain,” he says
“Wood also adds a comfortable, livable feel to a space due to its warmer color palettes and natural essence.”She admits that liquids are the enemy of wood floors. “If left too long, the wood can swell or stain so it is important that spills are cleaned up quickly.”
She agrees with Davis that you should wipe up spills as soon as you notice them. “Small spills, noticed later, will not damage a wood floor; however larger spills, such as a leaking icemaker in a refrigerator, or leaking dishwasher, most likely will damage the floor, especially since leaks often appear under the appliance,”
Wood and water do not mix, so wood flooring cannot be 100% sealed – it expands and contracts with heat, humidity and moisture.”As a general rule, she says, hardwood floors in the kitchen or bathroom only face problems from leaks. “If you live in a house with a wood frame, you would have a problem regardless of the damage to the floors in an situation like this,”
HARDWOOD FLOORS & FLOORING
Whether its hardwood flooring, composite wood flooring, tile, or linoleum, your floors are more than just somewhere to put your feet. Check out these articles to see how to protect, maintain, restore, repair, and appreciate this beautiful and valuable part of your home.
Nobody would disagree: Cleaning aged or dirty surfaces isn’t a homeowner favorite. But with these floor cleaning tips, you can take an unpleasant but necessary task and turn it into a job well done.
MAKE THE JOB EASY.
If you have hardwood floors throughout the home but tile or laminate in the bathroom and kitchen, choose a cleaner that works as a maintenance solution for all of them. A mix of warm water and detergent does a good job of removing dirt on many kinds of flooring.
USE THE RIGHT TOOLS.
Some appliances do more harm than good. A soft mop won’t damage the floor, but abrasive tools like a non-hard-surface vacuum can
DO THE JOB AS OFTEN AS POSSIBLE.
Cleaning your floors regularly helps to avoid damage from the dirt and debris that accumulates from dirty shoes and other everyday activities.