What can Destroy Hardwood Floors and How to Protect Them

What Can Destroy Hardwood Floors & How to Protect Them

Hardwood floors are an investment in your home. In addition to increasing your home’s value, hardwood floors can last a lifetime with proper care. Despite their longevity and durability, it is still possible to hurt your floors. Don’t make the mistake of assuming all scratches and other types of harm can simply be sanded away by refinishing the floor; after all, your floors can’t be endlessly refinished. At Nadine Floor Company, we want you to get the most enjoyment possible from your beautiful new floors. Here’s what you should know to protect your hardwood floors from the many things that can damage them.

Pet Accidents

Accidents in the house are part of owning pets. While your hardwood flooring can stand the occasional accident, remember that liquid is the worst enemy of wood. Pet urine that isn’t cleaned up right away can stain the floor, harm the finish, and cause the wood to swell. If an accident happens on a rug, be sure you clean and dry the rug and the wood underneath.

Pet Claws

There’s another way pets can hurt your floors: scratching the floor with their claws. Cat and dog claws can scratch and dent hardwood. The best way to avoid this problem and protect your floor is keeping your pets’ nails trimmed.

Too Much Liquid Floor Cleaner

Ther is a right way and a wrong way to clean your floors. While hardwood flooring today is designed to withstand some wet cleaning, it’s still important to minimize the amount of liquid cleaner you use. Your floors should never be drenched. Instead, clean small areas at a time with a damp — not wet — mop or cloth. This should be done only every 4-6 weeks. Never pour cleaning product directly onto your floor or it can cause swelling and an uneven appearance.

Furniture

Every time you sit down on furniture sitting directly on your hardwood floors, the furniture will shift slightly and mark your floor. This damage will get worse and worse over time. To prevent marking your floors, always use furniture pads on all legs. This can keep your floors beautiful and scratch-free. It should go without saying, but you should also avoid dragging any heavy furniture or appliances over your floors. Always use felt pads when moving heavy objects.

Wearing High Heels Indoors

There’s always plenty of fun to be had in Dallas, Lewisville, and surrounding areas. When you’re getting ready for a night on the town, make sure you wait until it’s time to leave before putting on high heels. Heels are usually pointy and body weight is not evenly distributed. This can leave major dents on the floor.

Going Too Long Without Refinishing

The finish on your hardwood floors will begin to show scratches on the surface and wear patterns over time. When dull traffic marks become obvious, it’s time to recoat the floors. Recoating hardwood is an easy process that takes one day and does not cost nearly as much as refinishing. This usually needs to be done every 3 to 5 years. If you wait too long, you will wear right through the finish. Once you begin wearing the bare wood, sanding and refinishing will be necessary.

At Nadine Floors, we believe in the timeless beauty of hardwood and often incorporate it in home designs throughout Dallas and Lewisville. Once installed, it’s easy to prevent damage to your hardwood as long as you’re careful and know the do’s and don’ts ahead of time.