If you want to preserve the beauty of your hardwood floor so that they gleam for many years then there are several simple things that you can do. The reason you want to protect your floors as well as you can is because you want to avoid refinishing them. Every time you refinish a floor the wood is ground down a little more which can cause it to degrade more and more.
Here are some suggestions for protecting your hardwood floors.
- Protect those floors with throw rugs or hall rugs. Areas of high traffic get worn down first so it is essential that you cover them so this part of your hardwood flooring does not age before the flooring in the rest of the house. It does not take long for a high traffic area of the home to look quite beat up.
- Water stains the floor so be sure to place carpets or rubber mats around bathroom or sing areas so that water can’t warp or stain the floor.
- If you live in a humid climate or a basement with wood floors be sure to have a dehumidifier in action all of the time. This sucks the moisture out of the air so that there is less of a tendency for the floors to become too warped. Close the bathroom door when you have a steamy shower so the water can’t escape.
- Make sure there are rubber mats at all entrances and exists so that dirt and small pebbles cannot be tracked into the home and scratch the surface of the floor. Make sure there is a rubber mat near any kitty litter as litter can also be tracked across the home and scratch the floors.
- Be careful wearing high heels or golf shoes around the house as this can also scratch the floor.
- Trim the nails of your cat or dog to prevent them from scratching the floor. If you can hear the nails clicking it meanest hey are too long.
- Always use soft floor protectors under your furniture legs. If you have to move furniture lift it instead of dragging it across the floor, which of course, scratches the hardwood.
Always remember that your hardwood floor is a precious investment that needs to be cared for if it is to be valuable for years to come.