How do I look after my Timber Floor?

Dirt and grit is a floor’s worst enemy and that goes for carpets and vinyls too. So use dirt trapping mats at all exterior doors to help prevent sand, dust and grit entering inside. Small rugs or small carpet sections just inside the door can also be of assistance.

• Strong light, particularly direct sunlight, can cause a chemical reaction in wood causing it to change colour (ageing or weathering), so move your rugs occasionally and protect the floor from direct sunlight by curtains or blinds.

• In areas where extremes of temperature or moisture variation are common, the floor may expand and/or contract accordingly. Precautions are necessary to avoid these circumstances.

• Adding moisture to the air with a humidifier may be the answer.

• Air conditioners are rarely humidity corrected and particularly in winter can create an extremely dry atmosphere which can cause shrinkage and cracking of the floor. Call your flooring contractor if the problems persist.

• Fit protective pads to the legs of chairs and tables so that they can be moved easily without the risk of scuffing the floor. If you have furniture with castors it is preferable that they are the barrel type as ball castors may cause damage.

• To remove surface dirt and grit the floor must be regularly vacuumed or swept with an electrostatic mop.

• Use only quality floor mops and thoroughly wash new mops to remove any lint remaining from the manufacturing process. To remove ground in dirt and grit it is necessary to damp mop the floor.A positive emulsion cleaner made specifically for timber floors should be used as it will remove the dirt without damaging the surface seal. It is important to ensure that the mop is wrung out to ensure that as little solution as possible wets the floor. A1 Wood Floors uses sophisticated processing technology for all kiln dried timber and rigorous floor placement procedures to control the moisture content. Over wetting your floor when mopping can change the moisture balance and cause your floor to expand.In some cases this may result in cupping. Under no circumstances use household detergents as these may contain harsh chemicals that will damage the finish.

• High heel shoes, especially worn ones, will dent any hard floor surface, even concrete. It is interesting to note that figures supplied by the National Wood Flooring Association of America indicate that an exposed heel spike can exert up to 13,790kPa (2000 ppsi) pressure on the floor when worn by a woman weighing 55kg. (When weight distribution is considered this is more than a two tonne truck or an elephant).

• Keep dirt off the floor. Dust, mop or vacuum regularly. Keep the door mats clean.

• Wipe up spills promptly with a dry cloth or dry paper towel. For sticky substances, moisten the cloth slightly.