A massive wooden floor in your home gives you a very special feeling, not only visually, but also under your feet. Wood has qualities that help create a warm and embracing atmosphere while contributing to a healthier environment. Some people focus on the need for maintenance! With this guide we will make it easier for you to keep your wooden floors beautiful and well-maintained for generations.
Besides choosing the most appropriate type of wood and surface treatment (see this guide) adapted to your specific conditions, we recommend you follow our best tips.
1. Use the right detergent
A common mistake made by our customers is to clean their floors with detergents such as Ajax. These are good products, just not for wooden floors. Ordinary detergents from the grocery store often contain bleach and large quantities of acid. This wears down the protection of the wooden floor. For daily cleaning, always use the detergent recommended for the treatment used to protect the floor. For hard wax oiled floors, use a mild soap that strengthens the membrane of the surface and preserves the shine and depth of the wood. For varnished floors, use a water-based detergent without acid and bleach. If in doubt, do not hesitate to contact us or a professional to ask questions. Use a spray mop or an ordinary mop, which has not previously been used with a strong detergent, as some detergent will remain, even if the mop was cleaned after use. Always clean the floor with new, fresh equipment.
2. Avoid pigmentation, grease and acid spots
In order to avoid humidity, do not place pots on the wooden floor, if they are not fully glazed. Humidity from a concrete or ceramics pot can easily penetrate the wooden floor and create black spots of pigmentation. If the damage is done, do not panic and start rubbing with strong detergents. This will only make it worse. Instead, we invite you to contact us, as soon as you discover the spot, so we can send you the right spot treatment developed to remove the specific spot type.
Our floors can handle it, if you drop a bit of oil or acid, but to avoid problems, please make sure, you clean up immediately. If you discover the problem too late, other solutions exist.
3. The right in-door climate
It is not only the floor that thrives in a sound in-door climate. That is also the case for human beings. In the floor sector the recommended humidity rate is 35–65 %. In the Scandinavian countries, during the winter it is not unusual to see it drop below 35 %, in particular in new modern houses, where windows and doors are well-isolated, and the ventilation system is new and efficient. We all know the feeling of dry skin and damaged lips in cold and dry weather. It is exactly the same with your wooden floor. A simple way to keep the humidity under control is to buy a hygrometer. If the humidity in the air drops below 35 %, you activate the humidifier. That will make both you and your wooden floor feel better.
4. Use furniture pads
Last, but not least – use furniture pads! That way you will avoid unnecessary wear and friction on your wooden floors. It is even more practical to use pads with nails to prevent them from falling off. Such patches for wooden furniture come in different clever and elegant designs that are easy to match, whether you have furniture in bright or dark colours.