Proper care and maintenance will help ensure your floor always looks its best. Simply follow our maintenance and prevention steps outlined below to protect your investment and safeguard your warranty.
Initial Care
Follow installation, clean with a cleaner designed for real wood floors with an aluminum oxide finish. If the floor was glued down, remove any residual adhesive with the appropriate adhesive remover.
Ongoing Routine Care and Maintenance
- Vacuum, sweep or dust mop your floor once a week, or more if needed. The vacuum head must be brush or felt, and a wand attachment is preferable. Do not use vacuums with beater bars or hard heads. A swivel-head mop with terry cloth cover is also recommended to eliminate finer particles of grit and dirt that can act like sandpaper on hardwood floors.
- Spills and tracked-in dirt should be wiped up immediately.
- Never-apply wax treatments to your urethane-coated floor.
- Regularly clean the floor with swivel-head mop with cloth cover. Spray a wood floor cleaner directly onto the floor or on the mop cover. DO NOT allow cleaner to remain on the floor’s surface. Excess liquid may damage the fiber of the wood.
- NEVER CLEAN OR WET MOP WITH WATER. Water may permanently damage the floor.
- Area rugs are recommended in front of kitchen sinks, at all pivot points and within high-traffic areas. Do not use rugs with solid rubber or vinyl backings. The rugs must be made of a breathable material to prevent moisture entrapment.
- Use interior and exterior doormats at all entrances to collect dirt and moisture and prevent it from being tracked onto the floor.
- NEVER USE ANY OF THE FOLLOWING PRODUCTS (OR PRODUCTS SIMILAR IN NATURE) ON YOUR FLOOR: ammonia-based cleaners, acrylic finishes, wax-based products, detergents, bleach, polishes oil soap, abrasive cleaning soaps, or acidic materials such as vinegar. Many of these products can pit or etch the finish of your flooring or prevent the proper use of recommended maintenance materials.
- Keep animal nails trimmed to minimize scratches.
- Do not damage your floor with shoes having heel taps or sharp objects protruding from the sole such as rocks, exposed nails and gravel.
- Avoid walking on wood floors with spike or stiletto-heeled shoes. Spike or stiletto high-heels must be properly maintained to prevent damage from the steel heel support.
- Do not roll or slide heavy objects directly upon the floor. When moving appliances or heavy furniture, consider laying a solid protective covering on your floor and gently “walk” the item across it. Carpet or cardboard is not adequate to prevent surface compression scratches.
- Use furniture leg protector pads under all furniture and make certain to keep them clean and well maintained.
- Replace hard, narrow furniture rollers with wide rubber rollers.
- Keep the relative humidity in your home between 35% and 55%.
- Protect your floor from direct sunlight. Use curtains and UV resistant film on large glass doors and windows.
- Real wood will expand and contract with change in humidity control in the home, as well as proper acclimation prior to installation.