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Easy to come by.
Easy to keep.
Wood floors, properly finished, are the easiest of all floor surfaces to
keep clean and new looking unlike carpeted or resilient floors that show
wear regardless of care. Wood floors can be kept looking like new, year
after year, with minimum care.
Since the overwhelming majority of wood floors are composed of solid
hardwood, this care guide applies specifically to this type of flooring.
What is minimum care? A good rule of thumb is to vacuum and/or dust
mop weekly. A damp mop can be used for spills, and when
necessary general cleanup on floors which have non-waxed polyurethane or
a similar surface finish. When traffic areas of surface finishes begin
to show significant wear, screening, scuff sanding the finish surface
and re-coating an entire floor is the least involved choice for
maintenance. If a floor is waxed, occasional buffing helps renew the
shine and remove scuff marks that may appear in the wax coating. If the
shine cannot be renewed in heavily used lanes, occasionally re-waxing
these areas may be necessary. Intervals for completely re-waxing a floor
may extend to a year or longer when attention has been paid to proper
care.
Wood and water don't mix. No matter what finish your
wood floor has, NOFMA recommends, never pouring water on the floor.
While a damp mop may be used on polyurethane and other
surface finishes in good condition, excessive amounts
of water seep between the boards and into small scratches causing
deterioration of finishes. A damp mop should only be damp to the touch.
It should be thoroughly wrung and not dripping. Wax-coated finishes
should NEVER be cleaned or maintained with water, not
even a damp mop. Water can cause a wax finish to be dull or leave water
spots.
Read the label. The recommendations made here are not
intended to endorse specific products or brands but to serve as general
guidelines in the selection and use of floor maintenance materials.
Always follow label directions for finishes maintenance products, and
corresponding products except for directions which call for using water
on wood. And always use only
products specifically designed for wood floors and the finish applied to
your wood floor.
Preventative Maintenance
Preventative maintenance is a term more common to industrial floor
care than to residential or office floor care, but its importance cannot
be over-emphasized. Good preventative maintenance lengthens the
intervals between the major renovation operations such as re-coating,
re-waxing and refinishing. Here are some basic rules that apply to all
types of floor finishes.
 | Keep grit off the floor. Use dirt-trapping, walk-off mats at all
exterior doors to help prevent dirt, grit and sand from getting inside
the building. Throw- rugs or small sections of carpet just inside the
entrances are also recommended. Dirt and grit are any flooring's worst
enemy, and that includes carpets and vinyls as well as hardwoods. Keep
door mats clean.
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| In kitchens, use area rugs at high spill locations and at work
stations-stove, sink, refrigerator. Cotton is generally the best
fabric since it is easily washed. Mats with a smooth backing, i.e.
rubber or vinyl, may trap water beneath.
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| Finishes and certain chemicals in wood oxidize and are affected by
ultra violet light sources. This may cause the wood and finish to
change color and develop a patina or aged appearance. To avoid uneven
appearance, move area rugs occasionally and drape or shade large
windows.
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| Put fabric glides on the legs of your furniture; they allow
furniture to be moved easily without scuffing the floor. Clean the
glides regularly. Grit can become embedded in glides; clean the glides
over to prevent scratching. Some furniture may require barrel type
roller casters as ball type casters may cause damage. Grey,
non-marking rubber casters are the best. Avoid casters made of hard
materials like metals or hard plastics.
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| Vacuum regularly, as often as you vacuum carpets: a brush
attachment works beautifully. Sweep or use a dust mop daily or as
needed, but do not use a household dust treatment as this may cause
your floor to become slick, dull the finish, or interfere with
re-coating.
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| Wipe up food and other spills promptly with a dry cloth or paper
towel. Use a slightly moistened cloth for sticky spills if necessary.
Then wipe the floor dry with another cloth or paper towel.
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| Keep heels on shoes in good repair, especially high heels. Heels
that have their protective cap missing or worn away exposing the steel
support rod will dent any floor surface, even concrete.
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| By observing these simple suggestions you'll go a long way toward
keeping your hardwood floors beautiful and making their care easier. |
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Removing Stains
 For floors with polyurethane
or similar surface finishes, many stains can be prevented by simply wiping up the spilled
liquid immediately.
For waxed floors, most stains can be prevented or minimized by keeping
the floors waxed as previously suggested, and by wiping up any spilled liquid immediately.
Here are some "first-aid" suggestions for common accidents.
When removing a stain, always begin at the outer edge and work toward the middle to
prevent it from spreading.
- Dried milk or food stains: You may remove the superficial dried material with a
sharpened blade. Be careful not to scratch the finish. Rub spot with damp cloth. Rub dry.
Re-wax for waxed finish.
- Stains and spots caused by standing water: For wax finish- Rub spot with No. 1
steel wool and re-wax. If this fails, sand lightly with fine sandpaper 90 to 120 grit.
Clean spot and surrounding area using No. 1 or 0 steel wool and mineral spirits or a wood
floor cleaner. Let floor dry. Apply matching finish on floor, feathering out into
surrounding area. Wax after finish dries thoroughly. For surface finishes- use
recommenced cleaner and buff vigorously with clean towel.
- Dark spots: For wax finish- (a) Clean spot and surrounding area with No. 2 steel wood
and a wood floor cleaner or mineral spirits. (b) Thoroughly wash spotted area with
household vinegar. Allow it to remain for three or four minutes. (c) If spot remains, sand
with fine sandpaper, follow the grain pattern of the wood, feathering out 3 to 4 inches
into surrounding area, re-wax and polish. (d) If two repeated applications of vinegar do
not remove spot, apply oxalic acid solution directly on the spot. Proportions are one
ounce oxalic acid to one quart water or fractions thereof. CAUTION: This
is a poison; use rubber gloves. Pour a small amount directly on the spot and let solution
stand one hour. Sponge spot with clear water. A second treatment may be helpful if spot
refuses to yield. (e) If second application of oxalic acid fails, sand area with No.80 to
120 grit sandpaper, follow the grain, and apply matching finish, feathering out into
surrounding floor area. Let dry. Buff lightly with No. 0 steel wool. Apply second coat of
finish, let dry and wax. If spot is still visible, the only remaining remedy is to replace
the affected flooring. (Note: Oxalic acid is a bleaching agent. Whenever it is used, the
treated floor area will probably have to be stained and refinished to match the original
color.) For surface finishes. Remove finish and treat as above, but do not wax.
After area is thoroughly dry coat with surface finish.
- Heel marks, caster marks, etc: For wax finish--Rub vigorously with fine steel
wool and wood floor cleaner. Wipe dry and polish. For surface finishes--Use cleaner
to wipe off mark. Some marks may be carefully scraped up with a sharpened blade.
- Ink stains: Follow same procedure as for other dark spots.
- Animal and diaper stains: Spots that are not too old may sometimes be removed in the
same manner as other dark spots. If spots resist cleaning efforts replace affected strips,
sand and finish.
- Mold or mildew: A surface condition caused by damp, stagnant air. After seeing that
proper ventilation is provided for the room--For waxed finish-The mold can usually
be removed with a wood floor cleaning liquid and No. 1 steel wool. For surface finishes--If
mold is on the surface, wipe up with appropriate cleaner. If mold is under the finish,
refinishing is necessary.
- Chewing gum, crayon, candle wax: Scrape the major residue with a razor blade. Apply ice
until the deposit is brittle enough to crumble off. Cleaning fluid poured around the area
(not on it) can seep under the deposit and loosen it.
- Cigarette burns: For waxed finish--If not too deep, steel wool will often remove
them. Moisten steel wool with soap and water to increase effectiveness. Re-wax. For
surface finishes--Scraping the affected area only with a sharpened blade. Apply a dab
of finish where the finish has been scraped away.
- Alcohol spot: For waxed finish-Rub with liquid or paste wax, silver polish, boiled
linseed oil, or cloth barely dampened in ammonia. Re-wax affected area. For surface
finishes-Generally not affected.
- Oil and grease stains: For waxed finish-Rub on a kitchen soap having a high lye
content, TSP (tri sodium phosphate) or saturate cotton with hydrogen peroxide and place
over stain; then saturate a second layer of cotton with ammonia and place over the first.
Repeat until the stain is removed. NOTE: Ammonia may discolor the wood. For surface
finishes-Wipe up with mineral spirits or TSP (tri sodium phosphate). Buff with clean
pad or towel.
- Wax build-up: Oak floors that have not had proper care may acquire wax build-up. Strip
all the old wax away with mineral spirits or a wood floor cleaner. Use cloths and fine
steel wool to clean and remove all the residue before applying new wax. It's a good idea
to perform this complete stripping job every now and then. Stripping removes all the old
wax and dirt that partially hides the beauty and color of the wood grain and builds up
inevitably over a period of time.
Refinishing
Wood floors that have become unsightly from years of wear or neglect can be restored to
their original beauty. Machine sanding removes the old finish and exposes new wood. With
the application of a finishing material, floors are like new again. While the highly
skilled home craftsman may want to undertake the task of refinishing, it is usually
advisable to have a professional floor refinisher do the work to be assured of best
results.
Standard wood tones or other colors are readily available in penetrating sealers.
Coloring floors with pigmented penetrating sealer will not obscure the grain markings.
The general term for adding any tone to a wood floor is "staining." But
stains get their color from dyes or pigments, which are sensitive to light, so stained
floors may fade if exposed to continued brightness. For this reason, we recommend the use
of penetrating sealers containing staining pigments for most refinishing.
Cracks and Squeaks.
What to do if they occur
 All the wood in your home will contract
or expand according to the moisture in the air. Doors and windows may swell and stick
during rainy seasons. In dry, cold weather, cracks and fine lines of separation may appear
in wall cabinets and furniture. This is characteristic of wood because wood is a product
of nature, and its natural quality is what makes it desirable.
Cracks--The same reaction to humidity or the lack of it is happening
constantly in your wood floors. Tiny cracks between edges of boards may appear when dry
conditions are produced by your heating system. This can usually be REDUCED simply by
installing a humidifier. Both family and floors benefit from a healthier environment and a
balance of moisture content in the house.
Squeaks-When interiors become damp in rainy weather, boards may expand so that
edges rub together and produce a squeak. Improper fastening of the floor or subfloor can
also cause squeaks. To correct this, first try lubrication.
A liberal amount of liquid wax may do the job with waxed floors. Or sift a small amount
of powdered soap stone, talcum powder, or powdered graphite between adjacent boards where
the noise occurs. Another method is to drive triangular glazier points between the strips
using a putty knife to set them below the surface.
If that doesn't work, drive 2" finishing nails through pilot holes drilled into
the face of the flooring. Nails should be placed near edges of the boards. Set them with a
nail set and hide with matching color putty.
The best solution requires more work and can be accomplished only where there is access
beneath the floor (crawl space or basement). This involves placing wood screws from below.
They are inserted through the subfloor and into the finish floor to pull the flooring
strips tight to the subfloor. Our association has instructions on doing this and will be
glad to furnish you with a copy at no charge. |
