Hardwood floors have a great reputation for being tough, durable, and easy to manage. However, they are not indestructible. Many people have the expectation that they can just walk all over their wood floors and they’ll just lay there and take it, but if you’re not careful you can cause harm to your wood floors. Damage to hardwood floors can be costly. Fortunately, protecting your hardwood floors is not, you just have to take the time to put some protective measures in place.
Protecting hardwood floors
There are few things that can damage hardwood floors, but the things that can quickly rack up some serious repair bills. Although you can’t avoid all wear and tear, there are some simple preventative measures you can take to protect your floors.
Match floors to your lifestyle
Before you decide on hardwood floors, think about your lifestyle. If you have pets, kids, and love to throw parties then your floors are going to see a lot of foot (and paw) traffic. Choose floors that can handle your lifestyle, that way they will stay beautiful for longer.
No shoe policy
We all know that preventative measures are most cheaper than having to repair problems. Having a “no shoes inside the house” policy is one of the most effective preventative measures to protect hardwood floors. Not only are some shoes, like heels, terrible for your floors, but even soft-soled shoes and sneakers can carry in debris that can damage your floors.
Doormats
If you can’t enforce a “no shoes” policy, then at the very least, make sure that everyone wipes off their shoes before they walk into the house. Doormats can ensure that shoes have a clean sole and aren’t tracking in tiny rocks, dirt, and moisture that can warp, scratch, ding, and dent your floors.
Area rugs and felt
Area rugs are both a decorative and protective tool for a home with hardwood floors. With furniture that is placed directly on the wood, be sure to add felt to the bottom of the furniture. Even if you think the piece of furniture is stationary – like a couch – there will be times when every piece of furniture gets moves about. Make sure that your floors aren’t being scraped and scratched by heavy furniture.
Move area rugs and furniture
Hardwood floors will change over time. Exposure to sunlight will make parts of your floors change quicker or differently than parts that are in the shade or covered by rugs. Aging floors and the natural patina that occurs is a beautiful process, but you want to move furniture and rugs around so that your floors are getting an even amount of sunlight exposure for an even aging process. Otherwise, you’ll have a patchy floor.
Moisture protection
Make sure that you place mats under anything that could expose your floors to moisture or water. Homes with pets will have water bowls standing on the floor. Place plastic mats under the bowls to catch any spills, and keep an eye on that area to make sure that they aren’t being exposed to prolonged waster spills. You may also want to look into placing mats under potted plants that stand on the floor.
Protecting your hardwood floors is easy, you just need to put a few preventative measures in place from the beginning.
For more information or advice on hardwood floors, consult with an expert at T&G Flooring.