Maintaining your wood floor

Wood is a natural material and responds to the environment in which it is installed. To extend the long life of your hardwood floor, here is some guidance.

Changes in foot traffic, the environment and the season affect the condition of the floor. Using the correct cleaning products allows a wooden floor to adapt to its surroundings and look beautiful for the years to come.

Preventative measures for Oiled and Lacquered floors

• The best way of ensuring the good condition of your floor is to use an LCD Thermometer / Hygrometer to ensure that temperature and humidity is maintained within the recommended guidelines.
• Grit and abrasive dirt particles can be very destructive and seriously shorten the lifespan of any floor finish. A dull surface will soon become apparent due to scratches and the wood may be affected by moisture and staining. Place matting at external entrances to help prevent the spread of grit and dirt to prolong the appearance and life of the floor, whilst reducing the frequency of maintenance. Matting should ideally be large enough to allow two steps across and should be of a type which can remove grit, absorb moisture and be capable of regular cleaning.
• It is advisable to fit felt or fabric-faced nail-in glides, or self-adhesive felt pads, under the legs of moveable furniture; tables and chairs can cause scratching and damage to the floor when moved. Regularly check and clean the felt feet to avoid and reduce embedded grit or particles from scratching the wood surface.
• Installing a Fidbox® would prove prudent. This is a measurement device equipped with two sensors for monitoring temperature and relative humidity. Installed underneath the hardwood floor, it records the essential data of the wood floor and its substrate every 8 hours.

Maintaining your floor

The frequency of any maintenance should reflect the condition of the floor. These guidelines are designed to provide a starting point for your maintenance programme.

• Throughout the life of the floor we recommend that the temperature should be maintained between 15°C and 25°C and the relative humidity levels between 45% and 65% which will keep any movement within the floor to a minimum and ensure that the floor remains stable. As with any wooden floor, if humidity levels rise or fall outside of these parameters, a greater degree of shrinkage or expansion can occur.
• After installation and depending on the site conditions, cleaning should use the appropriate product such as OSMO Wash and Care.

When moving heavy furniture, pick it up rather than sliding it, to best protect the floor. Discourage people to walk on the floor with stiletto-heeled shoes, as these cause damage.

Cleaning your floor

• Floors should be swept and vacuumed regularly to remove any particles of dust or grit- dust, dry mop, sweep or vacuum.
• Regular cleaning with a dry mop or vacuum cleaner is essential to remove dust, grit and other abrasive debris. However, a rotating brush vacuum cleaner is not advised if it has a support bar beneath as it can leave marks and scratches on the floor.
• For quick, easy, light cleaning you can also use a microfibre flat mop to remove most of the dust that will collect on the floor.
• Always clean smooth or brushed floors along the length of the boards.
• If you have a bandsawn floor, clean in the direction of the saw marks to minimise snagging.
• Never use wet-mop or water alone to clean floors a wood floors. Standing water can stain or damage the wood. Always use a recommended cleaner such as OSMO Wash and Care.
• Wipe up food and other spills immediately with a slightly dampened towel.