Treating Your Floor With Care

A well-maintained wooden floor, especially one made of hardwood can last for many years. Cleaning such a floor before applying polish is mandatory and the cleaning itself is not very hard. To get the best results, a daily sweep is recommended. The simplest way to do it is by using a microfiber mop daily to remove any dirt or dust that might be left on your wooden floor. If any dust is left it may ruin the polish or even worse - become the cause of scratches.

Cleaning a wooden floor once a week with a vacuum cleaner and damp mop will certainly help in removing the dirt in hard-to-reach places like corners. Avoid using too much water when cleaning. A light sweep with a small amount of liquid is enough and the proper way to keep hardwood flooring clean. Polishing a wooden floor is best done every few months if you truly desire to preserve the look. The recommended time between polishing is two to three months. In its very nature polishing is simply the process of renewing the finish protecting your hardwood floor by filling miniature scratches and evening out the protective surface. It is once every three to five years that you may want to consider sanding and refinishing your floor completely to remove deep scratches which are inevitable with the flow of time.

Many floor cleaning products can be used to perform a cleaning, yet even water can get the job done on a solid hardwood floor. A word of warning, though. If the sealing coat is already damaged the water can and will seep into the wood potentially distorting it. Water may dull the floor's finish over time.

When it comes to floor finishes the choices are again, many. Penetrating oil sealers are easy to apply even for an amateur, give mild odour and are non-toxic. Should be reapplied every 2 to 3 years. Polyurethane products come in different variations and are in general more hard-wearing.

Re-Coating And Re-Oiling Wooden Floors

Re-coating is the process of applying a new coat of finish to a hardwood floor. It is often confused with refinishing. The difference lies in the fact that when refinishing you are removing the already existing finish. When re-coating you are not. You can even change the colour of the existing finish or reapply it again, but you do not remove it. It is cheaper than refinishing and extends the life of your floor, but it can also reduce the number of times it could be refinished in the future. It is the best option when you simply like the look your floor already has and want to preserve it without too much hassle. It is not always possible to re-coat a floor. Sometimes the scratches are too deep, the damage too severe and even if the finish alone is damaged, the application of a new coat will not make the damage already done invisible. Regular re-coating will save you time and money.

Re-coating is certainly an easier and less time-consuming process to do than refinishing, but it can still be challenging. It's important to know what type of finish is already used on the floor. As long as it is not waxed and you use a polyurethane finish you are safe to move on. The first step is the removal of a small amount of finish by lightly buffing the floor (but not too much). After this, it's important to clean the floor and give it some time to dry up. Matching the coat's colour can be tough too if you don't know the original product used. The application of the finish itself is not too hard if you go around the edges of the wall first and follow the grain as much as possible. The coating can be applied after the finish to have the time to dry. Re-coating done properly can ensure that a beautiful piece of furniture is around for your guests to see and admire.

Oils are the preferred floor finishing product for people who prefer a warm and natural look on their floor that often comes at the cost of protection compared to lacquers. Much like re-coating, the process of re-oiling requires regular maintenance of the floor to be all effective. How often this has to be performed depends a lot on the amount of traffic your wood floor suffers. The maintenance of such a floor is not too much of a problem - using a vacuum cleaner and a moist mop is usually enough to keep the oiled floor in good condition. Our highly trained team is properly prepared to treat your wooden floor and provide free advice for any re-oiling or re-coating problems you may have at 020 70360623.