Any type of floor requires care, whether it be bare hardwood floors or flooring covered with carpeting or linoleum or tile. Hardwood floors can be scratched by dirt, dented by high-heel shoes, or ruined by water, so care must be taken.

The elegance of hardwood floors improves the appearance of practically any home, with the lustrous brown or golden tones adding a touch of life to the rest of the decor.

When you lay your hardwood floor, you’ll find that there are many styles and colors of wood to choose from, from as to birch to cherry to hickory to maple to oak. The style of the floor also varies, from parquet, to plank, to strip. And finally, the colors vary from blonds to reds to honey to natural. So matter what decor you have, you will find a type of hardwood floor to complement it.

Hardwood floors are durable, but they do need to be taken care of. But then – so do carpets! Unlike a carpet, hardwood floors – properly treated – are not stained irreparably if you spill a glass of cranberry juice or something similar on them – so long as you clean it up immediately. Carpets may hide the bits of grit or sand that may come off your shoes as you enter the home, but they do dirty your carpet. However, it is slightly more serious on hardwood floors, as the finish can be scratched by ground in dirt. So its best to take care to ensure that this doesn’t happen. Prevention is always better than cure.

Mats and Rugs
Mats with bristles placed outside your doors will allow visitors to wipe their feet. Once they enter the house, shoes should be discarded and replaced with indoor slippers to wear instead. (This is a good idea even if you do have carpeting, as it’ll save you having to vacuum more often than necessary.)

Furniture
It’s always a good idea to place felt pads under all furniture legs, so that they may be moved about easily when you’re cleaning. Move furniture carefully so as not to gouge or scratch the floors.

Water
Excessive water can damage hardwood floors just as it will damage carpet. Hardwood floors are usually treated to repel water – nevertheless any spills should be cleaned up immediately. If you have a hardwood floor in your kitchen, area rugs in front of the refrigerator (if it has an icemaker), the dishwasher, and the kitchen sink are essential.

Daily Care For Hardwood Floors
There are no special tools needed to clean your hardwood floors on a daily basis – a broom works just fine.

Weekly Care
Hardwood floors are usually waxed, or have a polyurethane coating over them. Just as with cleaning linoleum, or even furniture made of wood, you’ll want to make sure you use the proper cleaner so that the finish doesn’t yellow. Consult with the manufacturer of your flooring to learn which cleaner they recommend. If you’re going to mop your floor, make sure you use a very dry damp mop – excess water can seep into seams and ruin a wood floor.

However, with the proper care, your hardwood floors will grace your home for a long time to come.

Andrew Caxton is the journalist of consumer websites, who has written more articles on cleaning floors for http://www.home-decorating-reviews.com . A website with tips on hardwood floors, amongst many related topics.

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The rich quality of natural hardwood floors, provide that upscale appearance to any home. The floors are enhanced with age as they develop rich patinas that are unlike any other flooring material or any other floor – every hardwood floor is unique. With a quality that has endured through the ages, hardwood floors are rugged and relatively easy to clean and maintain.

Daily Care

Dirt, grit, and sand are the biggest enemies of a hardwood floor. They create fine scratches on the finish and can imbed themselves in the finish and the cracks between slats or boards. In order to prevent any dirt, grit, and sand from scratching and dulling the surface finish use a vacuum with a non-reciprocating brush attachment regularly. I do not recommend the use of an upright vacuum that uses a reciprocating brush as the brush itself can scratch the surface of the floor. Once or twice a month use a very lightly damp (not wet) mop to clean grime. I also do not recommend the use of products such as the dry mop Swiffer, as these types of mops push the grit and sand under a cloth and across the surface and can act in a similar manner to sandpaper.

The use of small area rugs and doormats will protect the hardwood in high traffic areas and capture dirt and sand prior to them damaging the finish of your hardwood floor.

Today’s hardwood floors are finished with high durability polyurethane, which is somewhat impervious to moisture. In most cases, this finish was applied to the slats or boards prior to installation, which means that the joints do not have any sealer protecting water ingress between them. Older floors may be finished with wax or varnish. Whatever the finish, any liquid, or food spills should be wiped immediately with a damp cloth followed by a dry clean towel – absorbent paper towel works well. If liquid is allowed to sit on hardwood floors, it will seep between the slats or boards, which could cause warping to occur.

In some cases even after reacting to a spill quickly you may see a water stain. Use a wood floor cleaner to remove the water stain. Do not use liquid soap. Rinse the wood floor cleaner with a mild solution of vinegar and water and then wipe with a clean cloth or paper towel. If the stain persists you can use some ultra fine sand paper, 600 grit, or some #0000 steel wool. Use the sandpaper or steel wool and rub very gently in line with the grain. Once the stain has been removed you can buff with a clean cloth and if necessary wax or apply polyurethane or varnish which ever is the original finish.

Quarterly Care

Every few months your hardwood floor should be cleaned with a hardwood floor cleaner in order to remove accumulated grease and grime. Always use a floor cleaner with a neutral pH.

Never apply ammonia-based cleaners, liquid soap detergent or any cleaner that has an abrasive substance in it. Any of the aforementioned cleaners will damage the surface finish and in some cases actually strip the finish from the floor.

If your hardwood floor has a wax finish, it should be buffed once or twice a year. Scuffmarks that occur on waxed floors can be removed with spot buffing, if and when required. A hardwood floor with a polyurethane finish never needs buffing and it should not be waxed.

Preventative Care

Use felt pads under furniture legs and feet in order to prevent your hardwood floor from being gouged or dented. Try to avoid dropping sharp or heavy objects as this may cause gouging and dents to occur. UV rays from the sun will fade and discolor hardwood floors. A polyurethane finish on your floor should protect it from fading from UV rays coming through windows. However, varnish and wax both yellow when in direct sunlight. If you are unsure of the finish on your hardwood floor, it is probably wise to close drapes and blinds in order to block the UV rays from direct contact with the hardwood floor. Sunlight is known to change the color of some hardwood floors dramatically.

A hardwood floor is a major investment and to keep it looking like new for generations to come a little tender loving care is well justified.

Additional information on
hardwood flooring.

Home improvement, remodel and landscaping information.

Bill Prudehome has more than 25 years experience in home improvement, remodel and landscaping. Through his website – Renovation-Headquarters.com he provides a wealth of information on all aspects of home improvement, remodel and landscaping.

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Hardwood floors are an excellent investment for any home, promoting resale value and interior warmth. However, if the floors are not properly cared for, this investment won’t yield as well. Hardwood floors are not hard to maintain, and compared with carpet and other surfaces that are more difficult to clean or require replacement, hardwood floors can be considered relatively low maintenance. But proper care is essential to keep the floors in good shape, and to give them a nice shine.

As with all flooring, hardwood floors must be cleaned, but they must be cleaned correctly. The correct way to clean urethane-stained floors is to mop them with a damp mop. Using vacuum and bristle brooms daily will help keep the floor clean. But when it comes time to really clean the floor, use a damp mop. Allowing dirt and grime to collect on the floor, and walking on this grime over as period of time can damage the finish. Using a small amount of water shouldn’t hurt the finished wood, but don’t pour out water and mop it like you would with kitchen tile. A damp mop or dust rag is all that should be needed, and it should be light enough in water that it will dry in minutes. Be sure to understand what type of finish your floor has, and what the suggested cleaning methods are. Using soaps and oils can void manufacturer warranties on many floors.

Another way to protect hardwood floors is to use throw rugs or walk-off mats in areas of high traffic. For example, in the entry way where people come in through the house, the traffic is likely to be greater in an isolated spot, and thus the floors will wear unevenly in this spot. This would make a great place for an area rug. Watch your floors over time, and consider putting some sort of rug or other type of protection on areas that receive more wear. It is especially important to use rugs on wood floors in kitchens in front of sinks and stoves.

Floor protectors on the bottom of furniture is highly recommended. You will want to pay special attention to rolling chairs with rubber wheels like those often found in offices. These chairs have a tendency to leave rubber trails on the wood floors. If you have such a chair, consider putting a rug underneath it.

There are two primary finishes on hardwood floors: urethane finishes and wax. You should never wax a urethane finished floor. If your urethane floor is extremely worn, you may need to refinish it which will involve sanding and applying sealer. However, if you clean the floor regularly, using only soaps recommended by the manufacturer, and you protect problem areas, you should avoid needing to refinish the floor for many years.

Wax floors require occasional waxing. It really isn’t a lot different than cleaning and waxing your car. You will need to clean the floors first, and buff areas that are worn with high traffic. Occasionally, you will need to buff on additional wax in the worn areas. With wax finished, just as with urethane finishes, you should know the manufacturers recommended care procedures.

With proper maintenance, your hardwood floors should last for the lifetime of your house, and look shiny and new for many years.

Rex Ryan is a hardwood floor bargain hunter, and maintains a website on hardwood floor protection.

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Carpet used to be the most popular floor covering around, but it’s always had it’s problems. Dust and dirt get trapped in carpet easily, making it difficult to clean, and likely to start looking bad and aggravating people’s allergies over time. It is also difficult to have carpet in nice colours, as light colours are much more prone to being stained by dropped food or drink, necessitating the use of expensive cleaning products that may not even work.
Hardwood flooring solves all these problems. It can be light-coloured while remaining easy to clean, as there is no way for stains or dirt to get attached to it. Wood floors also tend to have interesting natural patterns, which are usually much better than the flowery or swirly-patterned carpets they replace. Also hardwood, as opposed to softwood, will not dent or scratch if heavy objects are dropped or placed on it.
Of course, this doesn’t mean that hardwood flooring doesn’t have problems of its own. To begin with, it is often expensive, as natural materials must be used instead of synthetic ones. It also tends to take longer to lay, as it must be laid in strips instead of being cut to size and laid all at once as carpet can be. Wood floor can lose its shine over time, making it dull in appearance, yet at the same time stays slippery, making it dangerous to walk on in socks.
For most people, though, the advantages of wood floor over other kinds of flooring outweigh the disadvantages. If you’re thinking of getting hardwood flooring, it is usually best to get the highest quality floor you can afford. If you’re not convinced of the value you’ll be getting for your money, have a walk around in a house that has cheap wood flooring compared to one that has gone to some extra expensive: the worst wood floors are little better than laminate, while the best ones can be truly excellent.

John Gibb is the owner of hardwood flooring guides, For more information on hardwood floors please check out http://www.Hardwood-Flooring-Sources.Info

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A beautiful hardwood floor is an asset to almost any home, and more and more homeowners are using hardwood floors to bring warmth and style to their home. But once you have a beautiful wood floor installed, what can you do to make sure that it stays looking gorgeous for years to come?

The very first thing you should know about hardwood floors is that water is one of its worst enemies. So if any spills take place, be sure to clean them up as soon as you possibly can. In fact, it may be a good idea not only to wipe out the spill, but also use a wet/dry vacuum to make sure that you get all of the moisture out of the floor.

That also means that when you are cleaning your floor with a mop, it’s best to use a very dry damp mop that will not leave any excess water on the floor that can seep into the seams and cause problems.

To avoid the moisture problem, most often it’s best to either sweep your wood floors or vacuum them instead. Sweeping should always be done with a very soft bristle broom, and whenever you vacuum be sure that it is set properly for use on would floors. Do not try to use the same setting for your carpet on your wood floors too.

Much damage can also be inflicted on a wood floor from moving objects across the floor. From time to time we all move furniture around, but on a wood floor you have to think very carefully before making the move. You never want to drag furniture across the floor, as this is an excellent way to badly damage and mar your floor. If you have to move furniture in the room where your wood floor is located, be sure to take the furniture up off the floor when moving, or use special furniture pads that will allow you to glide the furniture across the floor without leaving a mark.

Keeping dirt, sand, and grit off your floor will be very important. So the proper use of carpeting can really help extend the life of a wood floor. Using a floor mat at each entrance will help catch dirt and grit as a person walks into the room instead of depositing it on the hardwood floor. In addition, using area rugs and runners can be another very effective first line of defense against harmful abrasive materials that can wear down the beauty and shine of even the best wood floor. And be sure to keep your rugs and runners well vacuumed.

If at all possible, try to keep family and visitors from wearing shoes, or especially high heels on hardwood floors, as these can easily do damage and cause dents.

Finally, a good practice is to install furniture pads underneath the legs of any chairs or tables that are placed on your wood floor. They are usually readily available at most home improvement stores or hardware stores and are very inexpensive. That they can go a long way toward protecting your wood floors from unnecessary damage.

None of these suggestions are hard to follow, or will cost very much to implement. But if you put them in practice on a regular basis, you can expect to see your wood floors continue to look bright, shiny, and beautiful for many years to come.

You can find the best laminate flooring and cheap laminate flooring by visiting our Home Improvement website.

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There’s good news about hardwood floors. Because of advanced construction and finish technologies, they are now more stable than they were in the past. There are three types of hardwood floors: engineered, longstrip, and solid. Within these basic types, there are many variations, so it is worth getting information about many products before determining which one is right for you.

When determining the style and material for your flooring, it is important to consider the areas to be floored, size of the areas in square feet, type of subfloor, your preference for pre-finished or unfinished flooring and stain color. You must also decide whether you will install the floor yourself or hire a professional.

Flooring installation methods, which include floating, nail-down, glue-down and staple-down, are not to be tested by an amateur. Of these methods, glue-down flooring would be comparatively easy for a newcomer to install. Inexperienced persons should not try nail-down installation on their own as it requires special skills and lots of time.

Comparing prices and products at different supplier stores and home centers before finalizing the flooring will help you to find the best deal. If you are confused or uncertain about the product, consult a shop-keeper or installer. While placing an order for material, do not forget to order installation material such as adhesives, nails, tools and so on.

Hard Wood Floors provides detailed information on installing, cleaning and refinishing various types of hardwood floors, including engineered, solid, long-strip, exotic, pre-finished, and cheap hardwood floors. Hard Wood Floors is the sister site of Bamboo Flooring Web.

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When you are considering a home remodel or upgrade, flooring is one of the major considerations. For homes with aged hardwood floors, it can be a challenge financially and physically to find the best solution to the problem scratches, dents and water damage have caused to your flooring over the years.

Replace the Flooring

Your first option is to completely remove and then replace the aged flooring. Hardwood is expensive in comparison to other flooring options, but there is simply no substitute when it comes to aesthetics. If you love the look of hardwood, but you can’t salvage the flooring you already have, remove it and replace it all with a new variety or just replace the most heavily damaged sections to be more budget conscious.

Refinish the Wood

Refinishing might be the ideal solution to wood flooring that has only surface damage such as nicks and scrapes from heavy use and time. Rotted wood or wood that has been warped due to water damage can not be refinished, but if you can simply remove the top layer of the wood and reseal it, your floors will appear brand new again.

Cover the Wood with Carpet

If you’re trying to find the most cost effective solution for a new option in the room or home, it is simple to lay carpet over the hardwood flooring so long as the wood is not damaged to a point where it is unleveled or unsafe. Scarred wooden planks disappear under beautiful new rooms of carpet and the price is far less in most cases that refinishing the wood. If you do elect to cover your wooden flooring with carpet, be sure not to glue the carpet pad to the boards – this might be something you or a future owner would regret down the road when you decide to remove the carpet and use the hardwood again.

Invest in Large Area Rugs

Rather than install all new carpet, cover the bulk of the aged floor using area rugs. You can buy designer rugs that suit the style of your room and cover large portions of damaged flooring or you can have a room-sized rug custom-made from a carpet retailer. Select a carpet and the retailer can have the edges bound to make a rug of almost any size. Simply unroll the rug in the room and only the edges of the wood will show. This gives the impression of a wooden floor without the wear and tear being visible and spoiling the effect.

Distress the Whole Floor

Rather than agonize about one section of flooring that has been scratched, make the whole floor match that single section. Distressed hardwood flooring is extremely popular is it doesn’t show any wear and tear over the years as new damage is simply integrated into existing, intentional damage. Consult a flooring expert to determine the best way to distress the hardwood yourself and you’ll save considerable amounts over other flooring options.

If you are looking to [http://www.hardwoodflooringco.com/buy-hardwood-flooring.html]buy a hardwood floor be sure to check out the [http://www.hardwoodflooringco.com]hardwood flooring guide for useful information and advice on selecting, buying and caring for wooden floors at HardwoodFlooringCo.com

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Ralph_Hardington http://EzineArticles.com/?Five-Ways-to-Improve-Aged-Hardwood-Flooring&id=1867437

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