Sunday, May 25, 2008

Hardwood floors

Regular care for your hardwood floors

Below are some ideas for Regular care for your hardwood floors

1. Sweeping. Use the floor brushes with fine, expandable ends to catch all the dust and grit effectively.

2. Vacuuming. Use the specially made canister vacuums with special bare floor attachments. They are the safest way remove all the dirt and dust.

3. Dusting Mop. Use a efficient dust mop. The dust mop should have 12 to 18 inch cotton head and a special dust mop application. Aerosol the treatment onto the mop head 12 to 24 hours before dust mopping.

What types of hardwood floors are there?

Oak and maple are the most popular hardwoods used in flooring.

Ash, beech,birch, cherry, hickory and walnut are elaborate hardwoods that are used for floors and decorative accents.

Follow these steps to evaluate the condition of your hardwood floor and its finish

1. Finish Condition. Check closely if the finish been dinged or is it just unclean. See if the finish is lacking in richness or intensity of color, chipped, scraped or gouged. In order to inspect if the finish decayed, begin in a high-traffic area and pour one to two tablespoons of water onto the floor. If the water soaks in rightaway and leaves a darkened spot, the finish is obsolete and water can destroy the wood. If the water soaks in after a few minutes and darkens the wood only slightly, the finish is partially worn. If the water dots on top, the surface is properly sealed. Repeat this test in low- and medium-traffic areas.

2. Wood Condition. Check to see if the finish is obsolete, the wood may have been damaged. Check the areas for stains, burns, cuts, gouges, holes, cracks or warped boards. If the wood is damaged repair or replacement may be required.