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Top 5 Questions Regarding Hardwood Floors

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Investing in a quality Hardwood floor for your home is a smart choice.  Wood flooring will add value, give you pride in your home, and bring you pleasure every time you walk in the door, but there are things you must consider before you buy.

  1. Do I buy Raw or pre-finished Hardwood?

Buying a pre-stained and pre-finished hardwood will make onsite installation much faster and so much cleaner for you. About the only time to consider an unfinished board (to be stained on site), is if you are extending and trying to match a flooring color already in your home.

  1. How do Hardwood floors deal with Moisture?

Like most “natural” products, Hardwood will be affected by water, moisture and even humidity.  For this reason it is not recommended that you install hardwood in areas such as Bathrooms, or other areas where water is likely to collect, or where steam or other factors create high humidity.

  1. What are the best ways to Clean Hardwood floors?

The best way to maintain your hardwood floor is by regular vacuuming or sweeping. This is the best way to avoid scratches that will otherwise damage the finish as a result of dirt and grit on the surface.  Stop unnecessary moisture reaching your flow with good quality mats placed inside and outside your entry doors.  When choose a broom, look for a soft brush or static mop. You will also need a good hardwood floor vacuum with rubberized (scratch free) wheels and a brushroll that can be turned off to avoid scratching by the Vacuum head.   Wipe up spills quickly, and when mopping use a specialty Hardwood floor cleaner and a low moisture mop system.

 

  1. Can I install Hardwood Flooring Myself?

This is a popular question with D.I.Y types, and to be honest, I have done it myself, but unless you really are an experienced handyman type it’s probably best left to the experts. Before laying your Hardwood Flooring, it must be expertly leveled. Skirtings will need to be removed (and replaced later with floating ones). After that, an underlay suitable to your environment needs to be laid, and then the boards can be introduced. You will need appropriate joiners for doorways before you start and give careful thought to which way you want the boards to run in order to get the best visual result by having boards run along the length of your longer spaces, not across them.  Not so easy to do when laying multiple rooms.

 

 

  1. Can you have pets if your house has hardwood floors?

We love our pets, but introducing them into a home with hardwood floors adds another element when it comes to maintenance.  Any pet is going to drop hair and dander to some degree. Long haired cats and dogs will drop more. They will also bring in more dirt and grit from outside. Risks are largely removed if you sweep or vacuum regularly to remove pet hair, dirt and dust.

There is also a risk of a water bowl being upended leading to part of your floor being subjected to possible water damage so make sure it is on an absorbent mat and check it regularly. On top of that active energetic dogs can leave scratches, so if you have one, especially a younger dog you will want to watch it closely.

28 thoughts on “Top 5 Questions Regarding Hardwood Floors”

  3. miniwick says:

    hardwood flooring is the most widely used flooring in us . you have raised some good points while choosing a hardwood floors. the cleaning becomes a major problem while we have pets with us.

    Reply
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