Your new flooring purchase is a long term investment and with a small amount of care and maintenance optimum performance and enjoyment is ensured. The following care and maintenance tips will assist you in keeping your flooring looking at its best.
Dirt and grit can lead to excess wear and scratching. We recommend using dirt trapping mats at all exterior doors to minimise dirt, sand and grit that might be brought inside. Small rugs and hall runners are also helpful in collecting the dirt that can scratch your floor.
Place felt pads under all furniture Timber flooring will fade, darken or change shade over time. Exposure to sunlight will increase this process. Rotate rugs periodically and protect the floor from direct sunlight with curtains or blinds.
Frequent vacuuming (Ensure the vacuum head has no protruding sharp edges and soft bristle), sweeping with a soft bristled broom or an electrostatic mop will keep your timber floor looking better for longer.
Never use a steam mop. Never clean your timber floor with common household detergents, polishes, steel wool pads, wax or similar products. The use of a pH neutral floor cleaner can help remove stubborn stains (Use as per manufacturer's instructions) Never wet or saturate a timber floor. Over wetting a floor when mopping or cleaning can change the moisture balance and cause a floor to expand with some resulting in cupping. For this reason, it is important to ensure that mops and cloths are well wrung so that little water solution as possible wets the floor. Wipe up spills and leaks promptly with a dry cloth or dry paper towel.
Maintain an ambient air temperature to avoid dryness that may cause gaps and moisture increases that cause cupping and cracking. Do not run air conditioning units or lock up areas without sufficient air flow for long periods of time. Accident do happen. Ensure your new flooring is covered in your home insurance policy. The ATFA (Australian Timber Flooring Association ) website is an excellent source of information concerning all types of timber flooring.