3 essentials for great looking floors
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Hardwood floors are timeless. They’re classic. They add to a home’s value and give the sense of strength and stability. We’re big fans of hardwood floors, obviously. A few things to consider in the care of hardwood floors—we’ll call them ‘essentials’—-will keep your floors looking fabulous for years to come.
#1: invest in a humidity monitor
Even the most carefully and accurately installed hardwood floors can and will gap in the winter. If the air in your home has a low moisture content, or low relative humidity (RH), your wood loses moisture and when wood loses moisture, its only choice is to shrink and, therefore, will gap even more. Keeping your home within a 20 degree swing in relative humidity year round will help with gaps (as well as preventing cupping- the opposite of gaps). Here in Kentucky, we advise that a relative humidity be kept between 30-50% year round. Investing a small amount in a relative humidity monitor can help determine if you need to reduce or add moisture in your home. Here’s an inexpensive 2 pack of relative humidity monitors. And here’s one equipped with wifi.
#2: clean wisely & regularly
The best tool to use when cleaning hardwood floors is a microfiber mop. We advise spraying your microfiber mop with a cleaner specifically made for hardwood floors (here’s our fave) and then gently misting the floors with this cleaner as you go. Don’t saturate your hardwood floors with water. Never use vinegar or ammonia as they are acidic and can dull and damage your floor’s finish—and we know you don’t want that! Don’t use dish soap or laundry soap either.
#3: felt pads on all your furniture
Felt pads on the legs of your furniture may seem obvious, but it’s worth noting. Think of all of the times furniture gets moved around, even just slightly scooted, and you’ll have that a-ha moment like us! Felt pads are a no-brainer. Over time, all of that friction between the furniture and hardwood floors can result in scratches and even deep grooves. Prevent those by taking a little extra time to apply felt pads to furniture legs. Here’s a link for our favorite felt pads.
Caring for hardwood floors isn’t complicated. It only requires a few basic guidelines and a desire to preserve the beauty and functionality of real wood. If well taken care of, it can last decades (if not centuries!) and be a part of making your house your home.
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