Things Which Could Damage Wood Flooring

Wooden floors can add warmth, elegance and style into the home. However, they can also be pretty tricky to maintain. Although modern wooden flooring is constructed with maximum durability in mind, they can still suffer damage if not maintained correctly.

If you want to ensure your floor stands the test of time then please avoid the 5 things below that are known to damage engineered or solid wood flooring.

Harsh, Abrasive Chemicals

It does not matter whether you have invested in hardwood flooring, engineered wood flooring or laminate floors, you need to ensure you are cleaning them safely. Harsh, abrasive chemical cleaners should be avoided at all costs. Instead, you should be cleaning the floor with a specially designed wood cleaner.

The trouble with using abrasive, harsh chemical cleaners, is that they can stain the wood, or cause it to become damaged. It is also important to remember that when cleaning the floor, even with safe specialised cleaners, you will need to avoid getting it too wet. Even water-resistant flooring should not be soaked through when mopping it.

Wrong Type of Vacuum

Keeping your floors free from dirt is one of the most basic maintenance tasks. It is also where you can cause most of the damage to your wood flooring. Did you know that if you use the wrong hoover, it can really scratch the plank's surface, leading to potentially costly repairs?

Never use a vacuum that is specifically designed with carpets in mind. It should always be marked suitable for use with wooden flooring.

High Heels

While wooden floors are certainly more durable than they used to be, they still need to be treated with care. This means, avoiding walking over the floor in high heels.

Heeled shoes can make dents in the floor, while also scratching it as you walk over it. Dents and scratches can be pretty difficult to repair, so the best advice you can follow is to avoid walking over wooden floors with heels.

Furniture that is Damaging to Wood Flooring

Similarly, furniture can also damage your wooden floors quite quickly. If you move furniture over the floor, or even just keeping heavy furniture on top of it, it’s going to cause both scratches and dents.

For this reason, you will want to cover the feet of your furniture with pads. These are inexpensive to purchase and will protect the floors when furniture is being moved across them.

Failing to Maintain the Floor

By far the biggest thing which could be damaging your wood floor right now is if you have failed to maintain it. Depending upon the type of wooden floor you have, whether it be solid wood or engineered wood flooring, you will need to follow specific maintenance steps to keep it looking and functioning as good as new. We have a full guide on how to maintain engineered wood flooring here.

As well as daily hoover and a weekly dry or light mop, you’ll want to ensure you’re using a wood-safe cleaning solution. You should find the manufacturer provided some maintenance instructions with the floor you have invested in. Be sure to follow these instructions to the letter, including the frequency in which it tells you to maintain the floor.

Conclusion

Overall, there is a lot of things which could damage a wooden floor. The above is just 5 of the most common causes of damage that can be easily avoided. If you want your new floor to last the test of time, it’s crucial you protect it against damage by following the advice above.