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Maintenance
of Hardwood Flooring with Polyurethane Finishes
For a low-maintenance, durable finish, the wood flooring
in your home should be taken care of as follows:
Cleaning
Sweep or dust mop your floors on a regular basis to remove any dust or
grit which could act as an abrasive on the finish. You may vacuum your
floors, but do not use a rotating brush or beater bar attachment intended
for carpets, since this can scratch the finish. Periodically you will
need to damp mop your floors. Use a sponge mop wrung nearly dry to avoid
soaking the floors, which could damage them. We recommend using a solution
of 1 to 3 oz. of Hillyard's Super Shine-All to one gallon of cold water
(rinsing is not necessary). You may also use a mild solution of vinegar
and water if desired, but you must rinse with clear water afterward to
eliminate any hazy buildup or streaking. Avoid use of any product containing
wax or oil. This includes oil soaps, liquid or paste waxes, or spray dusting
aids. Once a floor has been waxed or oiled, subsequent coats of polyurethane
cannot be applied due to adhesion problems.
Maintenance
Coats
After time, your floors will exhibit some dulling as the finish begins
to wear, especially in high traffic areas. When this occurs, you should
contact us to screen, spot fill and apply another coat of polyurethane
finish on your floors. This procedure is referred to as a maintenance
coat. In high traffic areas such as the entry and kitchen, floors may
need to be maintenance coated every one to two years; in less-traveled
areas, you may only need a maintenance coat every three to five years
on the average. The cost of this process averages $0.45 to $0.80 per square
foot, depending on size and condition of the floors, for oil-based polyurethane
finishes. Waterbase finishes should be maintenance-coated more frequently,
and cost slightly more. It is very important to have the maintenance coats
applied on a regular basis, since they replace the finish that wears off
from normal foot traffic. If you wait too long, you may wear through the
finish and expose the grain of the wood to staining. Once this occurs,
sanding and refinishing is required, which is a more involved, costly,
and dusty process.
Protecting
Your Floor's Finish
One way to extend the life of your finish is to place throw rugs in critical
wear areas, such as at all outside entrances and in front of the sink
or stove. We also recommend installing felt glides on the legs of all
chairs and furniture which slide across the wood floors. When moving heavy
pieces of furniture or appliances with built-in rollers (pianos, refrigerators,
etc.) across your wood floors, be very careful to avoid scratching the
finish or depressing the wood grain. We recommend laying a piece of 1/8"
masonite on the floors to protect them and distribute the weight of the
item being moved (note: a piece of carpet or cardboard does not offer
adequate protection, and should not be used). Alternatively, an appliance
dolly with inflatable tires may be used. Other furniture should always
be carried and set in place, rather than dragging or sliding it across
the floor. Pryor Floor Company,
Inc. carries a variety of accessories to protect and maintain wood floors,
so if you have any questions please do not hesitate to contact
us.
