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Furniture Care 101: Maintenance Tips For Wooden Flooring

Elegant and warm, wooden flooring is a staple of any home going for that rustic look. With inviting colours ranging from light birch to deep brown oak, they complement any colour palette, giving you endless luxury interior design possibilities.

While wooden flooring will charm any guest with its timeless au-naturel aesthetic, it’s not just lovely to look at; it’s practical as well! High-quality hardwood floors are sturdy and durable, lasting for decades in the face of high foot traffic. For the financially astute, wooden flooring can be a suitable long-term investment, since it can raise the value of your property. This makes it particularly popular for landed property interior design in Singapore.

But for wooden flooring needs to be maintained properly to keep its lustre for the long run. With improper handling, the protective coat on the wood can be damaged, leaving your flooring vulnerable to rot and shrinkage. Wood stains can also fade over time if you are not careful.

No need to fret, though! With well-informed maintenance, your wooden flooring will be looking and feeling fantastic for years to come. Have a look at these maintenance tips for your wooden flooring.

Minimise contact with water

Wood is an organic material. With excessive exposure to water, it’s possible for algae and fungi to grow inside of it. This can cause rotting of the wooden flooring, which you see as those nasty black or green patches. If water is left there for a long time, watermarks can start to appear as well which can be an unpleasant sight.

So, when the rain starts to pour, you should be vigilant and close all the windows as soon as you can. Any spills or rain that gets on your floor should be wiped up immediately with a dry cloth.

While humidity is also a factor in maintaining your flooring, it can be hard for the average household to keep track of it. An effective wood finish can manage most of the problems associated with this.

Minimise scratching

While a high-quality varnish can do wonders to protect your wooden flooring, it may give way to heavy or sharp objects. Furniture is a common culprit. Anyone who has moved a sofa knows how hard they can scrape against the floor.

A simple solution is to place soft furniture pads under the legs of the furniture you move the most, whether it be for cleaning or rearranging for events. Some of these include chairs, tables, and sofas. If you have pets, it would be best to keep their nails trimmed as well, so they can’t claw at your floor.

Even with all these precautions, you can’t be complacent. When the time comes to bring in a new piece of furniture or carry your luggage in after an overseas trip, be sure not to drag anything on the wooden floor!

Vacuum frequently

Vacuuming is crucial to keeping your wooden floors safe. Dust, food crumbs, and dirt can get stuck between the floorboards, or into the wood grain, so it’s good to clean those often. Aside from the many health benefits of keeping the house clean, you also remove any dirt that could scratch your flooring.

It’s usually recommended that you vacuum at least once a week. If you are particularly cleanliness-minded, it would be great to sweep or dust the floors every day, preferably using a microfibre cloth or mop.

No matter how you choose to clean your wooden floors, avoid using water. That means no liquid cleaners and no wet mops. If you want to use a mop, make sure that you wring it tightly before use to get most of the water out of it as too much moisture can cause problems to wooden floors.

Re-finish every few years

Your wooden flooring deserves a makeover now and then! The flooring’s protective finish tends to wear down with time, so it’s essential to get it re-done every few years. If you are thinking of getting a home or bedroom renovation, this should be one of your top priorities.

Professionals first sand away the old finish, as well as any other stains or scratches that may have formed. They can even fill up gaps in the flooring with wood fillers. Afterwards, they apply a brand-new layer of finish, completing the repair process.

While you could do this yourself, there are some things to look out for. For example, excessive sanding can wear down on your wood, lowering its lifespan. In this case, it’s best to leave it to the professionals.

Conclusion

Wooden floors do need to be treated with care, but if you do a good job, you will be rewarded with gorgeous flooring that can liven up your home. For professional advice on whether wooden flooring is right for your home, you can approach a luxury interior design company in Singapore.

Here at Thom Signature, we’ve got the interior design know-how to make your home look fabulous. Whether you’re looking to renovate a newly bought house or give your current one a new look, talk to our interior designers to discuss your dream home ideas!