Wood Flooring Maintenance and Care

Good wood maintenance is a must if you want to keep your timber flooring or decking in pristine condition. Due to the organic nature of wood, it tends to shrink over time if not properly looked after, and inferior wood can flake, fade, and crack. Once the top coat of wooden flooring is damaged, the durability of the wood is greatly reduced and becomes easily susceptible to shrinking, scratches, fungi, and algae infestations. This happens because, once the wood is damaged, it becomes less resistant to water and other harmful agents. 

If left untreated, the rotten parts of the wood spreads over to the other planks, and mending the flooring becomes very costly as the entire area would need to be replaced. 

In order to avoid this from happening, here are some ways you can care for your wood flooring.

AVOID CONTACT WITH SHARP OBJECTS AGAINST WOODEN FLOORING 

Scratches are easy to cause and can produce unnatractive markings on wooden flooring. This is due to the top, darker layer of the flooring being scraped off, leaving the lighter, inner layer of the wood exposed. In order to avoid this from happening, consider placing rugs beneath your furniture or alternatively placing pads on the contact points. Be aware that rolling chairs made from hard plastic can also damage wooden floors, and this can also be avoided by placing rugs or mats underneath. Regular cleaning is another way to avoid scratches, as sharp debris under a rolling chair can cause hairline scratches on wooden surfaces.

In the case of renovation, it is important to always use floor protection. Although this can sometimes be time-consuming and costly, the cost is far less than having to mend damaged flooring. 

If the flooring is somehow scratched, a temporary solution could be to use repair markers, however, this is not recommended for the long run as, once the floor is damaged, it is more prone to future damages as mentioned earlier. 

AVOID CONTACT WITH WATER

It is important to ensure that your wooden flooring does not come into prolonged or excessive contact with water. As mentioned before, damp wood can be susceptible to fungi and algae infestations, which will eventually cause the wood to rot. Water can also cause permanent stains on wood.

When cleaning wooden surfaces, it is important to ensure that water is used sparingly - only use what you need. Any excess water should be wiped up immediately using a dry cloth as it only takes a few hours for the water to cause permanent damage to the wood.

To increase the wooden floor's resistance against water, it is recommended to use a wood protector wax.

ENSURE THAT THE ROOM HUMIDITY IS KEPT CONSTANT

One of the main reasons that wooden flooring shrinks is consistently changing humidity. This can be hard to manage without an air conditioner, however, using a wood finish can assist in making the wood more durable against humidity changes. 

The combination of wax and oil in the finish will protect the surface as well as the internal material. This is due to the oil penetrating the wood while the wax creates a microporous surface, reducing any extensive loss of moisture over time. 

SANDING AND VARNISHING

Though sometimes costly, to ensure the full and proper maintenance of wooden floors sanding and varnishing is required. This consists of sanding off the top layer of the wood, then applying wood finish and fillers. 

Stains, scratches, and gaps can be completely removed through this process of sanding and applying wood fillers. However, if there is no existing damage to the wood, sanding may not be required, instead just reapplying wood finish products that can penetrate the wood will suffice in improving the durability of the material. 

It is important to note that excessive sanding is not recommended as it does thin the wood, hence wooden floors do have a limited lifespan that can only be prolonged through care and maintenance.