Maintenance
Timber Maintenance
GENERAL MAINTENANCE:
- Dirt and grit are a timber floor's worst enemy! It doesn't just hide the gleam of polished floorboards; its abrasiveness actually harms floorboards too. Use dirt-trapping mats at each external entrance of the home to help prevent sand, dust and grit from getting inside. Small rugs, or carpet squares just inside the door can also help to remove extra dirt from shoes. Dust daily, if possible, with an electrostatic broom.
- Strong light, particularly direct sunlight can cause a chemical reaction in wood causing it to change colour (aging or weathering). Move rugs occasionally and use curtains or blinds to protect the floor from direct sunlight.
- High heel shoes, especially worn ones, will dent any hard floor surface, even concrete. Perhaps you could encourage visitors to take off high heels on arrival.
- With furniture legs, it is not so much weight but movement that damages floorboards. Fit protective pads to the legs of tables and chairs so that they can be moved easily without the risk of scuffing the floor. According to Boral Timber, barrel-type castors cause less damage than ball castors.
CLEANING:
- Keep dirt off the floor. Dust, mop or vacuum regularly & keep doormats clean. (If using a vacuum, make sure that the vacuum doesn't scratch the floorboards.)
- Use only top quality floor mops and thoroughly wash new mops to remove any lint remaining from the manufacturing process.
- Do not wet mop a timber floor or use water-based cleaners. Water can change the moisture balance within timbers and cause floorboards to ridge or buckle so it should be used sparingly and remain on the floor for the shortest time possible.
- Wipe up spills promptly with a dry cloth or dry paper towel. For sticky substances, moisten the cloth slightly. For hard to remove fatty or greasy spills, use a neutral pH degreasing cleanser from specialist cleaning or floor shops.
- Sweep with a clean electrostatic sweep mop (vacuuming is fine too, as long as the vacuum cleaner doesn't scratch the floorboards)
- Wash the floor with an almost dry sponge mop using a mixture of a ½ cup of mentholated spirits to a half a bucket of cold water — the spirits help to evaporate the water
- Wipe the floor dry as you go so that water remains on the floor for as little time as possible
