Engineered Hardwood Flooring Flooring Installation & Care Maintaining engineered hardwood flooring is a painless process as long as it is a part of your regular cleaning routine. To avoid potential damage, it’s important to keep your floors as free of dirt, debris, and spills as possible. This will help you retain the original look of your flooring for many years to come. Since engineered hardwood is made from wood, it requires almost the same cleaning methods as any other type of wood flooring. Check out the below step by step tips for taking care of your engineered floors: Keep your engineered flooring swept, clean, and dry on a daily basis. Use either a vacuum cleaner with a soft flooring attachment, or a broom. A dry microfiber dust mop can be used to pick up dirt and debris from the floor. Spills must be wiped up as soon as they occur. Excessive water or liquid can cause irreversible damage to engineered hardwood flooring. You can also keep pebbles, dirt, moisture, grains of sand, fragments of glass, and debris away by keeping floor mats and rugs at all entrances.

This will help keep the upper wear layer and finish of your floor safe and intact for a longer period of time. Avoid walking on your floors with high heeled shoes or shoes with spikes because they can cause severe damage to the upper wear layer of the floor. Wax-based cleaners, harsh detergents, or steel wool should not be used to clean engineered hardwood flooring. What methods do you usually use to keep your floors looking spotless? If you have any questions about engineered hardwood flooring, feel free to contact a knowledgeable BuildDirect product expert. Although installing hardwood flooring is usually more expensive than rolling out new carpet, it’s an investment worth considering, according to data from the National Association of Realtors. Surveys show that 54 per cent of home buyers are willing to pay more for a house with hardwood floors. The question now: What’s the best way to clean and care for that popular flooring and keep that natural beauty (and value) shining through?

It’s not the wood — oak, maple, mesquite, bamboo, engineered hardwood or something more exotic — that determines how the floors should be cleaned, but rather the finish.best value vacuum cleaner 2013 australiaFarmhouse Spaces by Chicago Kitchen & Bath Designers Rebekah Zaveloff | best way to clean travel trailer awningKitchenLabSurface finishes, often referred to as urethanes or polyurethanes, are among the most popular treatments today and are usually applied to hardwood floors after installation to protect them and make them more durable and water resistant. duct cleaning method statementThese finishes create a protective barrier. auto express best leather cleaner

There are four types of surface finishes, according to the American Hardwood Information Center (AHIC): water based, oil based, acid cured and moisture cured.air duct cleaning consumer reportsHomes built before 1970, including historic residences, may have original wood floors that were sealed with varnish, wax or shellac. national duct cleaning services incThese require a different approach to cleaning. The AHIC says these types of finishes work by penetrating the wood to colour the planks and form a protective shield. Using a wax coating after staining provides a barrier against wear and tear and gives the floor a beautiful low-gloss satin sheen. The classic look requires a little extra TLC, however, since water-based products and mopping can damage the finish.Farmhouse Hall by Other Metro Architects & Building Designers Frederick + Frederick ArchitectsHow to Determine Your Wood Floor FinishNot wearing shoes in the house is one of the best ways to significantly reduce dirt, scuffs and daily wear and tear, and lessen cleaning time.

The National Wood Floor Association, or NWFA, is more specific and warns against walking on wood floors with cleats, sports shoes and high heels. It also offers this cautionary example: A 125-pound woman walking in high heels has an impact of 2,000 pounds per square inch. Furthermore, an exposed heel nail can exert up to 8,000 pounds of force per square inch. Whether you got out your calculator or not, the possibility of impact and denting appears to be undeniable. However, while you can’t always ask guests to shed shoes at the door, it might be a policy worth considering for family members.Rustic Hall by Toronto Photographers Peter A. Sellar - Architectural PhotographerNo matter what type of wood flooring you have, the NWFA advises against using cleaning products meant for vinyl or tile flooring. Their take: Self-polishing acrylic waxes cause wood to become slippery and appear dull quickly. Another no-no: wet-mopping wood floors, since standing water can dull the finish, damage the wood and leave a discolouring residue.

Along the same lines, avoid overwaxing unfinished wood floors in an attempt to restore luster. If a waxed floor has become dull, try buffing the surface instead.Cleaning floors with contemporary polyurethane wood finishes (for floors installed after 1970) starts with vacuuming, sweeping or dust-mopping the surface.Vacuum wood floors daily, or at least once a week with a vacuum fitted with an attachment for wood floors. For regular machines, the AHIC advises turning off interior rotating brushes or beater bars if possible.Regular vacuuming helps remove dust and dirt particles that play a leading role in scratching and dulling the surface of the floor.Tropical Kitchen by Seattle Architects & Building Designers McClellan ArchitectsSweeping. The American Hardwood Information Center says choosing a broom with “exploded tips,” also known as synthetic fiber ends, is step one.Damp mopping should be done with a simple solution of pH-neutral soap (like dishwashing soap) and water; or one capful of a mild cleanser such as Murphy Oil Soap in a bucket of water;

or a solution using products specially formulated for wood floors, such as Eco Mist Colloid W, Dr. Bonner’s or Method.In conscientious cleaning circles, controversy swirls around whether to use a mixture of vinegar and water for damp-mopping wood floors. Ultimately, everyone has to do what works best; however, within the past 10 years this method has lost favour, and popular belief now holds that the solution causes floors to dull more quickly and is not as effective as simple soap and water.To begin mopping, dampen the mop in the prepared solution, wring it out completely, and mop in the direction of the wood grain. As the water in the bucket becomes dirty, dump it out and refill. Many experts (including Martha Stewart) believe scrubbing wood floors with a damp cloth by hand is the ultimate cleaning strategy — unless abundant square footage or protesting knees prove problematic.But avoid cloths or mops dripping with water. If your floors do get wet or worse, dry them immediately!Another technique: After the floor has been swept or vacuumed, put your cleaning solution of choice in a spray bottle and mist the floor, then use a dry microfiber mop or cloth and mop in direction of the wood grain.

It’s important to note that just because a floor is clean doesn’t necessarily mean it will be shiny. If the floor has lost its luster, it may be time to have it refinished professionally. Whatever you do, don’t wax a polyurethaned finish.What you should know before refinishing your floorsUnfinished or waxed floors, like those in older and historic homes, as well as floors in which the protective seal has worn away, should never be treated with water or liquid cleansers, which may penetrate, stain or warp the wood. Instead, according to cleaning experts, sweeping with a soft-bristled broom and vacuuming should be done as the primary line of defense. The NWFA says to step away from the mop: Never damp-mop a waxed floor.Beyond basic care, buffing and waxing the floors once or twice a year should maintain the shine. Old-fashioned shellacked floors are not common in most homes. However, if you find yourself the proud owner of this vintage flooring, regular care should include sweeping and vacuuming often.

Avoid water and liquid cleansers.Contemporary Kitchen by Portland Architects & Building Designers Alan Mascord Design Associates IncEngineered wood flooring is created with a thin veneer of hardwood fused atop a plywood base. The material is stronger and more durable than regular hardwoods, and as a result has become a popular choice.The cleaning procedure for this type of wood is the same as for hardwood floors with urethane finishes. Keep clean on a daily basis by sweeping and vacuuming and use a slightly damp mop as needed.See when to use engineered wood floorsPainted wood floors make a strong style statement and are a clever way to disguise wood flooring in less than perfect shape. To clean them, sweep, vacuum or dust-mop regularly. Avoid scratching or damaging the painted surface by staying away from abrasive cleansers and opting for a simple soap and water solution for damp mopping. Experts suggest drying the surface immediately by hand to avoid streaking and unnecessary moisture.