One of the reasons people love engineered flooring, is that its easy to care for! With proper cleaning and maintenance, your engineered wood floor should provide many years of high quality luster, and durability to your home. Not to mention, if you decide to sell your home, engineered hardwood floors go a long way in helping people decide to buy your home.Wood surfaces, even those protected by a rugged coat of polyurethane or other finish, need to be cleaned on a regular basis. Dirt and sand on the surface will act like sand paper, dulling or removing the finish. Liquids spilled on the floor, and not attended to quickly, can lead to damaged wood and staining.This guide to engineered flooring gives you an overview of what it takes to keep engineered hardwood looking great for many years. You’ll get the most from your investment with consistent floor care and maintenance. To learn more about other aspects of engineered flooring, see our engineered floor buying guide, or price and installation guides.

You’ll first need something to get up the loose dust, dirt and debris. leather cleaning san diegoA soft broom and dustpan can be used. upright vacuum cleaners best priceYou might prefer to vacuum the floor. air vent cleaning sprayIf so, use a lightweight vacuum that does not have a rotating bristle bar or one with a “hard floor” mode that does not engage the bar.vacuum cleaner price lgA slightly-damp mop can be used to remove remaining debris. best polish for oak floors

If excess water remains on the floor after cleaning, use a towel to dry it.best way to clean teak furnitureFor tough spots, use the manufacturer-recommended cleaner and use it as instructed. In fact, most manufacturers make cleaning kits for use with their flooring.What you DON’T use is as important as what you do use.You’ve got two options when buying engineered flooring – material that can be refinished and that which must be replaced when worn. The thickness of the wear layer – the top layer of solid wood – will determine whether or not it can be refinished. Of course, the cost of engineered flooring is also effected by the type you choose.Some thicker flooring, usually ¾”, can be refinished more than once, significantly extending its useful life. If so, you’ll get up to 80 years of wear from it, possibly more. Thinner materials, often just 3/8”, may have a wear layer that is too thin to be refinished and will give you 10-15 years of wear.

How heavy the traffic is on the flooring and how well you care for it will have a lot to do with how long it lasts.The different thicknesses give you options. You can make your decision based on how long you intend to live in your current home or use the building if it is a commercial setting. Here are the most common questions related to the care and cleaning of hardwood flooring.Q: How to clean engineered hard wood floors without using a damp mop? A: We’ve found the best way to clean engineered hardwood floors is to avoid using water all together. There are some great microfiber floor mops that will take up dust and light dirt just as well as a damp mop.Q: How often should I be cleaning engineered hard wood floors? A:The short answer is as often as is needed, but like hoovering carpet, once a week is usually a good idea.Q: What’s the best way to keep dirt off of engineered flooring? A: Place a mat at each entryway for foot-wiping or encourage people in your household to take off their shoes when entering your home.

Q: What kind of mat is best? A: Choose a mat that DOES NOT have a rubber backing. The rubber can trap moisture underneath it that might harm your flooring.Q: Is there anything special that should be done in winter? A: Place a mat outside with tough bristles on, so snow and ice can be removed from the treads. Then, do not leave shoes or boots directly on the wood surface in case snow or ice melts from them onto the floor. A plastic shoe tray works well, but be careful to dry any moisture that might get beneath it.Q: Should engineered floors be waxed? A: It depends on the finish. Most look better with a fresh coat of quality wax. Consult the manufacturer or the installer of the engineered flooring first.Q: Is refinishing engineered hardwood a DIY project? A: It can be, but you should have very good skills to consider doing it.Flooring & Stairs > What Would Bob Do? Fixing Scratches on Wood Floors Over time, a hardwood floor is bound to get scratched, nicked, or even gouged.

Here are a few techniques for handling these imperfections—and some tips for keeping them from happening in the first place. I have various scratches on my wood floors. Some add character, but some are just too big and need to go away. What is the easiest way to fix scratches on hardwood floors without causing any lasting damage? Apply wax or acrylic floor polish over light scratches in hardwood floors, but take caution: Over time, such polishes can dull and darken the floor, eventually requiring removal. That’s never an easy task; it involves powerful cleaning agents (for example, mineral spirits and ammonia) and no small quantity of elbow grease. Related: Rx for Hardwood Floors Alternatively, coat floors with a product specially formulated to renew the wood—Bona Pro Series Hardwood Floor Refresher, for example, or Hardwood Floor Reviver from Minwax. Sanding isn’t required, but to achieve best results, you must thoroughly clean the floor prior to application.

Also, allow ample time for the finish to dry. Plan to reapply the product every several months and always refrain from using any such treatment on wood laminate or factory-finished floors. If a scratch has penetrated deep enough to expose bare wood, there’s a low-effort way to conceal the imperfection: Simply fill it in with a stain that matches the floor color. Stain markers and blending pencils are commonly available in a range of tones; check your local hardware stores or home improvement retail chain store. But traditional wood stain works equally well. Apply it with a small brush or even a cotton swab—just be sure to wipe away any excess before it has the chance to dry. To address a deep, wide gouge, opt for a precolored latex wood filler, one that closely matches the color of your hardwood. Apply the filler with a plastic putty knife, which is the tool least likely to cause any further damage to the floor. Once the filler has dried completely, use fine-grit sandpaper to level the surface so that no difference in elevation exists between the patch and its surrounding area.

Finally, coat varnish (thinned with 10 or 20 percent turpentine) over the repair. Whether from pets or children, boots or rolling furniture, unprotected wood floors are virtually certain to get scratched. If you’re committed to keeping your hardwoods in tip-top shape, consider the following tried-and-true methods of safeguarding wood against the most common threats to its flawlessness: 1. Position fiber doormats near all exterior doors, as tracked-in dirt and grit are the enemy of beautiful, pristine hardwood floors. 2. Encourage friends and family to remove their shoes upon entering the house—especially women in high heels! 3. Sweep often in order to contain any dirt or grit that manages to sneak in despite your best attempts at barring its entry. 4. If you are going to slide furniture across a wood floor, always place felt protective pads under its legs (or use a piece of leftover carpeting, soft side down). 5. Restrict medium- and large-size dogs from all rooms with hardwood flooring, or be sure to always keep their nails neatly trimmed.