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| Timber floor maintenance |
| Follow these tips and your wooden floorboards will be in top condition for many years to come. |
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A lustrous polished wooden floor won't stay that way for long unless it is looked after. Maintaining that lustre is going to be less troublesome than the ongoing cleaning and maintenance of carpet and in the long term, easier and less expensive than for most vinyl or other floor coverings, which will eventually need to be replaced.
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 methylated 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
NB: Under no circumstances use household detergents! If required, specialty floor finishing companies manufacture and distribute timber floor cleaning products which when used to the manufacturers' recommendations, excellent results may be obtained.
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More Info
For more information on timber floor maintenance call the Timber Advisory Service on 1800 044 529
For more information on the Oates 'electro-static' dust control mop and other timber floor maintenance products call Peerless Emulsion Products for your nearest distributor on 03 9499 3161
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Disclaimer
All Fact Sheets and other material on the Our House website are provided as a general information service only and should not be relied upon as a substitute for the advice of a properly qualified tradesman. Neither ninemsn nor its licensors (including the Nine Network) assume or accept any responsibility for, and will not be liable for the accuracy or appropriate application of any information whatsoever in any Fact Sheet or other material on the Our House web site. Your use of the Our House web site is governed by this disclaimer and the ninemsn's Terms of Use.
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