Protecting Your Wood Floor From Everyday Wear and Tear

There’s nothing more frustrating than installing a beautiful, new wooden floor, only to discover that it’s become damaged either by accident or through general wear and tear.  So what can you do to protect your wood floor from every day wear and tear?

Here are our Top Tips:

1. Doormats. Investing in quality doormats is a great way of preventing scuffs, scratches and general wear and tear on your floor.  Ideally you should aim to have an outdoor doormat that is tough enough to lift off the worst of the muck and grime that we pick up on our shoes day-in and day-out.  Thereafter, ideally you should aim for a large, soft doormat inside of your hallway that will make sure that shoes are pretty much dry before they hit your wood flooring.  If you can, aim to have a doormat that is long, so that even if people don’t stop to wipe their feet, the natural act of walking across the mat will lift off a good amount of the remaining debris that can play havoc with your floor.  Alternatively, if you’re really strict or courageous, you could of course make your home a shoe-free zone!
2. Rugs. Rugs don’t only add colour and charm to your interior; they act as a great method of protecting your wood flooring.  Choose the best quality rugs your budget will allow and make sure you select a rug that doesn’t have a rubber backing because rubber will stifle your flooring and stop it from being able to breathe.  Choose natural fabrics and if needs be apply anti slip strips or patches to the under side of your rug to stop it sliding on your floor.
3. Pets. Pets can play havoc with wood flooring if they’re not managed properly.  Making sure your pet’s claws are regularly clipped and that they’re dried off before coming into the home are two simple steps that will keep your wood floor protected on a day-to-day basis.  Beyond that, making sure that any little “accidents” are cleaned up promptly will help prevent the risk of deep down stains.
4. Floor protectors for furnishings. Most furnishing that comes into contact with your wood floor has the potential to cause damage.  In order to prevent chips, dents and splits in your floor caused by furnishings, it’s important to use furniture protectors wherever you can.  Furniture protectors come in a range of options and cost very little.  Choose from self-adhesive felt-pad options or cups, whichever suits your particular items of furniture best of all.
5. Ongoing maintenance. One of the huge attractions of wood flooring is how easy it is to maintain.  On an ongoing basis, a quick run round with a vacuum cleaner and a light mop will do the trick.  What’s more, unless your floor is really grubby, you should be able to get away with mopping with only water and you won’t even need detergent.

These are just some of the ways you can help lengthen the life of your wood floor as well as keeping it looking great for longer.   Like most things in life, when it comes to wood flooring, prevention is not only easier, but more effective than cure, so it really is worth making the effort.