Care and Maintenance Guide

" With a little care and cleaning your new hardwood floor will stay beautiful for many years to come. "

INSTALLATION RECOMMENDATIONS & WARRANTY

Please read this guide in detail and follow installation instructions provided separately on our web site. It is important to understand that the recommended care and maintenance procedures must be followed or your warranty can be void.

CARE AND CLEANING

Your pre-finished Appalachian Flooring ltd. Hardwood Floor is easy to clean and maintain. We recommend that you regularly sweep, dry-mop and vacuum your floor with a soft brush attachment to avoid the accumulation of grit and dust on the surface. Any conditioning or stain removal from your floor should be performed using products specially formulated for use on pre-finished hardwood floors.

HUMIDITY

As wood is a natural fibre, changes in the level of humidity of the room, in which you have installed your hardwood floor, will cause it to shrink or expand. The humidity level must be kept at a normalized level (between 40% and 60%). This can be easily accomplished through the use of an appropriate ventilation and humidification system or dehumidification system.  Most regions of Canada will need a humidifier in the winter months.

SUNLIGHT

The colour of your hardwood floor will mature with time and exposure to sunlight. This will cause it to change colour. Any area rug, which blocks out light, should therefore be shifted on a regular basis to keep the colour of your floor more uniform.

LIQUIDS AND SPILLS

All liquids and spills should be wiped off as soon as possible in order to prevent any possible damage. Ensure that a dry paper towel or terrycloth is used after clean up to ensure no liquid remains. You may consider using area rugs to protect susceptible areas (around kitchen sink, at exterior entrances etc.) If a spill occurs please remember to check under the mat to ensure that no water is trapped and that there is no moisture touching the floor. Do not wet mop your floor. Standing water can harm or warp your floor.

PROTECTION

Abrasive dirt such as sand, street dirt and cat litter can damage any hardwood floor regardless of the strength of the finish. Regularly sweep and vacuum with a soft brush attachment do not use a vacuum with a beater bar as found in most upright models.

In addition, you can help protect your floor by using entrance mats and area rugs in high-risk areas such at entrances and doorways. When cleaning, remember to clean under the edges of  rugs as it is a common place for trapped debris. Shake mats regularly to ensure no trapped debris. For rug pads choose 100% non-solvent based rubber, an untreated natural fibre such as wool or jute, or 1/4” chopped urethane. Do not use sticky or tacky backers. The plasticizers they use can attack and discolour finish. These same plasticizers may also be present in the backers of some rugs. In kitchens, use area rugs in high spill locations and at work stations. Cotton is generally the best fabric since it easily washed, do not use rug backers in a kitchen area.

Check all items that come in contact with the floor. Not only should felt pads be placed under the legs of the furniture standing on your floor but the felt pads should be cleaned regularly and checked for wear every 6 months in order to reduce the risk of damaging your floor. Wearing high heels should be avoided on your hardwood floor. The tremendous pressure exerted by the tip can dent and scratch the surface. Moving furniture across a floor can scratch and damage the flooring. If you must move heavy pieces of furniture (refrigerator, piano, love seat, etc.) never slide them directly on the flooring. Instead, place a piece of carpet face down between the furniture legs and the flooring and pull on the carpet to move the furniture. By doing so, you will prevent damage to your flooring.

Chairs with rollers should have wide rollers installed and a protective pad placed beneath large enough to cover the area it will be used. The area covered by the pad must be cleaned on a regular basis.  Children’s toys should be checked as a source for dents and scratches.  Pets with sharp nails can certainly cause scratches as well as a source of water spots on floors. Please keep their nails trimmed.

CHOICE OF CLEANERS AND APPLICATORS

Although many hardwood flooring cleaners are advertised as suitable for prefinished flooring the results can be extremely damaging to the finish or leave your flooring looking hazy. An easy way to test you cleaner is to try it on a mirror or glass to see if a residue is left.

The recommended method of cleaning is a combination of Sweeping & Vacuuming and the use of a Bona prefinished hardwood flooring cleaner  sprayed on a microfiber dry mop.

The microfiber pad is machine washable; however, we recommend avoiding the use of bleach, fabric softener, and dryer sheets when washing as it can potential cause a residue or damage on your flooring. They can be washed up to 300 times.

If you have any additional questions about the use of certain products or the general care and maintenance procedures applicable for hardwood floors do not hesitate to ask your local Authorised Appalachian Flooring Dealer