There are other steps you can take to minimize maintenance and maintain the beauty of your wood floors as well.

SCREEN AND RECOAT
The best way to maintain your floor is a simple screen and coat. This is a very short process which can be completed within one day and the results are incredible. Rather than waiting for your floor to get worn to the point of needing

a complete sand and refinish, you can have the floor renewed with a single coat of polyurethane every year or two (or even five, depending on how well you take care of your floor). This will prevent you

from ever needing to go through a sand and refinish and will preserve your floor for you, your children, and your children’s. Wood floors truly can and very often do last a lifetime!

1- Do not use sheet vinyl or tile floor care products on wood floors. Self-polishing acrylic11 waxes cause wood to become slippery and appear dull quickly.

2- Use throw rugs both inside and outside doorways to help prevent grit, dirt and other debris from being tracked onto your wood floors. This will prevent scratching.

Do not wet-mop a wood floor. Standing water can dull the finish, damage the wood and leave a discoloring residue.

3- Wipe up spills immediately with a slightly dampened towel.

4- A surface finished floor should never be waxed. Take caution not to overspray onto your floor when using furniture polish.

5- Put soft plastic or fabric-faced glides under the legs of furniture to prevent scuffing and scratching.

6- Avoid walking on your wood floors with cleats, sports shoes and high heels. A 125-pound woman walking in high heels has an impact of 2,000 pounds per square inch. An exposed heel nail can exert up to 8,000 pounds per square inch. This kind of impact can dent any floor surface.

7- When moving heavy furniture, do not slide it on wood flooring. It is best to pick up the furniture completely to protect the wood flooring. Even with felt pads or a piece of rug underneath, the weight of some furniture can indent a wood floor if dragged.

8- For wood flooring in the kitchen, place an area rug in front of the kitchen sink.

9- Use a humidifier throughout the winter months to keep wood movement and shrinkage to a minimum.

10- Place doormats outside and rugs inside at every entrance of the house, to prevent sand or abrasive dust from accumulating on the floor.

11- Place a rug in front of the kitchen sink, kitchen working stations, and the dishwasher to protect the floor from dropped kitchen accessories and from water or oily detergent spills.