One of the common issues many homeowners face is their floorboards’ obvious wear. When it comes to wood flooring, everyone wants theirs as spotless as possible. This is achievable with the right amount of TLC.
It’s no surprise why wood is the go-to material for most. For one, it’s a beautiful material. It’s customizable too, which makes it great with any interior design. Unfortunately, this versatile material is not without its downsides. But with the right and regular maintenance, your flooring will surely last for a long time.
But before anything else, get to know the common issues of wood flooring so you can avoid them.
Scratches and Scuff Marks
These are some of the most frequent hardwood flooring problems homeowners deal with. Moving furniture around and wearing shoes inside the house contribute to scratches on your floor. These develop over time, slowly but surely. To prevent this, utilize protective padding on the legs of your furniture and stop wearing hard shoes inside your home.
Warping
When wooden floorboards are exposed to water for a long time, they can warp. Common causes of this are flooding and mopping your floors too often and with excessive amounts of water. As a result, your beautiful floor may be in humps or even become undone.
Cupping
Excess moisture can cause the borders of a floorboard to rise higher than its middle part. This is known as cupping. Aside from ruining the shape, cupping floorboards can cause someone to trip if they’re not careful. But ideally, a floor should be smooth and functional, just as it’s intended to be. The wavy appearance is due to water seeping underneath the floorboard.
Crowning
When a floorboard begins to crown, however, the reverse of cupping occurs. The center of the floorboard is higher than its borders, giving it the appearance of a slight bulge. Cupping and crowning are both possible when there is too much moisture or too much contact with liquids.
Visible Gaps
Because of the humidity, gaps can be observed between planks. The size of the floorboard may fluctuate as temperature changes due to humidity. However, it’s not the only cause of it. If the floors were placed incorrectly, to begin with, could be the source of the issue. To have some control over the temperature the wood is directly exposed to, keep an eye on your cooling or heating systems.
Fading
With frequent exposure to sunlight, your floorboards’ beautiful color can fade over time. Despite their location, they can still be exposed to harmful UV rays. To prevent this, put up shutters or curtains for your windows, especially the big and wide ones. Lower these to block the sunlight.
Prolong the Lifespan of Your Hardwood Floor
Now that we’ve gone through the common flooring problems encountered by homeowners, here are some solutions and preventive measures one can take to retain the quality of hardwood floors for as long as possible. Consider taking a minute to check out reliable websites such as tileimporter com.au for top-quality timber flooring too.
Use Protective Padding on All Your Furniture
As mentioned, moving heavy furniture around your living room can cause scratches on your floor. It’s inevitable for a homeowner to want to switch up their place a bit. To prevent damage to your floor, put paddings on all your furniture’s legs. With those on, you can freely rearrange the interior of your living space without having to worry about damaging your floor.
Trim Your Pet’s Claws
Speaking of scratches, your pet’s claws can cause them too. You may find their pitter-patter cute but your floors don’t. Trimming them regularly won’t be just for proper grooming, but a preventative measure too.
Have Rugs and Carpets in Busy Areas
With high foot traffic comes more your floors having more contact with shoes. Again, these can cause minor scratches and scuff marks. Although they’re minor, they can build up over time until they’re an eyesore. The great thing about rugs and carpets is that they also serve as decorative pieces.
Clean Spills Immediately
If left alone for too long, spills may stain and discolor your floorboards. The amount of moisture it’ll expose the floor to may also cause problems like cupping, crowning, and more. Moreover, it might even cause an accident.
Wood flooring is beautiful and can complement any room well. But it’s only as good as how it’s being maintained and taken care of. Using these tips, you won’t just preserve the beauty of your flooring but enjoy it for years to come.
