How To Care For Your Solid Oak Flooring

By Author: Vikram Kumar
Total Articles: 9418
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As with all good things, solid wood flooring, contrary to many peoples' expectations, does require regular care and maintenance. This is because wood is ultimately a natural material, and being a natural material, there is the possibility that it will go the way of all things natural, decay and return to the earth. This is relatively easy to prevent, however, and the advantages of having beautiful solid oak flooring in your home far outweigh the light costs of maintaining and caring for your solid wood flooring.

The worst nightmare of anyone whose home has solid oak flooring is spillage. Before any form of solid wood flooring is installed in a home, the timbers are first dried and seasoned in huge ovens known as kilns. This is because wood that is wet is susceptible to decay, whereas wood that is dry simply is not conducive to the activities of the micro-organisms that are responsible for the process of decay. For this reason, it is extremely damaging to solid oak flooring for you to leave spills on it for any amount of time. You should always have clothes or tissues handy around the house, so that if a spill were to ...
... occur at any time you would be able to wipe it away immediately before it has a chance to seep into the timbers of solid wood flooring and damage it.

Another major problem for solid wood flooring is sand and grit. Most types of solid wood flooring such as solid oak flooring are polished after they are installed in a home, and the varnish and polish used gives the wood a deep color and shiny finish that is extremely pleasing to the eye. Having sand and grit on the floor however, causes scratches in the finish of your solid wood flooring when people step on the sand or grit, and these scratches detract from the shiny finish of your floor. If solid oak flooring becomes too scratched, it will lose its shine entirely and become a flat, dull color that is not aesthetically pleasing at all. You will then have to spend a relatively large amount of money paying for professionals to come to your home and re-polish your solid wood flooring. It would be much easier simply to prevent sand and grit from entering your home by placing floormats outside your home and requesting that everyone who comes into your home brush their shoes off thoroughly on those mats. Also, sweeping your house regularly will go a long way towards keeping your floors shiny and beautiful.

Of course, a certain number of dings and small dents in your hardwood flooring is unavoidable, and in many cases it adds to the overall character of your home, showing that it has been lived in and is well used. The key is to strike that perfect balance between looking properly used and looking in need of a fresh sanding and polish. By following the tips provided above, you will help keep your wood flooring in excellent condition, and preserve it for many years to come.

Author Bio

For Solid Wood Flooring that requires the least amount of care and maintenance, you should definitely visit French Timber Direct, where you will be able to get the best quality Solid Oak Flooring for your home at great value!