Maintaining and Caring for Oak Flooring: 5 Tips and Tricks

If you're looking for a hardwood floor that can withstand time, oak flooring is the way to go. It's durable, beautiful and easy to care for. But with all of those benefits comes some maintenance work. 

This is especially true if you have an unfinished oak floor; unfinished floors require more maintenance than finished ones. 

Here are five tips and tricks designed to help you maintain your new wood floor so it looks as good as when you first installed it:

1. Clean up spills immediately

Spills can cause damage to your floor and make it more difficult to clean later on, so always be prepared for them by having a cleaning product handy. 

If you have a spill, try using a dry mop or cloth first to absorb as much liquid as possible before cleaning it with a wet cloth or sponge.

2. Examine your floors for scratches and dings regularly

Scratches and dings can be repaired, but they're also avoidable. If you have an active family or pets, watching for scratches and dings on your floors is essential. 

If you see any marks that need attention, contact a professional ASAP; the longer you wait, the harder it will be to fix them.

3. Use a damp cloth to clean 

You can clean your oak flooring with a damp cloth. Do not use sponges, mops or any chemicals to clean the flooring. Never use abrasive cleaning products on oak floors; they may cause scratches in the wood that are difficult to repair. Steam cleaners should also be avoided because they're too harsh for this surface type.

4. Keep it protected with a good sealant

One of the most important steps you can take to protect your oak floor is to apply a sealant. A suitable sealant will help prevent water damage, which can lead to stains and buckling. It also prevents dirt from getting into the wood's pores so that it won't look dirty as quickly. 

Finally, if you have kids or pets who might scratch up your floors with shoes or paws (or maybe just heavy furniture), applying a protective layer will reduce scratches and dings over time.

Sealing is easy--you need some patience while it dries!

5. Use felt pads under furniture legs if needed

If you have a hardwood floor and want to protect it from scratches and dings, use felt pads under furniture legs.

Felt pads are available at most hardware stores and are inexpensive and easy to install. They can be removed easily as well when you want to move the piece of furniture back into place on the floor.

Conclusion