Hardwood flooring has become very popular in recent years. Although many still consider it as an expensive option when building or renovating, its beauty and durability have made it a favorite by many and more than worth the cost. With proper care and maintenance, hardwood flooring can last a lifetime, making it one of the wisest investments you can make in your home. Unlike carpeting, which needs to be replaced when worn, hardwood flooring can continue to add beauty and value to your home. Although caring for your hardwood flooring may entail just routine mopping and waxing occasionally, the winter months may require more care to keep it looking good.
Taking Care of Humidity
Wood flooring can be very susceptible to expansion and contraction if the humidity in your home is not just right. Winter time can be very hard on your hardwood flooring because of the excess dryness in your home caused by central heating. This dryness can cause a lot of shrinkage with your flooring. When shrinking occurs, you may see unsightly spaces between your boards. At the same time, during the time of year where your home will experience excessive dampness, your hardwood floor may expand. Both of these conditions can be harmful to your flooring and affect its appearance and durability. A humidifier and dehumidifier are great tools to prevent both of these problems. Keeping your humidity level from 40% to 60% year round will be very beneficial to your hardwood flooring.
Eliminating the Elements of Winter
As harmful as improper humidity can be for your hardwood, there are few things that can do more damage to your hardwood flooring than water damage, specifically the water from rain, snow along with the dirt, salt and gravel that may be dragged into your home. As much as many people love winter and the snow that comes with it, keep it outside and not on your flooring. Although we love having salt on our sidewalks to prevent slipping, this salt and grit can cause scratching and nicks on the floor if it's brought in on your boots and shoes. Excessive water being dragged in on our shoes can also cause problems by causing the floors to warp, which can cause gaps to develop between the boards.
While you may not be able to keep all the snow, dirt, salt and water from coming into your home, you can protect it from getting on your hardwood flooring. Floor mats will do a lot towards protecting your floors from getting wet in the winter. Having your family members and guests remove their shoves when they enter your home will help as well. Most guests that see shoes sitting by the door when they enter your home will automatically take off their shoes as well. However, occasionally you're still going to have some guests that will not take off their shoes, which is where the rugs and mats will come in very handy so they can wipe their shoes. If you have pets in your home, train them to stay on the mat until you feel they're dry enough to be on your floors.
Cleaning Your Hardwood Floor in Winter
Even by taking the best possible care for your hardwood flooring, you're still going to find that it needs a little more care in the winter months. Mopping it a few times a week with a slightly damp mop will only take a few minutes but will ensure that your floor is clean and free from the nasty elements of winter. To ensure your flooring is getting the best protection, you may also want to put a protective coating on it to give it that natural shine you've come to love about hardwood flooring.
Copyright (c) 2009 Wes Fernley
Water left to remain standing after an inundation may effect widespread harm to the flooring and construct of a residence and it is indispensable that the collected water should be taken out as quick as possible. Water remaining still for even so much as not many hours can trigger sweeping impairment to the walls and floorboards of a locale. The more rapidly all the water is taken away the more advisable. Then turn to the drying treatment throughout the place of residence right then and there. The first way to dry out the interior of a location is utilizing ventilation. Open all the doors and windows of the shelter to get the utmost air flow. Don't forget to make ajar cabinets that might be submersed in the water.
There are many protective measures that should be pursued when working in areas that have been overwhelmed with poisonous water. If your disease preventatives are not up to date, get a booster shot. Enrobe in cautionary clothing to steer clear of forthright contact with the germy water. The nextof these precautions should be done after all the water has been taken out from the home. The electricity should be turned off at the breaker box before making entry into the locale to evade fatal electrical energy. Get the wiring tested by a certified electrician before putting the electricity back on. Insure that all the gas equipment are turned off and that the primary valve of the pipework supplying gas to the place of residence is off too. Hold a lookout for insects and new, perchance harmful, pests as they can be displaced from their physical habitations when inundation transpires and get taken along by the flood water. That is why it is recommended that you canvass for them throughout your housing , specifically in corners, cabinets and dusky regions.
It is not best to use dryers or heating elements to help with the drying operation since they elevate humidness in the structure and this would promote the growth of fungus. Use fans and air conditioning to better the drying procedure instead, letting them to continue running until the place is thoroughly dry. You can buy a water meter from the home improvement outlet to account for the moisture levels of any sodden area.
Any sodden area is a nurturing area for microbes and fungus. When all the ruined things have been removed from the home, clean behind all the surfaces using antiseptic. A bleaching agent is uncomparably right for this intention and it will also help get rid of mildew and spoilage or preclude them from maturation overall. Strong bleach in the ratio of five to one parts of water to one measure of bleaching agent and might be put on with a spray bottle. Be certain that you are without doubt sheltered by donning goggles and a face cover along with rubberized handwear. Do not use a bleaching agent on clothes since it can color them and even impair the cloth .For most items similar to mattresses that are utterly soaked and cannot be reclaimed it is advisable to throw out all of them. If the harm is too large to fix on your own, engage a pro cleanup organization to see to the renovation.
Both Wes Fernley & Isolde Werry are contributors for EditorialToday. The above articles have been edited for relevancy and timeliness. All write-ups, reviews, tips and guides published by EditorialToday.com and its partners or affiliates are for informational purposes only. They should not be used for any legal or any other type of advice. We do not endorse any author, contributor, writer or article posted by our team.
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