Solid wood flooring is durable and can be restored multiple times over its lifespan, whilst
engineered flooring, which only has a top layer of wood, can only be restored once. There are,
however, things that you can do to protect your wooden floor and lengthen the time between
restorations. Regardless of whether you have had a wooden floor for many years or just had
one put it, it is vital to find the best ways to preserve your investment.
Firstly, you can invest in having a door mat at the entrances to your house and secondly, you
can leave your shoes at the door. Both of these methods help to stop sand and dirt that can
cause scratches from being brought into the house and reaching your wood flooring.
Additionally, making use of a door mat and removing one shoes can help to soften the blow of
general wear and tear on your floor – particularly in well used areas like doorways.
Pets, like dogs and cats, can cause scratches in your floor with their nails or claws or by walking
grit into your house. To prevent this, try to have their nails clipped regularly and to wipe their
feet off before they walk into the house – when possible!
Additionally, when using a vacuum on your wooden floors, ensure that your vacuum is
lightweight and, if it does have wheels, that the wheels will not leave scratches or scuff marks in
the floor finish. Also, if your vacuum cleaner has a beater bar, be sure to remove or adjust this
before using it on your wooden floors, as it can also leave marks on your floor.
Finally, when cleaning or moving furniture, be sure to use felt pads, furniture coasters or heavyduty blankets between the furniture and the floor. These protective measures will allow you to
easily slide heavy objects across the floor whilst preventing scratches from occurring.
