Real wood - lacquered
The general day-to-day maintenance for a lacquered real wooden floor is actually
very easy.
All lacquered floors have a hardwearing polyurethane surface, which requires
no treatment prior to use. Simply vacuum to remove surface dust and clean using
a minimum amount of water or cleaning agent for general day to day maintenance.
Please visit the specific manufacturer’s details for a thorough explanation of how
to maintain your particular floor.
Real wood - oiled
The general day-to-day maintenance for a natural & UV oiled real wooden floor is
actually very easy.
Simply vacuum to remove surface dust and clean using a minimum
amount of water or cleaning agent for general day to day maintenance.
Re-oiling
is necessary when your floor starts to feel more difficult to clean. In the majority
of cases an oiled floor will require re-oiling twice in the first year and then
typically once per year thereafter.
Please visit the specific manufacturer’s details
for a thorough explanation of how to maintain your particular floor.
Real wood - unfinished
The general day-to-day maintenance for an unfinished wooden floor will initially
depend upon the type of finish you have chosen to apply.
Since it is not usual to
leave an unfinished floor in an unfinished state, it is presumed here that you will
have applied a stain or coating of your own choice.
It is first necessary to check
with the manufacturer of your particular coating for any specific maintenance instructions
before proceeding. In most cases the instructions will be the same as one of the
above, however may not necessarily be so.
If you are uncertain then it is always
possible to sand away the existing finish so that your flooring returns to the same
unfinished state in which you purchased it.
Laminate
Maintaining a laminate floor day-to-day is very simple.
Vacuum regularly to remove
any surface dust then clean using a minimum amount of water or cleaning agent.
Please visit the specific manufacturer’s details for a thorough explanation of how to maintain
your particular floor.
General maintenance pointers for real wood & laminate floors
The most important rule is not to add too much water or cleaning agent to the product.
Please visit the specific manufacturer’s details for a more thorough explanation
of how to maintain your particular floor.
However, as a simplified overview, the
following instruction is considered suitable for most products. Vacuum or sweep
the area first to clear any loose dust or grit. Now apply a fine mist of water over
the floor in manageable sections, and then wipe dry taking care to use a non-abrasive,
clean cloth.
There are lots of real wood flooring cleaners available on the market,
but please ensure that they are compatible with your particular floor before use.
As with any cleaning product (washing-up liquid, etc) different brands are of different
qualities, but does not necessarily affect suitability.
Obviously, taking a few
precautions to reduce the level of dirt in the first instance would be prudent.
Place doormats by the exterior doors to help prevent dirt and grit from being brought
in by foot-traffic, which can cause considerable wear and tear.
Put protective pads
on furniture (not metal feet, which mark wood floors) to avoid unnecessary marks
and scratches on the floor.
Observe caution in areas where spillages are more likely
to occur and ensure that any spillage, regardless of how small, is mopped up immediately.
LVT (Amtico / Karndean) – Luxury Vinyl Tiles
Luxury Vinyl Tiles are very easy to keep clean.
Simply vacuum or sweep the floor with a soft, clean brush to remove any loose grit and dirt as necessary. Occasionally,
around once a week, mop the floor with a damp mop using the manufacturer’s specific floor cleaner.
If the floor has been dressed, the finish will need to be stripped
off and reapplied from time to time, please visit the manufacturer’s website or
call for further details.
Carpets
Protect your natural carpet with INTEC, the environmentally friendly stain protection
solution to help with maintenance and increase the longevity of your natural carpet.
Use entry doormats to control the amount of dirt tracked in, and vacuum regularly
using a ‘suction-only’ appliance. The use of carpet cleaning facilities on some
vacuum cleaners is not suitable for use with a natural carpet.
Blot and then clean
spots and spills using a dry cloth only and avoid applying liquids such as water
or carpet cleaner.
Added protection of a castor chair mat is suggested if using
chairs fitted with castors.
Frequent movement of castors can damage the fibres of
the flooring.