Caring for your floor

With proper care, wooden floors can last a lifetime. Water or moisture is the biggest threat to a wood or laminate floor which makes wood not a great choice for bathrooms and kitchens. Ensure that no-one leaves pools of water standing on your wood floor.

Daily sweeping or vacuuming to get rid of dirt and occasional mopping with a slightly damp cloth is usually enough. Area rugs and floor mats placed outside and inside of exterior doors protect your floor by catching dust before it enters your house.

In high traffic areas such as hallways, consider installing a carpet runner to protect the floor. You can also institute a no-shoes policy, particularly high heels which tend to cause dents.

Use furniture pads under heavy pieces of furniture like sofas and beds to ensure they do not leave dents in the wood. Also, when moving furniture about, use a cloth to ensure it does not scratch the floor. Some floors require periodic waxing and buffing.

Others, particularly those with a polyurethane finish, must not be waxed. Consult with the floor installer on the finish used on your floor and the best products to maintain it.

Wood ages over time, as the chemicals in the wood oxidize darkening its colour allowing it to acquire a patina. Most people consider this highly attractive.

However, depending on the wear and tear on the wood, you can have it sanded down and varnished after a couple of years.