Maintenance Coating and Cleaning
Maintenance is essential to the long-term beauty and durability of your hardwood floor. Regular maintenance is an inexpensive alternative to refinishing, and often takes but a few hours to complete. Plus, a water based urethane without the strong odor works great in maintaining wood floors (see Floor Refinishing, finishes). Unfortunately most maintenance coatings come with a gamble. Issues mostly arise with the adhesion between coats; however, because we use a water based urethane for maintenance coats, plus the fact that the existing finish has fully cured some time ago, creating a mechanical bond due to light sanding usually poses no significant issue for our experienced staff. A cheif concern lies with what type of products were used in daily cleaning of the existing wood floor. Four Seasons Hardwood Floors recommends cleaning wood floors with warm water. Bona Floor Cleaner, found in the big box stores, works well on wood floors. Glitsa corporation does sell a great floor cleaner which we sell at our showroom. Any cleaner with oil or wax in it will create pockets of adhesion problems as some of the cleaner might remain after we have lightly sanded and clean the floor. These pockets of cleaner residue can create a peeling effect, so consider our cleaning recommendations seriously. Avoid vinegar to clean your wood floor. This acidic product will erode the finish regardless of how much you dilute it. Proper cleaning, regular maintenance, and a pro-active plan can save you money and keep your investment beautiful.
