Care & Maintenance Guide

There are several culprits responsible for damaging real hardwood flooring. UV rays from the sun, wet spills, overzealous cleaners and harsh contact with furnishings can all do significant harm. Here are a few tips on how to enjoy your floors without being a slave to them.

Attach felt or plastic pads to the bottoms of chairs, tables and other furniture so that they can be moved around without scraping the floor.
Lift furniture, and don’t scrape it, as you move it around the room.
Avoid the use of toys, large or small, with wheels. The wheels are often made of hard plastic that becomes rough with use.
When vacuuming, use the brush attachment.
Sand and dirt are abrasive so keep mats at doorways to the rooms where hardwood flooring is in place. Wiping feet removes most traces.
Spills should be cleaned up immediately as liquids, including water, can stain real hardwood flooring.
Never walk on hardwood floors while wearing high heels, especially those with stiletto spiked heels.
If pets are allowed in the area, beware that their nails may scratch the floor.
Avoid the use of party poppers or steamers as the dye can stain the floor if they are not cleaned up promptly.
Avoid the use of sand (i.e. in play groups, etc) as some sands may be damp and this will damage boards and the grit will cause scratches, etc.

While the above list may seem like a lot of bother, it’s worth paying attention to these points so that your real hardwood flooring can stay in top condition for the long haul.

Entrance Barrier Matting
We recommend that good quality entrance barrier mats are used at all external entrances to the hardwood flooring to collect grit and moisture from the underside of footwear. We strongly recommend that at least 2-3 footfalls are allowed for. Vacuum and clean the mat regularly.

Footwear
Hardwood floors are hard wearing but we recommend, when the floor is being used for sports, that black soled shoes are avoided, as these can leave unsightly marks on the surface of the floor. Any black marks can be removed easily by normal cleaning if tackled the same day. If left then use a cloth with a little white spirit to dissolve them. Please consult with us for advice on other uses such as roller skating, trampolines and other social activities such as parties, bouncy castles etc.

Mats and Protective Pads
Use felt feet or carpet based castor cups under chair and table legs. Place protective matting under chair wheels at areas of extreme concentration and wear.

Spillages
Hardwood floors have a level of water resistance; however damage can occur if spillages of liquid onto the surface are not wiped up immediately. Extra coats of site applied lacquer will increase the water resistance of the floor. However it will not be waterproof.

Daily
Sweep once or twice a day with V sweepers or vacuum the floor to collect and remove dirt and abrasive materials. Ensure that if a sweeper is used it is regularly vacuumed to maintain effective dirt and dust removal. Remove gum and black rubber shoe marks daily.

Daily, Weekly or Periodically
Comprehensive auto scrub/dry the floor using Junckers Cleaner diluted with water in accordance with the instructions printed on the packaging. Make sure excess water is not used and is automatically vacuumed up during the cleaning process. If a rotary cleaning machine is used, ensure that only white pads are fitted and that any surplus water is vacuumed up immediately. We do not recommend the use of mop and buckets to clean the whole floor on a regular basis, however at various times during the day, some flat damp mopping will naturally take place to deal with localised spillages.

Stair Treads
Wooden stair treads will require separate consideration. In addition to the cleaning routine as described above we recommend that stair treads are abrasive screen meshed cleaned and a coat of Junckers High Performance polyurethane seal be applied every 12 months.

Conditions
We recommend that the humidity of the air be maintained in the range 35-65% RH and that the air temperature be maintained at 16-22° C. Please note that, especially for new buildings, it may be necessary to run the heating and ventilation systems at a higher rate to dry out any residual moisture in the building. In the summer months it is recommended that ventilation be carried out in the evening or at night, to reduce a build up of humidity. In the winter ventilate only to maintain the freshness of the air. Do not shut the room up without sufficient ventilation or for long periods of time as this will affect the moisture content of the flooring. This is particularly important in new buildings which remain unoccupied for long periods of time. Do not cover floors up with polythene or similar for long periods of time and do not use adhesive tapes on the floor as their removal may affect the adhesion of the seal. We recommend painted line markings for sports use. If temporary taped markings are needed then only use very low contact adhesive tapes compatible with lacquered flooring.

Periodically
We recommend that the floors surface be inspected every 6 months for the build up of any soap, dirt or grease deposits which will make the floor slippery. If this is the case we recommend that the floor be thoroughly cleaned using Junckers Neutraliser and afterwards using Junckers Sylva Cleaner all in accordance with the instructions printed on the packaging. Only regular cleaning prevents slippery condition to all floors.

Long Term — Resealing
We recommend that the floors surface be inspected every 12-18 months to inspect the condition of the seal and the surface of the wood. We recommend after this inspection that the floor be screen mesh abraded, and 1-coat of Junckers polyurethane seal be applied. This will prolong the life of any line markings.

Long Term — Sand and Seal
Providing that the above maintenance procedure is followed the floor may not need sanding for many years. However, damage to the surface of the floor can occur so we recommend that the floors surface be continually reviewed and if necessary then the surface can be sanded and sealed. However, for budget purposes we would recommend for normal average use that floors surface may need to be sanded and sealed approximately every 7-10 years. Minor surface repairs can be taken care of at this time. If it is deemed necessary to do this then we recommend that the floor be sanded back to bare wood before applying a Junckers 3-4 coat polyurethane sealing system. Line marking paint can be applied between the 2 top coats of seal.

Call us today for a free, no-obligation site visit and estimate:

01924 439 490