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Protecting Hardwood Floors in Your New Home

Protecting Hardwood Floors in Your New Home

You’re finally situated in your new home. You’ve gotten all your boxes and furniture moved in thanks to the help of a moving company (or maybe you went it alone!) and you’ve gotten most of your belongings unpacked. Good work! Now it’s time to make upgrades and keep your home looking great so that you and your family enjoy it for years to come.

Does your new home have a hardwood floor? Or, have you decided to have one installed? They’re great to have in any home–cleanup is a breeze compared to carpets, and they look great to boot. But hardwood floors are expensive and can add value to your home (many buyers prefer hardwood), so it’s important to take care of them. Luckily, this is easy to do, simply follow our tips and your hardwood floors will look great for years to come.

The first thing to keep in mind is that spills need to be tended to immediately. This is true of any type of flooring, but hardwood can become damaged from prolonged exposure to spilled liquids. Leaving liquid untended can cause discoloration, which is undesirable at best. The longer the spill sits, the more likely it is that it will seep underneath and cause real damage, including cracking and warping. So be vigilant and swoop in as soon as you become aware of any spills. Also, be sure your hardwood has a good coat of finishing to prevent these types of mishaps. Rugs can also come in handy in kitchens and bathrooms where a lot of splashing and spillage can occur.

Speaking of rugs: rugs are a worthwhile investment, and not just because they’re good for preventing water damage. They can also prevent damage in places where there’s a lot of foot traffic. Think about the flooring near doorways, including entryways and hallways. Many people don’t remove their shoes immediately upon entering a house, and there’s always a chance that there are little bits of rocks caught in the soles of the shoes which can scuff up your beautiful floors. So keep welcome mats near your doorways and encourage family and guests to remove their shoes as they come inside. Hallways often experience high foot traffic, and floor runners are long rugs–perfect for hallways. You can find them in just about any color, so you’re sure to find something that goes with your home’s color scheme.

Bonus Tip: you can use your rugs to aid in rearranging furniture in your house. Instead of dragging heavy tables and chairs across your nice floors, lift up each corner and slide a rug underneath. Then you can scoot things around without worrying about scraping everything up!

We should also mention… sunlight kills! Not really, of course, as almost everyone loves sunlight and it’s great in moderation. However, your hardwood floors aren’t huge fans. Too much direct sunlight can discolor your floors and eat away at some finishings. Some woods darken with exposure, and others get lighter; neither looks very good when the rest of the floor is the color is should be. Be sure you have curtains up to help prevent sunlight from beaming down on your floors day in and day out. Also, try to avoid using oil-based finish on your floors as it may cause yellowing after too much sunlight exposure.

And, last but not least, treat your floor like a high-end car. And by that we mean be sure to polish your floor every now and then–at least once a year. You can buy good floor wax for relatively cheap, and it’s a great investment to help prevent scratching and moisture damage.

That’s it! If you follow these simple tips you can keep your hardwood floor looking great for years to come! And, as always, if you need friendly and reliable movers in Dallas, Fort Worth, or Plano, give Texas State Movers a call at 214-320-1230–we’ll respect your flooring!