Polished Timber Floor Care

Polished timber floors are at their most vulnerable in the first days after completion. The polyurethane coating will need to harden suitably before furniture can be replaced. There are also a number of other precautionary measures you need to be aware of to ensure the maximum life span of your new floors.
Hi I’m Karl from Economy Floor Sanding, and now you’re new polished floors are completed, it’s time to take a few simple steps to ensure you keep them looking great for many years to come.

The First days after completion:

The first day after completion we re-visit your property to give it a once over, check for any minor imperfections and touch-up as necessary. After this final inspection stage, you may re-enter your home, although it is advisable to avoid wearing shoes for the first 48 hours. Opening a couple of windows at this stage will assist in the drying process, and also to air out the property.

Moving furniture back into your property:

The first rule, and the most important, is to never roll or slide furniture across your finished floors.
Large furniture and appliances such as refrigerators, pose a huge threat to your floors when returning them to your home, and as a result can cause permanent damage if not carried out appropriately. The best procedure for returning your refrigerator is to obtain 2 sheets of new, clean, 3mm MDF board from your local hardware, in a size larger than the base of your fridge.
The method is to place the fridge on the first sheet and roll it onto the second sheet. Move the first sheet in front of the fridge again, and keep repeating this process until the appliance is positioned in front of its recess within your kitchen. The key point here is to never allow the fridge wheels to make contact with the polyurethane surface.
All other furniture legs should have self-adhesive felt protection pads fitted, paying particular attention to dining room chairs, as these are the most moved pieces of furniture in your home.

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Setting up your home for protection:

Managing the amount of grit which enters your home is important. Placing suitable mats at all entrances will reduce the amount of grit from shoes dramatically.
Take note of the east and west sides of your house and ensure direct sunlight does not meet the floor surface. Filter direct sunlight with curtains, blinds or tint as necessary, as over time it can damage, and discolour the internal polyurethane coating.

Cleaning:

Minimising dust and grit will extend the life of your floors, as it acts like a sandpaper effect when walked on. This can be achieved with a static mop, general sweeping or vacuuming.
Ensure your vacuum head has no metal parts on the underside, if so, replace as necessary. Use curtains, blinds or tint to filter direct sunlight from directly meeting the floor surface as this can damage and discolour the coating over time.
General mopping of your floors can be carried out using half a household bucket of warm water mixed with half a cup of methylated spirits. Wring out the mop well to ensure a minimal amount of water is present on the floor surface.

Inspection and maintenance:

An annual self-assessment of your floors is recommended and is as simple as inspecting the main traffic routes within your home. Look for variations in surface sheen in areas such as the main entrance, the centre of the hall and the working triangle in the kitchen. If you are concerned with, or are not certain of the current condition of your floors, we are happy to inspect them for you, and offer free advice. We have been sanding floors in Brisbane for twenty years so call us today, or fill in our online form to arrange a free inspection today on 0419 684 404.