Oak floors are beautiful, but they need a little work to keep them in ideal condition. The following tips can help you to protect your engineered oak flooring from wear and tear to keep it looking perfect.
Avoid Bringing Dirt Inside
The best way to protect your engineered oak flooring is to avoid bringing dirt into your home as much as possible. Take your shoes off at the door and ask guests to do the same. If your feet are cold inside the house, wear slippers or thick socks to keep them warm.
Pad the Legs of Furniture
Moving furniture around can leave scratches on an engineered oak floor, which can be difficult to remove. To protect your floor, apply protective pads to the bottom of your table and chair legs. Check them regularly to ensure they have not fallen off.
Clean Oak Flooring Regularly
Oak floors need regular cleaning to keep them looking their best. Dry cleaning is the safest method, as too much moisture can warp the wood. Sweep or vacuum the floor to remove dust and crumbs. If you need to remove sticky spills, you can mop the floor, but be sure to wring the mop out well so it is damp rather than dripping.
Clean Light-Coloured Oak More Often
Oak flooring comes in a variety of beautiful shades, making it a popular choice for a family home. If you select a lighter shade of oak, bear in mind that you will need to clean it more often than a darker floor, as dirt will be more noticeable.
Remove Stains Carefully
When removing stains from your engineered oak flooring, it is important to choose a suitable stain removal product. Some harsh cleaning chemicals can strip the finish from your oak floor or even cause damage to the wood. In particular, you should avoid using cleaning fluids that contain ammonia.
Restore the Finish
If you do accidentally damage the finish on your engineered oak flooring, you can restore it by using a suitable product. First, find out whether your oak floor is finished with oil or with lacquer. Next, apply a suitable oil or lacquer to the floor and wait for it to fully dry before you walk on it. The manufacturer of your engineered oak flooring can recommend a product that is suitable to match the style and colour of your floor. Repeat this treatment whenever the floor's surface becomes dull, scratched, or difficult to clean.
