If you have chosen to add hardwood floors to your home renovations you have made a great decision if you are planning to maintain the hardwood floors. Hardwood flooring is made from mature trees, and is treated when it is finished. But hardwood will absorb moisture and also scratch if something is dragged across it.
It is not a good idea to leave a pool of water on your hardwood floors. The cracks in between the hardwood will absorb the moisture and swell. If this happens in even a little spot it will still be noticeable. If any liquid is spilled on the floor you need to soak up the fluid right away. When you clean your hardwood floor you can use a damp mop but only damp. You may want to use a floor cleaner for hardwood, like old furniture usually. Either way only a damp mop should be used.
Another thing that can happen to hardwood floors are dents and scratches. Women wearing high heels are one of the worse things that your hardwood floors can endure. Over a long perios of time furniture legs cause dents and scratches also. It might be an idea to add some area rugs under your furniture or there are also felts available that go directly under the furniture legs. This can be the same as old furniture to many people. You may also choose to add area rugs to any areas that are highly traveled in your house.
There are some people that feel that the scratches and the dents give their hardwood floors character. If you have a lot of dents and scratches then it is an option to have your hardwood floors refinished. You may need to have your hardwood floors refinished every ten years or so, this will also add a protective top coat to your hardwood floors, just like old furniture usually. Moving anything across your hardwood floors to letting your dog run in the house can cause scratches and dents.
