5 tips for keeping your new floor stunning.
Sydney has some old and historic buildings that boast stunning timber floors still intact. These include the ASN Co Building in the Rocks that was built between 1884 – 1885. Currently used as galleries, studios, exhibition and office space, the timber floors, stairs and balustrades are a stunning example of early Sydney architecture using timber flooring. While many of the floors have seen a fair bit of wear and tear over the years, the best way to clean and maintain the floorboards has remained largely the same.
ASN Co Building
You should think of your timber floors as a long term investment. If you look after and maintain them properly, you will have beautiful floors for many years to come.
It’s important to talk to your installation team at the start as they will have tips specific to the timber you have chosen and its situation. There are some general tips that we can share with you that will help you understand what needs to be done to keep your boards in top shape.
1. Unless your floors are prefinished, you should not replace your furniture for 48 hours to let the surface dry properly.
2. Get protective mats and castors for chairs and furniture so that scrapes and scratches don’t occur. It’s important to also ask guest to remove high heeled shoes. Stiletto heels can cause pock marks right across the floor if you don’t take care. Your animals and pets can also have sharp nails that can cause damage to your boards, so keep this in mind when getting a new floor.
3. Allow the last coat of sealant to completely dry for at least 2 weeks before replacing any rugs over the floorboards. This is to allow the timber to be totally cured. When you do put your rugs and mats down, make sure the floor is cleaned and dust free so that you don’t scratch the surface when people walk on them.
4. Use a welcome mat at the front and back doors (and all external entrances) so that visitors can wipe excess dirt and grime off their shoes. Sand, small stones and grit can cause scratches and gouges to the floorboards if brought inside.
In order to reduce the amount of scratching due to grit, make sure you sweep and mop floors regularly.
5. To avoid sun damage and fading, move rugs and mats around regularly and try to keep direct sunlight to a minimum with blinds and curtains.
If you do find that your floor has suffered some wear and tear over the years, it is often possible for a professional to repair and restore your floorboards.
How to Clean:
– use a soft broom or vacuum.
– use a quality floor mop and make sure to remove any lint first.
– make sure to wipe up any spills as quickly as possible and try to keep your floorboards as dry as possible.
– don’t use a steam mop as it will force steam between the floor boards.