 |
|
General Tips
Polyurethane Finish Maintenence
Sealer and Wax Finish Maintenance
210 Finish Maintenance
EXCESSIVE AMOUNTS OF WATER AND WOOD DON'T MIX
Wood is a natural material that swells when it absorbs water and shrinks when it dries out. And even though polyurethane and Swedish finishes are more resistant to water, there are seams where boards are put together.
We don't recommended a wax finish for a kitchen or other areas where liquid spills are frequent.
AVOID
FURNITURE GLIDES AND SPIKE HEELS
Those round headed domes on the bottom of furniture legs make heavy furniture easy to slide around. But glides can tear up any floor while sliding, or dent the floor permanently under a stationary leg. All the furniture's weight is concentrated on a tiny point, sometimes as much as 500 pounds on a 1/16 inch circle.
Narrow ball rollers and spike heels are just as bad. They strike a wood floor with more force per square inch than an elephant's foot.
THE CORAL SAND IN THIS AREA IS ONE OF
THE BIGGEST DANGERS TO YOUR FLOOR.
Tracked-in dirt is like sandpaper on a hardwood floor. Use a walk-off mat or rug at every outdoor entrance to catch the grit. Be sure to vacuum or shake it out regularly.
CRACKS
All the wood in your home will contract or expand according to the moisture in the air. Doors and windows may swell and stick during rainy seasons. In dry, cold weather, or months when South Florida has little or no rain, cracks and fine lines of separation may appear in all cabinets and furniture. This is characteristic of wood because wood is a product of nature, and its natural quality is what makes it desirable.
The same reaction to humidity or the lack of it is happening constantly in your wood floors. Small cracks between edges of boards may appear when your air conditioning or heating system produces unusually dry conditions. These cracks are usually temporary and will come and go with the changes in humidity and weather conditions.
NOTE - In South Florida where warmer temperatures and higher relative humidity outside is more prevalent than Northern States, it is usually necessary to run air conditioning systems to feel comfortable.
If you leave the air conditioning off for an extended period of time - such as vacations - and are going to close up your home it will be necessary to either use a dehumidifier to prevent the relative humidity from increasing over 60% in your home or leave the air conditioning on, set at approximately 78 to 80 degrees.
NOTE - Normal humidity for interiors are between 45% to 55% relative humidity. (Humidity shouid never fall below 40% or exceed 60% relative humidity with a room temperature of 72 to 78 degrees).
Do not spray Endust on your dust mop or on your floor. This tends to leave an oily residue which can make your floors very slippery; nor will it allow us to screen and recoat your floors with polyurethane in the future because the polyurethane will not stick to any oily substance.
Vacuum floor with a brush attachment daily or weekly depending upon traffic. Dry mop floors with a soft cotton cloth. When ever you feel it is necessary to use a cleaner, you may use BonaKemi Swedish Formula Hardwood Floor Cleaner. It may be sprayed on the floor and wiped off with a clean soft cotton cloth. It does not need to be rinsed off nor will it leave an oily residue.
Please refer back to the maintenance booklet for complete maintenance instructions and tips for keeping your hardwood floor looking new and beautiful.
Please do not hesitate to call us at (305)652-6481 if you have any questions.
NOTE: DO NOT USE THE FOLLOWING ITEMS ON YOUR WOOD FLOORS:
Spills should be wiped up promptly before they become sticky or hard. Wipe up all spills or spots with a damp, well wrung out cloth. Dry off afterwards.
Never use soap (which can leave a residue) or ammonia based cleaners in the water. Periodically, you may "tack-rag" (a cloth wrapped around a push broom) or wipe your floor with a thoroughly wrung out cloth that has been dipped in water only. For urine clean up, wipe the area with a damp wrung out cloth that has been dipped into a gallon of water with 1/2 cup of white vinegar added. Dry area off afterwards.
Never pour water directly on the floor or allow water to lay directly on the surface of the floor as this can cause the wood to swell or buckle.
For the black heel marks, tar or asphalt, squirt a little lighter fluid on the mark and wipe off with a paper towel or cloth. Mineral spirits can also be used but the mineral spirits should be applied to the cloth and not poured on the floor.
An occasional buffing with a soft pad or cotton cloth can help to restore the luster.
Check for traffic patterns in high usage areas. Before finish is worn to raw wood, have floors re-coated with polyurethane.
Never wax polyurethane.
Vacuum floor with a brush attachment daily or weekly depending upon traffic. Dry mop floors. Spray a little Endust on a mop (not on floors) or spray Endust on an old towel. Attach the towel to the mop and dry mop. (This way the towel can be taken off and washed out).
A buffer (whether rented or purchased) is recommended for maintenance with a wax-finished floor.
When floor luster has dulled a bit and scuff marks begin to show, you can often restore the original beauty without adding new wax by simply machine or hand buffing.
SPECIAL CARE - After five or six months of wear, inspect your floors closely to see if there's been a dirt build-up or if the wax has discolored. If your floors were originally finished in a dark tone, you may see a lightening of the finish in traffic areas. If none of this is apparent, just apply a new coat of wax over the old and buff it well to restore luster. If such conditions do exist, the following procedure is recommended:
Vacuum floor with a brush attachment daily or weekly depending upon traffic. Dry mop floors. Spray a little Endust on a mop (not on floors) or spray Endust on an old towel. Attach the towel to the mop and dry mop. (This way the towel can be taken off and washed out). Do not wax 210 finish.
A buffer (whether rented or purchased) is recommended for maintenance with a 210 finish floor.
SPECIAL CARE - After five or six months of wear, inspect your floor closely to see if the finish looks dull or worn. If so, the following procedure is recommended:
NOTE - If you can not get a commercial low speed buffer, you can do this procedure by hand. Wipe the floor down with a damp, well wrung out cotton cloth, dampened with water, dry off with clean dry cotton cloth. Next, wipe on 210 finish as above, with a cotton cloth dipped in the finish, well wrung out, lightly coating floor, follow by wiping off with a clean dry cotton cloth. DO SMALL AREAS AT A TIME
Food spills should be wiped up promptly before they become sticky or hard, using a slightly water dampened cloth. Wipe up water spills with a clean dry towel.
For black heel marks, tar or asphalt, squirt a little lighter fluid on the mark and wipe off with a paper towel or cloth. Mineral spirits can also be used but the mineral spirits should be applied to the cloth and not poured on the floor.
If areas appear dull after wiping area with lighter fluid, mineral spirits or a water dampened cloth, wipe the area lightly with the 210 finish - use a very small amount - wring out the cloth well and follow with wiping with a clean dry cotton cloth.
