Autumn is finally upon us, and with the onset of colder weather and rainy days comes new challenges for the owners of any hardwood flooring. Protecting your beautiful hardwood flooring throughout the colder months of the year can be challenging, but it’s the best way to preserve the value of your home and protect your investment. Fortunately, most methods you need to keep your hardwood looking its best are simple and inexpensive. By just changing a few things around your home, you can make sure your hardwood lives as long as your entire home.
Simple Tips to Ensure Your Flooring Stays Looking Great
The biggest thing you can do to protect your floors is to make use of protective rugs and covers. By strategically placing rugs near entrances and exits which are most likely to take damage from snow, dirt, ice, and water, you can minimize some elemental damage. Salt from rainwater can leave a white abrasive residue causing long-term damage to your floors. In addition to these rugs, make sure you’re sweeping your floors regularly. This is the best and most proven way to avoid letting small particles and debris scratch up your floors. Also clean up any rain puddles immediately to prevent any damage.
Hardwood flooring is particularly sensitive to temperature and humidity, which is a big part of what makes autumn such a challenging season for homeowners. When it gets colder and less humid, your floorboards tend to shrink, which can cause gaps to appear in your flooring. To keep your home at appropriate levels, try to aim for temperatures and humidity levels indicated by your installation. This is typically 60-80 degrees with humidity between 35-55. You can use a humidifier to keep humidity under control and set your thermostat accordingly as well. With these tips, your hardwood should survive autumn easily!
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