The home is where the heart is, as the adage goes. Most of the time, your living arrangement will be an accurate reflection of your tastes and characteristics. If you are someone who keeps things tidy and organized, this trait will apply to every area of your property. As a homeowner, you will pay extra attention to the status of the wood floor in your house.
You’d be surprised to find that even the most minor impact of something can cause harm to the floor. Scratches are usually the most common problem, but you also need to be mindful of other issues. Keep the following tips in mind to protect your beautiful hardwood flooring from scratches:
1. Take Off Your Shoes
In some scenarios, most of us may choose to wear shoes in our homes, despite not knowing the implications. Even if you wear indoor shoes within the premises, you may be doing the floors a disservice. That is because the constant flow of traffic of those who have footwear on can cause damage below.
Shoes of many types may inadvertently cause scratches to your floors through constant use. As a result, simply take the shoes off! If you want to have something on, go for something soft on the sole. Or wear socks instead to protect both your feet and floors too.
2. Furniture With Rollers
The types of furniture you have within your home will matter greatly, especially regarding the wood floors. That is because the forceful push and pull motion of the furniture can bring about scratches. This is especially true for specific types of furniture that have rollers attached to them.
If you install a new wood floor into your home, avoid placing furniture with rollers into the respective space. It greatly influences how your floors will turn out over time, and you don’t want to ruin your investment. Rollers can also make the presence of dirt proliferate too, which can increase the problems you have!
3. Rugs
If you can’t get around not using furniture with rollers, you may be in luck. There are a ton of ways that you can implement into your room, which will protect the wood floors below. One of the most popular techniques to consider using comes via applying a rug onto the actual floor. Then, place the furniture with rollers attached to this particular rug.
Not only will it prevent unnecessary rolling, but you will safeguard your floors from incurring unnecessary damage. An added benefit of throwing a rug into a particular room is that you will reduce noise. Furniture with rollers attached can be relatively noisy. Rugs below them cut audible sounds down tenfold!
4. Entry Mats
One of the most vulnerable areas for your wood floors to be installed in is near your home’s entryways. That is because, during the colder months, water may be a factor to consider. Factors such as water, salt, and even snow lead to excess moisture penetrating the floors.
To prevent this from having a big impact on your floors, simply place a large enough rug near the entrance. These mats should be weather-proof and be able to stop moisture from leaking through. They are relatively inexpensive as well; grab a couple, and ensure all access points have one!
5. Felt Pads
Even if your furniture pieces do not have rollers installed, they can still harm your flooring. This depends on how heavy the particular chair or sofa is to move while on a wood floor. To make the impact much more bearable, place some felt pads onto the bottom of the respective furniture piece.
For your benefit, it is generally recommended to purchase more felt pads than what you require. Since you never know how much you’ll need, it is wise to grab a couple more than required. By doing this, you’ll always have extras on hand in the event of your installed pads going bad.
6. Cleaning the Outside
It is always recommended to keep the interiors of your home as clean as possible. That way, you ensure that your wood floors are kept free of risks at all times. However, you may also want to inspect the immediate exteriors of your property as well. Contrary to popular belief, this has an impact to consider too.
That is because the dirt and grime outside of your home can inadvertently be brought into the house. Take the time to tidy up this particular area, so that it is relatively free from dirt sources. All of the small motions will matter in the grander scheme of things!