Don't mop for a month Until the finish is sufficiently cured, which can take up to a month, using any liquid to clean (including hardwood flooring cleaners) can weaken the finish. If you spill something on the floor, use a damp cloth on that spot only.
Avoid hard-bristled brushes and mops
Hard bristles that you'd use on tile, marble or gravel, or outdoor surfaces are not friendly for hardwood flooring. Go for soft-bristled microfiber mops and brooms that won't leave your floors damaged.
After your hardwood floor refinishing project is complete, wait a minimum of two weeks to clean them.
For water-based finishes, the recommended wait time is 4-8 hours. For hard wax oils, this increases to 4-24 hours. Finally, for oil-modified Polyurethane, the surface will take between 12 & 24 hours to dry. The benefit of the dry time is that it allows us to access our floors in between coats.
We often hear that water and hardwood floors don't mix, and this is true to an extent—excess moisture in the air is not good for hardwood flooring. But water on the floor isn't a problem for floors with surface-sealed finishes (unless it's a lot of water).
The best way to clean hardwood floors and keep them in shape is to stick to a regular schedule of maintenance. Sweep, dust or dry mop daily. Vacuum weekly. Clean heavy-traffic areas with a damp mop twice a month.
If a surface-finished hardwood floor still looks dingy or dull after dusting, deep clean it with any pH-neutral, wax-free, and petroleum-free cleaner, such as Bona PowerPlus Hardwood Floor Deep Cleaner, or a homemade solution comprising ¼ cup of dish soap and 1 gallon of warm water.
For oil-based polyurethane, it can take up to 24-48 hours for the finish to dry and up to 72 hours for the fumes to dissipate completely. Therefore, it is recommended that you stay out of your home for at least 72 hours after applying an oil-based polyurethane finish.
You want to give the new finish time to harden and cure. We recommend waiting a minimum of 24 hours before you walk on your floors– and 48 hours is even better. Start with socks only and keep pets off the floors for a few days.
But vinegar should not be used as a hardwood floor cleaner because its acidity can lead to etching in the wood's surface. Avoid ammonia – Ammonia will discolor, deteriorate, and dull the finish. Using ammonia to clean a wood floor will take years off of its life.
Avoid Using a Steam Mop on Wood
Some steam mop manufacturers, such as Shark and Bissell, may say you can use it on a sealed hardwood floor, but Stocki recommends against it because moisture could still possibly force itself into the joints between the boards and get into the wood and warp it.
The best times of year are usually the shoulder seasons for installing custom wood floors. The spring and the fall are the most optimal seasons flooring projects. The main reason is the relative humidity levels are around 35%, which is as good as it gets for any project.
If solid wood floors are installed without an expansion gap, problems are likely to arise. The wood may come under pressure as it expands, leading to distortion and damage to the floor. This can cause the floor to bulge and lift in the middle of the room.
Of course you can, that's what floors are for. To safely walk on unfinished hardwood floors, you must ensure they are adequately sanded during installation. Once smooth, a raw wood floor should be no problem for bare feet.
The U.S. Green Building Council reports off-gassing of oil-based finishes can last for months or even years. Some lower-VOC, water-based products largely finish off-gassing within a few days." Still, "largely" finished means they're still off-gassing those toxic VOCs for who knows how long.
Dust and hardwood floors don't mix. Particle debris like dust can scratch and damage a floor's protective finish.
For a natural (no stain) sanding job with 3 coats of a water based polyurethane, we can complete a job of 100 - 1,500 sq ft in one day. We recommend a minimum of 3 coats of water based polyurethane as it coats in thinner, but harder layers, than an oil based poly.
How often can I refinish my floors? Depending on a floor's thickness and the experience of the flooring professional, a floor can be sanded around 4-6 times in its entire life. Hardwood floors can be refinished every 7-10 years, making the 4-6 refinishes more than enough.
Wait 3 weeks before putting area rugs on newly refinished/finished hardwood floors. Wait 48 to 72 hours after the hardwood has been refinished/ finished before "PLACING" furniture back in its place. Keep a steady temperature and humidity within your home.
Since vinegar is an acid, it will actually break down the finish on the surface of your floor, and over time it will reduce the shine, and leave a dull appearance. Using vinegar and water to clean floors can also lead to an excessive amount of water on the floor, which can cause swelling and discoloration.
Excess water will lead to damage of the floor, and even the subfloor. Do mop a wood floor with a damp mop or cloth. String mops are less common these days, and that's not a bad thing for cleaning wood floors. They can be tough to evenly wring out and use.
How long does it take for water to damage wood floors? According to the EPA, mold is capable of growing on most materials (including wood) within 48 to 72 hours. Other damage, such as staining or buckling, can show up in as little as two to seven days.
Bedrooms and home offices probably only need once a month, he says. This assumes you're sweeping and vacuuming regularly, so keep up with those tasks in between mopping. Pallares prefers mopping all hardwood floors — with an appropriate cleaner only — once a week.
Generally speaking, gaps in a wood floor are normal for boards up to 2¼ inches wide if the gaps close during more humid times of the year. Normal gaps can vary in width, ranging from hairline gaps to the thickness of a quarter.