Step 1:

• Remove all furnishings from the room(s).
• Paintings and decorative items should be removed from the walls to avoid accidentally knocking them down during the process of moving wood and flooring equipment in and out of the room.
• Contact the gas company or city to disconnect gas or water lines from appliances (stoves, dishwashers, refrigerators). This will minimize potential risks to you, your family, and your wood flooring professional. Contact them to reconnect appliances when the work is completed.
• PLEASE NOTE: If you are refinishing existing wood floors, be sure to clean your floors thoroughly (sweep or clean with a recommended wood floor cleaner) and remove any debris from the room(s). You want to be sure that your contractor does not waste time, and charge you more, for cleaning and performing routine maintenance that you can do yourself.

Step 2:

• If you are installing new floors, the wood will be delivered to your home. For a high-quality installation, the wood needs to acclimate. Acclimation is an important, absolutely critical step in the installation process. The time required for this step will vary from two days to two weeks based on the wood species, the home’s living conditions, temperature and humidity. In an occupied home, the wood will need several days to acclimate to the home’s normal living conditions. In an unoccupied home, or a home under construction, acclimation may take a few days longer as heating/cooling systems are turned on to bring the home to normal living conditions. In new construction, all windows and doors must be in place, and all other trades such as painting, grouting, etc., must be completed before wood floors can be installed.
• Be sure you understand up front each aspect of the installation process, from how long it will take, to which direction the flooring will be installed, to how the boards may vary in appearance. Keep in mind that wood is a natural product, produced in a factory called a forest, and no two floor boards will be identical. Variations in appearance are completely normal, and will add to the beauty and charm or real wood floors.

Step 3:

• If your floors are being sanded, finished or refinished on site, you need to be prepared for some noise and disruption. There may be some dust to deal with, but Anton’s Floorcovering LLC takes all precautions to reduces and limit the amount produced during this process. Keep in mind, however, that even with a dust containment system, you should cover any items that you want to keep dust-free. Of course, newly installed factory finished floors will not need sanding, but the installation process will create some dust and debris.
• When your floors are ready to have finish applied, be sure you know what type of finish is being used, and that you like the finish sheen. Anton’s Floorcovering LLC can provide samples of the different finishes to help aid in you decision.
• No matter what the type or sheen, however, things will move very quickly one the finishing process begins. Because this is a critical phase, when the finish is being applied to your floors, you will have no access to the room until the finish has completely dried and has had time to cure.
• The time required will vary, Anton’s Floorcovering LLC will inform you of the exact time on site!

With today’s advances in wood flooring stains and finishes, cleaning your wood floors has never been easier. Regular maintenance requires little more than sweeping with a soft bristle broom, and vacuuming with a soft floor attachment if your wood floor includes a beveled edge that could collect debris. You also should clean your floors periodically with a professional wood floor cleaning product recommended by a wood flooring professional. The NWFA can help you find one in your area.

• There are other steps you can take to minimize maintenance and maintain the beauty of your wood floors as well. Do not use sheet vinyl or tile floor care products on wood floors. Self-polishing acrylic waxes cause wood to become slippery and appear dull quickly.
• Use throw rugs both inside and outside doorways to help prevent grit, dirt and other debris from being tracked onto your wood floors. This will prevent scratching. Do not wet-mop a wood floor. Standing water can dull the finish, damage the wood and leave a discoloring residue.
• Wipe up spills immediately with a slightly dampened towel.
• Do not over-wax a wood floor. If the floor dulls, try buffing instead. Avoid wax buildup under furniture and other light traffic areas by applying wax in these spots every other waxing session.
• Put soft plastic or fabric-faced glides under the legs of furniture to prevent scuffing and scratching.
• Avoid walking on your wood floors with cleats, sports shoes and high heels. A 125-pound woman walking in high heels has an impact of 2,000 pounds per square inch. An exposed heel nail can exert up to 8,000 pounds per square inch. This kind of impact can dent any floor surface.
• When moving heavy furniture, do not slide it on wood flooring. It is best to pick up the furniture completely to protect the wood flooring.
• For wood flooring in the kitchen, place an area rug in front of the kitchen sink.
• Use a humidifier throughout the winter months to keep wood movement and shrinkage to a minimum.

Unlike most other floor covering options, wood is very forgiving. Most problems can be prevented with proper maintenance, but when problems do occur, renewal and repair usually is possible. For renewing and repairing stains and scratches on any wood floor, always begin at the outer edge of the stain or scratch and work toward the middle. To renew or repair a wood floor, you first will need to determine which kind of finish is on your floor.

Wax Floors

If the stain or scratch has penetrated the surface and is in the wood, you are dealing with a wax-finished floor.

Stains

How you tackle renewing and repairing stains depends on the type of stain.

Chewing Gum, Crayon, Candle Wax

Apply a plastic bag filled with ice until the deposit is brittle enough to crumble off. Crayon or candle wax can be removed by placing an ink blotter on the area and applying a hot pressing iron to the top of the blotter. Solvent-based wax also can be applied around the area to loosen the deposit.

If the burn is not very deep, rub the area with fine sandpaper or steel wool. Moisten the steel wool with wax for better results. If the burn is deep, scrape the area with a penknife to remove charred fibers. Rub the area with fine sandpaper. Stain, wax and hand buff.

Rub spot with #000 steel wool. Wax the affected area. If this fails, lightly sand the area with fine sandpaper, and clean it using #00 steel wool and mineral spirits or a wood floor cleaner . Allow the floor to dry. Stain, wax and hand buff. If the spot remains, apply a household bleach or vinegar and allow it to soak for an hour. Rinse with a damp cloth, wipe dry and smooth with fine sandpaper. Stain, wax and hand buff.

Gently rub the stain with a damp cloth. Rub the area dry and wax.

Rub with a wood cleaner.

First rub the area with kitchen soap having a high lye content, or saturate cotton with hydrogen peroxide and place over the stain. Then saturate a second layer of cotton with ammonia and place over the first layer. Repeat until stain is removed. Let the area dry and then hand buff.

Rub spot with #000 steel wool. Wax the affected area. If this fails, lightly sand the area with fine sandpaper, and clean it using #00 steel wool and mineral spirits or a wood floor cleaner. Allow the floor to dry. Stain, wax and hand buff.

Strip the old wax away with odorless mineral spirits or a wood floor product made for stripping wax. Use cloths and fine steel wool to remove all residue. After the floor is dry, wax and buff.

To renew and repair scratches, wax the area thoroughly.

Rub in a small amount of wax with fine steel wool and hand buff to a shine.

If the stain or scratch has penetrated the finish only and is not in the wood, you are dealing with a surface finished floor.

Apply a plastic bag filled with ice on top of the stain until it is brittle enough to crumble off. Clean the area with a product made for urethane finishes.

Most common burns can be treated with a touch-up kit made for urethane finishes. Rub with sandpaper, stain and refinish. For burns that reach deep into the wood, individual plank or parquet boards may need to be replaced.

Use a cleaner developed specifically for urethane finishes to remove the spot or stain. More stubborn spots may require additional scrubbing with the cleaner and a wood flooring scrub pad made for urethane floors.

Rub the area with a cleaner developed for urethane.

Repair with a touch-up kit made for urethane finishes available from any wood flooring retailer.