How to Keep Your Hardwood Flooring Like New for Decades

Get a Rug

If you have a high foot traffic part of the floor that you'd rather not see worn down within a year of installation, make sure to protect it with a rug. Some wood flooring is more durable than other wood flooring, but all of it will eventually wear down if not protected from constant stepping, stomping and stamping. A nice, soft Persian rug for the living room or a runner for the hallway can add decades to the life of your flooring. Ravenswood Chicago should have plenty of rugs that will suit your home's style.

Sweep Regularly with a Soft Broom

You generally want to avoid harder brooms for hardwood. A harder broom is great for tougher tiles and linoleum, but can scratch away at a wood floor over time. In order to keep your floor smooth and scratch free, you want to look for a softer broom with synthetic, horsehair or similar bristles. Avoid those scratchy straw brooms or anything that feels too rough. As a general rule: if you wouldn't want to have it drag across your bare feet, don't drag it across your hardwood floor.

Vacuum

Some people think that you don't need to vacuum a wood floor. In truth, even the most finely glazed wooden surface is going to have some cracks and pores that can collect dust. Keep your floor clean by vacuuming it once or twice a week.

Keep it Dry

You splash a little water on the tile floor in the kitchen, no problem, you let it dry up on its own if it isn't too much. Anything more than a few drops on a hardwood floor, though, should be soaked up with a towel right away. Whether it's a splash of water or a bigger mess, even a little bit of water can harm the wood, causing it to warp or mildew.

Never Drag Furniture

You can drag on a cheap carpet, but when moving furniture across your wood floor, lift and carry, don't drop and drag.

You don't need to be obsessive about your wooden floor by any means. If you just practice common sense and keep it clean and dry, you should have no problem whatsoever with making sure your floor looks as good as new even as it ages.