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Hardwood Floor Cleaning, Refinishing and Restoring of Hardwood Floors, Hard Wood Floor Care and Basic Wood Floor Maintenance Section

Tips on how to clean, refinish, care for and maintain your hardwood floors and engineered hardwood flooring.

Hardwood floor care and coverings are a major part of any home.

So read on and learn the many ways you can clean hardwood floors, maintain your hardwood floor investment, restoring hardwood floors – your home investment and source of pride -- today and tomorrow.

Fight dirt right where it enters.

Place walk off mats or area rugs at each entryway to collect dirt and grit that might be tracked in.

These tiny particles act like sandpaper and will scratch your floor.

Be sure to avoid using rubber-backed or non-ventilated mats or rugs as they can damage your floor.

Instead use mats or rugs made especially for hardwood floors and remember to shake them out regularly.

In addition to entryways, remember to place mats in any areas where water may be splashed, such as near a kitchen sink.

These tools can be floor savers.

Buy a good quality broom and sweep your new floor regularly to pick up grains of dirt, dust and other particles.

A vacuum cleaner, without a beater bar, can be helpful in between planks and other hard to reach areas. Once dirt and grease are gone, buffing can help restore the luster of your hardwood floor.

Our cleaning suggestions.

Cleaning techniques vary depending on the installation and finish of your hardwood floor.

For “Finish in Place” hardwood floors, we recommend using an 8”x14” terrycloth mop with a rotating head that makes cleaning corners, under cabinets and along base boards an easy task.

Spray a professional wood floor cleaning product recommended by us to safely remove tough stains and spills without dulling the finish of your floor.

Manufacturers of “Pre-finished” hardwood floors recommend their own specific products designed for their floors routine maintenance. Be sure to check with us as well about these cleaners.

Keep in mind these dos and don’ts.

All floors with a urethane finish should never be waxed and require cleaners that won’t leave a film or residue.

A hardwood floor cleaner is useful in removing occasional scuffs or heel marks. Merely spray some cleaner on a cloth and lightly rub the stained area. Sticky spots can be cleaned with a damp towel or sponge.

Do not use ammonia cleaners or oil soaps on a wood floor, as they will dull the finish and performance of your floor. These products will also affect the ability to recoat your floor later.

Since wood naturally expands when it is wet, never wet mop or use excessive water to clean your floor. Large amounts of water can cause the wood to swell and may cause your floor to crack or splinter.

Being a natural product, hardwood will expand and contract due to moisture level changes. Minimize water exposure to hardwood floors and clean up spills as soon as they happen.

For deeper cleaning, please note the following: If your floor is showing excessive wear beyond normal cleaning you may want to consider screening and recoating.

Screening is the process used to abrade the polyurethane finish that is currently on the floor. Then, fresh coats of urethane are applied. Screening and recoating will rejuvenate and prolong the life of your hardwood floor.

If the damage to the floor is severe and has gone through the stain of the boards down to the bare wood, you may be able to sand and refinish. This is mostly an option for solid wood flooring.

This should only be done if a screening and recoating does not solve the problem. This is an extensive process where the floor is sanded down to the bare wood, re-stained and then refinished. If the damage is only in a small area you may want to see if replacement boards are available to alleviate having to refinish an entire area.

Be sure to hire an experienced professional when having any work done on your hardwood floor. We suggest you contact us for advice.

Protect your hardwood floor against tomorrow, sunshine and activity.

All hardwood floors will fade, darken or change shades over time. Exposure to sunlight will greatly increase this process.

Window treatments are recommended, as well as rotating area rugs and furniture regularly to allow floors to age evenly from UV exposure.

Cover furniture and table legs with protectors to guard your floor against damage. Take care when moving heavy objects across your floor to avoid scuffing.

Albany/Richmond Alameda Oakland California Bay Area Bruce Hardwood Floors Flooring Dealer Locations


Richmond, California is a residential inner suburb of San Francisco city and located in the western portion of Contra Costa
County, California with a zip code of 94804. The city was incorporated on August 7, 1905. The Floor Stores San Francisco Bay Area Mohawk Flooring Installation centers and home improvement design stores corporate headquarters make Richmond, California their home. The Floor Stores Richmond California home improvement center proudly serves the communities of San Francisco, El Cerrito, San Pablo, Pinole, Hercules, Albany, Berkeley, Oakland, Emeryville, El Sobrante, South San Francisco, Moraga, American Canyon and Alameda. Proudly Serving the Northern California cities of El Cerrito, San Pablo, Pinole, Hercules, Albany, Berkeley, Oakland, Emeryville, El Sobrante, San Francisco, Moraga, American Canyon and Alameda.

Concord California East Bay Hardwood Floor Locations


Concord, California, home of The Floor Stores California San Francisco East Bay Area Hardwood Flooring Installation Discount Dealer and home improvement design stores, is located in the largest city in Contra Costa County, California. The city is a major regional suburban East Bay center within the San Jose/ San Francisco Metropolitan Area, and is located just 31 miles east of San Francisco and was incorporated on February 5, 1905. Serving the zip code of 94520 and the East Bay cities of Pleasant Hill, Walnut, Lafayette, Martinez, Alamo Creek, Diablo, Danville, Clayton, Vacaville, Benicia, Fairfield and Sacramento. Proudly Serving the Northern California cities of Pleasant Hill, Walnut, Lafayette, Martinez, Alamo Creek, Diablo, Danville, Clayton, Vacaville, Benicia, Fairfield and Sacramento.

Dublin San Jose, Silicon Valley California East Bay Area Hardwood Flooring Locations


Northern California San Jose, Silicon Valley area discount tile, carpet floors and other flooring shoppers will notice the difference the minute they walk into one of our San Francisco East Bay, North Bay and South Bay flooring stores. The way our knowledgeable, friendly flooring staff is committed to helping you find the perfect floor that fits your family needs, lifestyle, and budget. We are able to assist in designing any type Bay Area floor that you will be proud of for years to come. Our buying power as one of the country’s leaders in flooring purchases of carpet with the major mills and the ability to purchase full containers of ceramic tile, natural stone flooring, hard wood flooring, and laminate flooring from all over the world assures you that the latest trends in fashion will be available and at the best possible price. Proudly Serving the Northern California cities of Pleasonton, Livermore, Tracey, San Ramon, Union City, Fremont, Hayward, Palo Alto, Milpitas, Sunnyvale, San Jose, San Mateo, Redwood City, Santa Clara, Mountain View and South San Francisco.

Pittsburg Antioch Stockton Modesto Central California Hardwood Flooring Locations


Proudly Serving the Northern California cities of Rio Vista, Elk Grove, Davis, Rancho Cordova, Galt, Lodi, Stockton, Manteca, Modesto, Tracey, Antioch, Oakley and Brentwood. Pittsburg, California is a city located in eastern Contra Costa County, Central California, the outer portion of the East Bay region of the San Francisco Bay Area. It has one BART station, the Pittsburg/Bay Point Station located in Bay Point. The current zip code is 94565 for both Pittsburg and Bay Point, the area code is 925 and it is also the home of Larry Flicks San Francisco Bay Area Floor Stores Hardwood Flooring Installation centers and home improvement design stores proudly serves the East Bay communities of Rio Vista, Elk Grove, Davis, Rancho Cordova, Galt, Lodi, Stockton, Manteca, Modesto, Tracey, Antioch, Oakley, Sacramento and Brentwood. The Floor Stores proudly serves the North County communities of Ross, Larkspur, Mill Valley, Tiburon, Sausalito, Belvedere, Stinson Beach, Bolinas, San Anselmo, Woodacres, San Geronimo, Terra Linda, Novato and Kentfield.

San Rafael California North Bay Area Marin County Hardwood Flooring Locations


The city of San Rafael is located in the North Bay region of the San Francisco East Bay Area. Centrally located in Marin County is the Floor Stores San Francisco North Bay Area Green Flooring Installation centers and home improvement design depots. San Rafael, California is the county seat of Marin County located in Northern California. The Floor Stores San Rafael location proudly serves the North County communities of Ross, Larkspur, Mill Valley, Tiburon, Sausalito, Belvedere, Stinson Beach, Bolinas, San Anselmo, Woodacres, San Geronimo, Terra Linda, Novato and Kentfield. Proudly Serving the Northern California cities of Ross, Larkspur, Mill Valley, Tiburon, Sausalito, Belvedere, Stinson Beach, Bolinas, San Anselmo, Woodacres, San Geronimo, Terra Linda, Novato and Kentfield.

Santa Rosa California North Bay Sonoma County Hardwood Flooring Location


Santa Rosa is the county seat of Sonoma County, California. As of January 1, 2007, the population of Santa Rosa was approximately 157,985 residents. Santa Rosa is the largest city in California's Wine Country and fifth largest city in the San Francisco Bay Area, after San Jose, San Francisco, Oakland, and Fremont. Santa Rosa sits at the southwestern gateway to the Sonoma and Napa Valleys of California's famed Wine Country. Santa Rosa is also the home of The Floor Stores Northern California Sacramento Area Santa Rosa Laminate Flooring Installation Stores and discount home improvement depots. Proudly Serving the Northern California cities of Peteluma, Sonoma, Vineburg, Glen Ellen, Cotati, Rohnert Park, Sebestopol, Napa, Calistoga, Yountville Angwin, Windsor, St Helena and Deer Park.