The floor care system used is the exceptional Bona product line, developed ‘to bring out the best in wooden floors.’ For more information on this system of floor care products, visit www.bona.com

floor maintenance guide
The key to the lasting beauty of your wood flooring investment is proper maintenance.

protection

• Sweep, vacuum or use a dust mop on your floors daily, or as often as necessary, to remove grit and dust from the surface. Walking on dirty floors is the fastest way to damage the finish.
• Place walkoff mats at exterior entrances. This will capture much of the harmful dirt before it even reaches the hardwood floor. Shake out, wash or vacuum mats and area rugs frequently. Rubber backed mats are not recommended as they can trap moisture underneath which can damage your floor. It is recommended to hold off putting rugs down until the tanins in the wood have had time to react to sunlight: This takes approximately 3 months. If you do not choose to wait, you could potentially have lighter wood under the rug.
• Keep high heels in good repair. An unprotected base could dent a hardwood floor. Stiletto heels are not recommended on hardwood floors.
• Use Glide n’ Guards or similar Teflon products under your fridge, stove and other appliances. The weight of a fridge, even with large rollers can crush the wood leaving permanent grooves in the floor. We also advise using felt protectors under all furniture to avoid scratching the floor when moved.
• Use a good humidifier to maintain the relative humidity in your home. Try to keep your home’s humidity as constant as possible, between 30-50%. In Alberta, because we have such humid summers and cold, dry winters, it is virtually impossible to keep the humidity exactly the same all year long. When the relative humidity drops in the home, expect that the hardwood boards will shrink and create gaps between the boards. They should go back together in the spring as the moisture returns.

routine cleaning

• Use the recommended cleaning system. If you run out of cleaner, use plain water or a cleaner that will not leave a residue which will inhibit bonding and recoating. Do not pour water on floor to mop up. When using any wood floor cleaner follow directions precisely.
• Never wax or urethane floor. Stay away from furniture polish, detergents and Murphy’s oil. These all leave a residue.
• For further information, look to the National Wood Flooring Association website at www.woodfloors.org
  

top coating

• Urethane finishes will eventually show wear patterns from surface scratching. When high traffic areas begin to look dull it is time to topcoat and restore the finish. At this time you can change your gloss level if desired.

sanding and refinishing

All solid hardwood floors can be sanded down to the raw material, and be refinished. Generally, at this time you can change the color and gloss level if desired.