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General Maintenance
Timber is so easy to clean and keep looking good
• Dirt and grit are a floor's worst enemy, and that
goes for carpets and vinyls too. So use dirt trapping mats
at all exterior doors to help prevent sand, dust and grit
from getting inside. Small rugs, or small carpet sections
just inside the door can also be of assistance.
• Strong light, particularly direct sunlight,
can cause a chemical reaction in wood causing it to change
colour (ageing or weathering), so move your rugs occasionally
and protect the floor from direct sunlight by curtains or
blinds.
• In areas where extremes of temperature
or moisture variation are common, cracks may appear in the
floor. Adding moisture to the air with a humidifier may be
the answer. Air conditioners are rarely humidity corrected
and particularly in winter can create an extremely dry atmosphere
which can cause shrinkage and cracking of the floor. Call
your flooring contractor if the problems persist.
• Fit protective pads to the legs of chairs and tables
so that they can be moved easily without the risk of scuffing
the floor. If you have furniture with castors it is preferable
that they are the barrel type as ball castors may cause damage.
• To remove surface dirt and grit the
floor must be regularly vacuumed or swept with an electrostatic
mop.
• Use only quality floor mops and thoroughly
wash new mops to remove any lint remaining from the manufacturing
process.
To remove ground in dirt and grit it is necessary
to damp mop the floor. A positive emulsion cleaner made specifically
for timber floors should be used as it will remove the dirt
without damaging the surface seal.
It is important to ensure that the mop is wrung
out to ensure that as little solution as possible wets the
floor. Boral Timber uses sophisticated processing technology
for all kiln dried timber and rigorous floor placement procedures
to control the moisture content. Over wetting your floor when
mopping can change the moisture balance and cause your floor
to expand. In some cases this may result in cupping.
Under no circumstances use household detergents
as these may contain harsh chemicals that will damage the
finish.
• High heel shoes, especially worn ones,
will dent any hard floor surface, even concrete. It is interesting
to note that figures supplied by the National Wood Flooring
Association of America indicate that an exposed heel spike
can exert up to 13,790kPa (2000 ppsi) pressure on the floor
when worn by a woman weighing 55kg. (When weight distribution
is considered this is more than a two tonne truck or an elephant).
• Keep dirt off the floor. Dust, mop or
vacuum regularly. Keep the door mats clean.
• Wipe up
spills promptly with a dry cloth or dry paper towel. For sticky
substances, moisten the cloth slightly.
Floor Finishes
There are a number of finishes for contemporary timber floors,
including solvent based polyurethane*, oil based sealer and
more recently developed water based urethanes.
We recommend you discuss
floor care with your flooring installer and if possible obtain
maintenance procedure data sheets from the manufacturer of
your chosen floor finish, however the following hints will
help you to keep them looking their best.
Oil and Urethane finishes
Modern acrylic polishes take the hard work out of oil and
urethane finishes. It is essential, however that the floor
is kept free of dirt and grit, by sweeping it thoroughly with
an electrostatic sweep mop.
Note: Oil impregnated
sweep mops must not be used as residues may be left and these
could cause slip hazards. Electrostatic mops must always be
kept clean.
If available, a high speed
burnisher (Polivac or similar), will help remove ground in
dirt and also harden and re-level acrylic polishes.
Polishing
Less frequently, and depending upon foot traffic levels, it
will be necessary to scrub the floor with a suitable cleaner
and once dry, apply a coat/s of polish with a mop. In domestic
applications the floor should be dry buffed from time to time.
In commercial situations,
planned maintenance schedules usually call for regular dry
buffing.
Restoration
Floors with oil and urethane finishes can be easily renovated
by a light sanding and the application of a suitable surface
coating. Heavy machine sanding is necessary only in cases
of heavy wear, but the advice of a professional is recommended.
Polyurethane
Boral Timber does not recommend the use of solvent based polyurethane
sealants* however if your floor is finished with the material
you may:
Cleaning
• Clean with a positive emulsion solution as described
earlier
• Buff or wipe with a dry cloth
Restoration
Polyurethane floors can be fully restored to look like new.
However it is essential to sand the surface back to bare timber
and then re-finish as instructed by the surface coating manufacturer.
* Boral Timber does not recommend polyurethane
sealants because in some situations bonding may occur between
boards which can result in a "clumping" of boards
with irregular, large more noticeable gaps between random
groups of boards, e.g. every fifth or sixth board.
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