We've all heard the question or perhaps we find ourselves asking the question when we are inquiring about hardwood flooring.. "I want a floor that doesn't scratch." Let's start off by saying that Hardwood Flooring is a natural product and of course will scratch when put through some wear and tear. It's impossible to not get them, but there are some ways to reduce scratches or marking in your floor. (...and yes, some of these might seem like common sense..but..).
Choose the right finish for your home
Okay, the first pro-active approach to reducing scratches and marking in your floor is to opt for a floor with a grain. Choose something that can be wire-brushed to give you that textured finish. Not only is it extremely low maintenance, but it will help blend and scratches and marking. A nice feature is you may have small scratches throughout, but can't see them due to the textured finish. If you do have a small scratch, use a little bit of stain on a paper towel or rag and work it into the scratch. Voila! A little bit of stain goes a long way and can save your sanity!
Opt for a light stain option on your hardwood floor. Having a light floor helps to reduce the visibility of marking throughout. The light wood tones can easily blend any marking and don't stand out when there is strong lighting in a space.
Protect your furniture & your flooring
The next approach is to use protective padding under chairs, furniture, and pretty much anything that you plan on moving around in your home. There are SO many options out there, that you really have no excuse! The quality and longevity of these items differ, so it is important to monitor the quality of these items. Of course, high traffic items might need to be replaced more often than pieces that you rarely touch. We absolutely love the flexi-felt line! They have custom sizes (and tons of them) that wrap around legs of your furniture, so you aren't constantly picking up those felt pads around your home. It is important to ensure that you are not sliding and dragging furniture, when rearranging your room. This may seem like an obvious one, but it can easily slip our minds when we are cleaning. Or if we are impatient when moving items around in a space.
Don't be afraid of mats and decorative coverings
Use decorative mats and small area rugs throughout your home. Use these in areas that are high traffic, such as your entrance way. These will help to pick up some of the dirt and debris rather than getting it tracked through your home. Avoid using anything where dirt and debris can get trapped underneath and harm your finish. Avoid using any of those plastic mats that are found in office spaces. These tend to cause dirt to get stuck underneath and when walked on can cause the dirt to grind into the hardwood flooring.
Proper Pet-Care
It is important to be diligent with trimming your pet nails regularly, to reduce potential marking and damage to your hardwood flooring.Pets with long nails can cause damage to your hardwood flooring, especially with force behind them when jumping from furniture in your home.
Maintain your floor with proper cleaning and debris removal
We recommend dust mopping and sweeping as the main method for cleaning your hardwood flooring. It is important to get the surface dirt and debris off of the floor. Using a soft brush vacuum designed for hardwood flooring when cleaning your hardwood flooring. Again, small things like removing your shoes (and yes..the heels!) and limiting the debris entering your entire home will all help in maintaining that hardwood floor you just had installed.
Verdict on Hardwood Scratches
No, there isn't any magical "protective covering" you can apply to your hardwood flooring to make it bullet-proof! Choosing the right product initially will save you a major headache and taking preventative measures will be your best friend to the longevity of your hardwood flooring! Do you have any secret tips that you swear by? We'd love to hear what has been working for you.