IMPORTANT! Do not use any waxes or polishes on your wood floors. The most common mistake in floor care is using Murphy's Oil Soap and other household wood soaps on modern wood floors. Avoid waxes and polishes for your floors, because they interfere with the sheen of a floor, making it look shiny in some spots and dull in others. Furthermore, waxes and polishes interfere with most attempts to recoat your floor in the future! This is very important because buffing and recoating a wood floor is a great way to rejuvenate your floors without the expense and time taken to sand and recoat a floor.

To vacuum your floors, do not use a revolving brush and move with the grain to minimize damage.

Place rugs at entrances, exits and kitchen sinks to keep dirt and grit off the floor.

To clean, the most effective way is to use a dust mop.

You need to put floor pads on your furniture.

Floor pads can purchase from your local hardware store. Simply clean the bottom of the furniture legs, peel off the backing of the floor pad and stick them to the bottom of your furniture, which contacts the floor.

Chairs with steel or plastic pads are not suitable for direct use on the floor. You will need to cover them with a floor pad, or you can remove them. As a guide, if the steel or plastic pad is one inch or smaller, remove it, clean the bottom of the leg and firmly place a floor pad; or if it is bigger than one inch, clean the bottom of the leg and place a new floor pad on top. If you are attaching floor pads directly onto wood, ensure wax and dirt will not interfere with the adhesive.

Occasionally, you should clean the floor pads. They build up dirt and grit. They should be vacuumed or brushed with a fingernail to remove the debris. The floor pads should be replaced every three months for regularly used chairs and twelve months for other items.

Do not put rugs on the floor until at least 48 hours has passed, 4 days is the ideal amount of time to wait. The floor will need 4 days to completely cure. After waiting 4 days, be sure not to place rugs on the floor with abrasive backing, such as burlap. Acceptable materials for backings are soft foam, soft cloths and anything that will not scratch or discolor the floor.

These occurrences are all damage to wood floors due to moisture. The proper humidity is very important for wood floors because wood expands and contracts. It is especially important to address the humidity in Ottawa homes, as the temperature ranges from extreme cold and dry weather to extreme heat and humidity. In the winter season, use a humidifier. In the summer season, use a dehumidifier.

Fortunately, the basis of many problems is due to poor installation. B&J Hardwood Floors are highly experienced installers with a particular installation process created for the Ottawa region, which is proven to minimize the "buckling" that can happen. If you are not sure what damage you have, please contact us so we can provide an assessment and an estimate.