Care and maintenance
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Overview
VOLO Hardwood Floors finished with UV lacquer are only to be cleaned with VOLO cleaning solution. Formulated with natural components, this is an ideal product to clean the toughest grit and grime yet be safe for a living environment.
Understanding realistic expectations of wood floor maintenance up front is important. Hardwood floor owners who realize that their floors aren’t impervious to an onslaught of spills, grit, and water will be happier with their floors. You can prevent most problems before they occur by following the below care and maintenance, keeping a hardwood floor looking its best and lasting longer.
All wood/vinyl flooring products sold by VOLO Floors are to use the correct cleaning products & procedures. Using PH-neutral cleanings such as VOLO cleaning systems is the best for wood/vinyl flooring care. These mentioned cleaning products are well-known and acceptable for all hard and soft finish wood floors (Natural Oil, Polyurethane, and Water-based finishes) and also all LVP floors. Using any non-listed floor cleaners may result in major issues.
Daily Cleaning
The first step in maintaining your floor is sweeping or vacuuming it regularly. To avoid damaging a floor, turn off the beater brush if your vacuum does not have a suction-only floor attachment. Less water is ideal. Daily, using a spray mop kit is the best way to clean flooring. As needed, using a well-wrung-out mop is a viable option as well. The mop must be damp and only lightly wet. A wood floor should never be steam cleaned.
Weekly/Bi-weekly Cleaning
The ideal hardwood floor cleaner is Volo Hardwood Floor Cleaner or another similar no-rinse hardwood floor cleaner. A PH-neutral cleaning product with ample evaporation properties is necessary. Your floor will be dulled, damaged, and void your warranty if you use oil soaps, liquid or paste wax products, or other household cleaners that contain lemon oil, tung oil, silicone, or ammonia. Mopping is a practice commonly seen; it is acceptable; but spin mops and less damp applications are suggested. Excessive mopping/moisture on the floor is not recommended.
Annual/Bi-annual Maintenance
Regularly check chairs for felts and replace them as needed, this is the most common damage to wood floors that can be avoided. The best Annual/Bi-Annual cleaning procedure is a wood floor scrubber. Recommended scrubbers use a very soft wire brush wheel, solution, and two vacuum heads to fully remove debris from flooring. Depending on the environmental conditions and amount of traffic, if wear is showing we recommend having a flooring contractor evaluate the floor if areas wearing to potentially conduct touch ups or apply an additional coat of finish applied to limit further damage. Consult with your local flooring company for such service.
Standard Cleaning Procedure
1. Before cleaning the floor, vacuum or sweep it thoroughly.
2. Make sure the cleaner bottle is well shaken.
3. Add 1 cup (240ml) of floor cleaner to a lukewarm warm gallon of water and mix well.
4. Administer the soap mixture to the floor using a moderately damp mop in a 15’ X 15’ area or smaller. Water should not be soaked on the floor, as this can damage it or cause dimensional changes.
5. Spread the solution on the floor for 30-60 seconds to dissolve any foreign substances, and to bring dirt to the surface.
6. Wipe the floor with a second well-wrung mop or cloth and clear warm water to remove the dirty soapy solution. Using this method, dirt is removed with the cleaner evenly, resulting in a streak-free finish. Make sure the solution does not dry before cleaning with a dry mop. It is imperative to remove contaminated water, and if not, dirt is just pushed around. After cleaning with the mop, rinse it thoroughly with warm, clear water. For each bucket of cleaner solution used, the rinse bucket should be changed four to five times.
7. Continue to the next area and repeat steps 4 through 6.
8. Allow one hour for the floor to dry after it has been thoroughly cleaned.
Cleaning Concentrate Mixing Ratio
Mix 1 Gallon of water to 1 Cup (240ml or 8oz) of Volo Cleaning Concentrate.
Touch Ups and Damaged Flooring Procedure
If the cleaning solution and rag is not cleaning the issue, please contact your hardwood flooring professional. The use of mineral spirits on damp cloths is generally effective for removing grease, tar, lipstick, and crayons. Start by testing on an inconspicuous corner or leftover piece of flooring, it is recommended a flooring professional performs this. If further touch ups are needed, a hardwood flooring professional should be experienced with acrylic pigments or similar topical repair methods for scratches or damages, and or epoxy and hard wax fill kits for dents.
Radiant Heating Considerations
Radiant heating, when first turned on, needs to be gradually raised by a few degrees at a time per day. Wood flooring performs best with subtle changes in temperature. The floor should not fluctuate by more than 5°F per day. Items such as area rugs, mattresses, exercise mats, pet beds, bean bags, or other highly insulating products that cover the floor will trap heat and increase the temperature of the floor it is covering, which can result in irreversible damage to any type of floor. All radiant heating systems should be fully operational, regardless of season, for a minimum of 5 days. Follow the national wood flooring association’s guidelines with radiant floor heating.
Helpful Tips
- Using chair felts and protective pads when sliding anything is imperative. This is the most common wear/damage to wood floors.
- Bi-annually check for felts and replace them immediately.
- Placemats in high-traffic/wet areas inside and outside entrances.
- Placemats in kitchen areas to protect against dropped utensils, water spills, and other accidents.
- Make sure wet rugs are taken off the floor to fully dry.
- It is important to shake out rugs or door mats, clean them periodically, and make sure they are removed from the floor and completely dried if become wet.
- Wipe and clean liquid spills immediately when they happen.
- Make sure to vacuum often. Pebbles and dirt will scratch the floor.
- Make sure the vacuum head/wheels are not sharp and can scratch the floor.
- Clean as needed. Do not overdo it.
- Considering another coat of finish every 3-5 years can remedy scratches and cause floors to have maximum longevity.
- Replace plastic casters with wide rubber wheels.
- Avoid exposing the floor to sunlight and intense artificial light constantly which can change the wood color. This is completely natural; proper windows, shades, and exposure can help this effect to be minimized.
- Use proper moving blankets & protection before moving furniture.
- Keep pet claws trimmed to prevent scratching and indentation.
- UV rays and the sun accelerate the aging of wood, paint, and fabrics. Window UV treatments can greatly help with such patina. This natural occurrence can be minimized by periodically moving rugs and furniture.
- Dull marks and wear in high-traffic areas are normal.
DO NOT
- Do not use or slide furniture without felt pads. This is the most common wear to floors.
- Pick up and move heavy furniture. DO NOT slide heavy items on floors.
- Do not use a steam mop. This puts excessive moisture in the floor.
- Do not use chemical cleaning agents, other than advised cleaning products. This includes soap or other household detergents.
- Do not use vinegar, alcohol, or any ammonia-based cleaners. Repetitive use of these will result in the acidic chemicals degrading the floor finish.
- Do not walk on the floor with heels. Heels can have concentrated pressure and easily reach 3,500 pounds per square inch.
- Do not allow the house climate to be at improper climate ranges. The house should be between 40-50% humidity, and 60-80 degrees.
- Do not use rugs or rug pads which may potentially leech oils or residue. Ask your rug supplier about the proper options.
- Do not use steel wool, abrasive pads, cleaners, or detergents on a lacquer finish.
- Do not apply any tape or adhesive to the wood surface.
Climate
The environment of the home should be stable and maintained throughout the life of the floor. Engineered floors as a whole are less prone to moisture damage due in comparison to solid wood flooring, due to its engineered substrate, large swings in humidity and temperature can cause floors to fail. Although it is common for all wood floors to shrink and expand as seasonal changes occur. To minimize these changes, maintain a consistent temperature and humidity for your floor to perform as designed. These conditions should be between 60° and 80° and 40% to 50% relative humidity. Installers take many steps to make sure the flooring is installed in the correct conditions. In extreme high or low moisture conditions, a floor can start to go through unsightly and unexpected changes and in worst cases, cause irreparable damage.
Here are a few things that can be done to help maintain the correct conditions in a home:
- Have a way to monitor temperature and humidity in the home.
- If the HVAC thermostat does not have the ability to read humidity, inexpensive tabletop units can be purchased at most big box stores. If the levels start to go outside the zone; use a humidifier or dehumidifier to control the moisture levels.
- Standard heating and air conditioning systems may not be effective at controlling humidity levels. Additional humidity controlling devices may be necessary such as atomization units for very large residences over 5,000 SF. As standard pass-through humidifiers may not be enough.
- Make sure humidity control devices are maintained and always working properly.
- Expect some seasonal changes with a hardwood floor. To minimize this normal behavior, maintain the recommended range of humidity and temperature as suggested by the National Wood Flooring Association www.nfwa.org
- Do not allow the humidity level in your home to drop below 40% for an extended
period.
- Hardwood flooring professionals can take moisture readings for you.