Common Causes Of Floor Damage
Common Causes Of Floor Damage
What measures have you put in place to protect your wood floor? That natural charm and elegance won’t last for long if protective treatments are not applied, and routine cleaning carried out to ward off the effects of daily dirt and grime that accumulate on the installation. Here are some of the common issues that your floor faces:
- Dirt and debris
The dirt particles building up on the floor surface have different sources. This ranges from the soiling that people track in from the outdoors, the gunk that comes clinging on your pet’s fur and gets deposited on the floor as the cat or dog rolls around, dust particles settling on it from the air above, food crumbs and the body waste of the insects coming to feed on them – the list is long. There are even situations where one brings in pieces of gravel, stuck to the grooves of the shoes being worn. Whichever the case, all of this is a threat to your floor. How? When people walk on it, the particles get grinded against the surface. This results in an abrasive effect, akin to one rubbing tiny bits of sandpaper on the floor. Over time, the wear effects become clearly visible, with the areas that are frequently walked on having faded in comparison to adjacent floor sections. Applying protective agents like the Bona Traffic HD on your floor increases the resistance to these daily wear effects, enabling your installation to retain its beauty for longer.
- Furniture
Whenever the furniture is used, the legs of the sofas, chairs, and other pieces add to the strain on the floor. They can dig into the wood, or create scratches when the furniture is moved – even when the movements are minuscule. This is one of the reasons why furniture pads are highly recommended, to provide a cushioning effect. Blunders like dragging the furniture whenever it is being moved, like when you are rearranging the room, lead to more immediate effects, even digging out gouges in the wood floor. Such effects can be resolved during the next round of floor renovation, where it is sanded to remove the existing finishes, scratches and scuff marks, that way the new floor lacquer coats can be applied. The number of coats applied will vary, such as with the Bona Traffic HD where 2-3 coats can be spread on the floor.
- Pet claws
Are the cats or dogs in the premises? These furry members of the family can wreak havoc on your floors. Trimming the claws of your pet is key to prevent the floor from getting all scratched up. This can be done during the routine grooming sessions, vet visits, or even as a DIY, but with tools that have been specifically designed for the task.
- Footwear
The kind of shoes that are being worn by persons in the building also comes into focus. For instance, spiked shoes can create scratches or scuff marks, while high heeled stilettoes can leave behind dents on the floor. Definitely, busy establishments with lots of people walking around on a daily basis – the likes of public spaces, shopping malls, airports and train stations, call for tough floor finishes that can stand up to the kinds of traffic witnessed in these environments – and that’s right up the alley of the Bona Traffic HD.
- Liquids
The spills seeping into the seams of your wood floor can result in water damage. Remember that wood is a hygroscopic material, meaning that its tissue will absorb or lose moisture depending on the moisture gradient with the surrounding. When there are liquids getting into the seams of the floor, or remaining on the surface for long, then the wood will soak up the content and this can lead to issues ranging from cupping or warping, to even buckling such as when there are flooding incidents in the house.
- Sunlight
The effect of sunlight on the wood floor will vary depending on the kinds of wood species used, as well as the treatment products that have been applied. For the wood tissue, there are those that will darken over time, and others will fade and discolour. The effect will be most visible on the floor sections close to the windows. For the finishes, oil-based polyurethanes tend to yellow over time, which affects the beauty of the wood floor as well as the surrounding decor. This is also why property owners are increasingly turning to water-based lacquers like the Bona Traffic HD since they are non-yellowing, enabling the wood floor to retain its look and feel for longer.
Protect Your Floor with Bona Traffic HD
Bona has been a household name when it comes to floorcare for close to a century. The brand has been delivering quality formulations that are used in different aspects of floor maintenance, from cleaning and finishing products to solutions that are used to repair damages on the floor. With Bona Traffic HD, you get an ultradurable formulation that is used to treat floors that are exposed to very high levels of wear. The two-component lacquer provides a barrier of protection, warding off the wear effects and preserving the beauty and structural integrity of the underlying wood floor.
Speaking of beauty, the Bona Traffic HD is compatible with a wide range of wood stains from the same brand, meaning that you can have the unique final look that you desire with your particular installation. You can also use it directly, to enhance the natural look of pure wood. The lacquer itself comes in different sheen levels: Extra Matt, Matt and Silk Matt, that way you can set the gloss that will match your establishment’s decor.
When it comes to safety, you get to protect your floor without filling up the indoor space with toxic fumes. The lacquer has very low VOC content, coming in at under 5%. In fact, it’s so safe that it has obtained the GREENGUARD Gold certification for very low indoor emissions, an attribute that is needed when using floor finishing products in environments like schools. It has also met the stringent EC1PLUS standards on low emissions. Getting both of these seals on the product label, which are from globally recognized independent testing institutions, is testament to the safety of the lacquer for the contractors and the occupants of the building.