Your Wood Floor Is Under Attack
Your Wood Floor Is Under Attack
Hardwood floors are popular for their beauty and durability. They can last for generations, especially if properly taken care of. Over the course of their life, they are exposed to different factors that can cause them to deteriorate. Let’s delve into this, as well as measures you should take to protect your floor.
5 Threats to The Wood Floor
Debris
Soiling that is brought into the building under peoples shows gets grinded against the floor surface. This acts like tiny bits of sandpaper, gradually abrading the installation. Pieces of gravel can even get embedded into the surface. When left unchecked, it causes the floor to age rapidly.
Spills
Accidents are bound to happen at one time or another. Beverage spills, ink blots, nail polish accidents – they can all leave stains on the floor. Without protective finishes like the Ecostar 2K Commercial Traffic Water Based Floor Lacquer, the liquids will seep deep into the wood, and become difficult to remove. Depending on the chemical makeup of the spill involved, they can end up ruining the wood tissue. There is also the risk of water damage, especially when the liquids are allowed to remain on the wood floor for long. This is due to the hygroscopic nature of the installation.
High heels
The kind of footwear used by persons in the premises also comes into focus, especially when dealing with high heels. Due to their design, they exert loads of pressure on a tiny section of the floor with each step that is taken – so much that the average adult in stilettos is more of a threat to the wood floor compared to a fully grown elephant. The high heels can result in scuffs or scratches on the floor as well.
Heavy furniture and appliances
That luxurious sofa out in the living room, the bookshelf, all through to the refrigerator in the kitchen – these expert loads of pressure on the wood floor. Protective measures like having furniture glides for the sofas go a long way in preventing indentations from being formed in the wood. There are also those who make the mistake of dragging these heavy items across the floor when they want to move them. This can cause deep gouges to be created in the wood floor. The furniture should always be lifted and carried, then set down gently. This is typically a two-person job, or you can even get professional movers when there is furniture that is too heavy.
Sunlight
The sun’s radiation affects the wood tissue – with the changes that will be witnessed depending on the wood species involved. For instance, in some cases there will be fading of the colour, and others will darken. For the finishes used, some oil-based polyurethanes end up yellowing over time due to the sun’s effects. This is also why products like the water-based Ecostar 2K Commercial Traffic Water Based Floor Lacquer are popular, since they retain their look and feel, not forming that dreaded yellow tint.
How To Care for Your Wood Floor
Given that it was an expensive installation to have set up in the first place, you want to derive maximum usage from it, to see it last for the long haul. Key measures you should take include:
Routine vacuuming and cleaning
With dirt and debris being some of the leading causes of floor deterioration, preventing them from piling up will go a long way in protecting your floor. When cleaning, avoid working with harsh cleaners, or DIY formulations like ammonia and vinegar, which can end up wreaking havoc on your wood floor. Instead, use solutions that have been particularly developed to clean wood. If you’re unsure about the suitability of a product for your situation, you can always carry out a spot test on an inconspicuous section of the floor.
Floor treatment
Here, finish coats are applied to create a protective barrier from the abrasion and spills that are meted out onto the floor. The choice of varnish to use will depend on your particular situation. Take into account factors such as the drying and curing time, safety rating especially in regards to the degree of VOCs that the product releases, all through to the level of traffic handled by the establishment, as well as the ease of application.
Recommended Product: Ecostar 2K Commercial Traffic Water Based Floor Lacquer
This is a two-component lacquer that increases the resistance of your floor to everyday wear and tear. The polyurethane finish is used in both domestic and commercial establishments, with its enhanced durability enabling it to stand up to the traffic demands of the environments, as well as the chemicals that are typically used in domestic setups.
The slip resistance you get from the Ecostar 2K Commercial Traffic Water Based Floor Lacquer is key in preventing slip and fall accidents. In fact, it meets UNI EN 13036-4:2004 standards, which enables it to be used for the treatment of parquet floors in areas like gymnasiums. Bringing this to your home or public space is particularly beneficial for protecting persons on the facility that are prone to fall accidents, from toddlers who are learning to walk all through to the elderly members of the household.
When it comes to the application, preparing the Ecostar 2K Commercial Traffic Water Based Floor Lacquer mixture and spreading the coats onto the floor is a breeze. It is mixed with IDRO2 hardener, also from Carver, and this mixture is applied onto the surface of the floor using a roller, brush, spray or even curtain coater for industrial application.
For the aesthetics, the effect you get will depend on the Carver Omeg-Art Floor Lacquer version that you use. It comes in different variations, including:
Satin
Matt
Natural-Effect
Note that the Ecostar 2K Commercial Traffic Water Based Floor Lacquer is especially formulated for treating light-coloured wood like maple, chestnut and fir. Do not use this version on exotic or dark wood species since it can lead to a whitening effect.
Protective pieces
These are extra furnishing items especially for the high traffic areas – such as setting up a welcome mat at the entrance into the building which reduces the amount of dirt that gets tracked into the space, to area rugs for the dining table and at the kitchen sink to reduce the amount of spillage that gets to the floor.