Timber Floor Care and Maintenance
On completion of sanding and coating your floors
- Avoid walking on the floor for at least 24 hours.
- It takes 7 days for the polyurethane to fully harden. At least 72 hours after the final coat is applied you can put your furniture back in the rooms. Avoid dragging furniture, lift and place where possible otherwise the polyurethane will be damaged. If you drag your furniture across the floor you will risk scratching or gouging your floor.
- While the polyurethane is curing, refrain from spraying any aerosols i.e. fly spray or air freshener etc as this can cause a reaction if it were to land on the polyurethane.
- Be careful not to walk in grit and other abrasives until the floor is fully cured.
- Never wear stilettos on timber floors as the heel point damages the floor and leaves unsightly indentations.
- To assist with minimising scratching of your newly sanded and coated floor, place or glue small pieces of cut carpet or protective furniture pads to the feet of all furniture and heavy objects.
- Carpets are now able to be laid.
Care and Maintenance
Never allow your newly coated polyurethane floor to become flooded in the first month of its life, as the polyurethane needs to fully cure. Polyurethane will finish curing 2-3 weeks after it’s applied.
To keep your floor looking its best, dust and mop once a week minimum. Dust more often depending on the amount of dirt carried into the house and the number of people living in the house. Sweeping and vacuuming will remove most dirt, but not all. A good quality dust or static mop is the most effective tool to collect dirt and for removing the finer particles of dust and grit that will grind off the polyurethane.
Spills and tracked in dirt can be cleaned by lightly damp mopping the floor regularly with quarter of a cup of methylated spirits to a 3 litre bucket of warm water. Use this mix as both the methylated spirits and water will evaporate and not leave a residue, in contrast to waxes and polishes, which may dull the floor. Be careful to use only a damp mop, not wet, as excess water can soak between the boards and cause damage to the timber. Waxes, oil soaps, liquid ammonia, vinegar or silicon cleaners should not be used on the floor. Some household detergents can be abrasive and dull your floor over a period of time.
Several years of hard use may require reglazing to restore the finish. A reglaze can be done with a minimum of inconvenience. The floor should be coated when it shows signs of wear; do not wait until it has worn to the bare board.
