This is a great list of tips.  We recently put hardwood down in two rooms.  I'm glad to see my protective effort (#2) showed up on your list!

Suggested your post, excellent information and thank you for sharing it with all of us. I copied your post and will share it with all in my database.

Good morning Debbie,

As always you show us why you are the "Flooring Girl!" All things flooring there is no one better to turn to with questions than our own "Flooring Girl" here in the rain!

HA!  My #1 rule is "Don't drag heavy furniture". 

 

Great list. Thanks. Now if we could only put booties on our dogs!

Great tips Debbie, I am terrible about taking my shoes off..and never do so I will pay for my floors in a couple of years being redone!

Not to be contrary, but we all know that PF Flyers never do damage to anything.  They are the best.   By far.  So, no concerns there!

Thank you for the great tips. I will share them with my clients.

Great notes, I get flooring questions all the time when showing homes with hardwoods. Thanks

Good morning Debbie. This is so common sense but also so good to see delineated. Great information, TY.

All pretty much common sense things Debbie, but people have to be told.  Nothing will stay like brand new unless you take care of it properly.  Well done.

Congrats on the feature Debbie and yes, take off shoes! I made my husband start wearing slippers in the house and this is just one of the reasons!

Thanks for giving these maintenance tips for hardwood floors.  Even if they're mostly common sense suggestions, it's good to be reminded.  Sometimes we could forget something.  For example, my desk chair has rollers on it that rest on hardwood floors.  I really need to get some sort of mat to put under the chair.

Some great tips here, Debbie! Seems like by doing a few simple things we can keep these floors looking like new!

Debbie: These are excellent tips that are practical and easy to implement.  No one likes scratches in their hardwood flooring!

Excellent tips Debbie - thanks for sharing.  I'm getting ready to have wood floors in my home for the first time and now I've got some really useful and practical tips.

Debbie: All excellent tips. I've seen hardwood floors loose their shine quickly when not properly cared for. That can be a eyesore.

Debbie, as always good information for protecting hardwood floors. Taking off shoes is a good one.

Screen and recoat was new to me.  Debbie you are a wealth of info, thank you!

In Europe and Asia it is common to take off your shoes when entering a home, did you know 80%+ of dirt in a home comes from your feet.

I like using felt to keep furniture from scratching..

Debbie, thanks for the helpful ideas. While we don't ask guests in our house to remove shoes, we definitely go shoeless! I can also tell you from experience that the bigger the dog, the deeper the scratch.

Hi Debbie!

Huge fan of the felt pads under furniture. I have laminate floors that look like hardwood but I still wanted to keep it looking new. But you're right, you can only minimize scratching. The heavily trafficked part of my floors look different than the flooring in the bedroom.

You did understand my tongue in cheek... right?

Great tips. I have noticed more people starting to remove their shoes at the door so they don't dirty the carpets.

So many are not aware of screening and recoating.  Great post!

Thanks for these tips. I wish more clients could read these

Great tips - thanks for sharing!  Seems like lately, I've walked into more homes with hardwood floors, good tips to give to your clients.

We do most of these with our hardwood floors except the screen and recoat.  That's something we should look into as we haven't done anything in years.

Great tips as we do all of these and they work!

 

This post needs to be printed out and given to everyone after they install their hardwood floors, or move into a spot with them. I think it's a awesome post Good Job!!!!

Debbie these are excellent tips but you may want to rethink #1 ...... LOL

Debbie -- thanks for this great information.  My mother-in-law had hardwood installed a year or so ago, and I was wondering when we were going to be wanting to do some preventative mtce on it.

Thanks Debbie!  I always learn from you!  Now, if I could just remember to take my shoes off when I get home.  I did read somewhere about the percentage of germs, etc. that gets tracked through our homes when we forget to remove our shoes.  Thanks for the reminder. :)

Have a great Labor Day!

 

Debbie,

These are excellent tips!  I will pass this along to my clients.   

Hey I like this post! I did not know most of the points you expounded on! I did know about doggie toe nail covers and they look kewl as you can get them in different colors!

Hi Debbie - like so many of your posts -- BOOKMARKED!  Have you ever thought of incorporating related posts in one handy guide?

As much as I love wood floors, now that we have Dobermans we have replaced them with tile.  There is just no protection made that can prevent scratches from 100 pound dogs.

I put felt pads on once, but didn't have extras. I just checked and do need to reapply some. Thanks for the great list of tips.

Thanks Debbie, I have done both, oil works better, lasts longer. I will never do water based again. 

Debbie- I love hardwood floors and while they're relatively easy to care for you still have to do the things you listed.  

Anyone with hardwood floors has experienced all that you've listed. Great summary.

Great list. The felt pads and shoes-off are really helpful with noise, too, IMO.

Great tip about removing your shoes.  Most people only think of this with carpet, but common sense will tell you it helps preserve  any type flooring.

Thanks for useful information... A couple more tips I can now pass on to my clients.

Hi Debbie, great information. I've forwarded this post on to my sister since she was asking me about hardwood floors.... So I sent this post... Why not go to the expert!

I guess it all makes a difference if you ever clean the floor! Some people don't understand the upkeep required.  I definately agree about the pads on the kitchen chair legs!

Those are nice looking floors and if I spent that much on a floor I would want to take good care of them.

Great advice- thanks, Debbie! I've been considering ditching the carpet in my home office and replacing it with wood. We just got our 3rd dog and I'd rather deal with some scratches than the odors that carpet traps in ; )

Hope you're having a great week,

Gina

Excellent list! I hadn't thought about chairs on rollers before. THANKS for the tip!

Hi Debbie, when we read snow and salt we had to go back and check where you are!  lol

Great post.  Really informative.

Great advice, so mopping the floor isn't a very good way to clean the floor, right?

Very useful info...I sell a lot of homes with hardwood floors.  Much appreciated!

I love that hardwood floors are coming back.  In days gone by wood floors was all there was.  I love the smell of real wood floors. 

To polish real wood floors is a real workout.

I agree with the entry mats and the felt pads under the furniture.  Heavier pieces may also benefit from rubber pads under the feet that are made to prevent scratches. An ounce of prevention should be in the title of your "Wood Floor Protection" guide. I'm book marking this excellent post.

Debbie, if you have engineered hard wood floors and they show some scuffing and small scratches what is the best thing to do, or product to use?

Screening and re-coating hardwood floors periodically keeps them looking their best for years!

Great Information! I have never had hardwood floors and I am installing them in my house later this month. I learned a bit from your post

Thanks Debbie, always looking for ways to preserve my great hardwood floors!

Debbie the chairs lost the pads and I ended upwith a few scratches.

Debbie Gartner ... As usual, great info.  I'll be sharing as many places as possible!  Thanks ...

Gene

Debbie,

Thanks for sharing these great, helpful hardwood floor tips. I'll definitely share them with my friends.