Prevent winter’s elements from damaging your flooring
Winter in Ireland is usually cold and wet, leaving your home susceptible to the elements. But the damage isn’t confined to your exteriors—your interiors are also affected by the harshness of the season. From scuff marks and spills to dirt and grime, your flooring is likely to bear the brunt of it all. Thankfully, through protection and prevention, your interior flooring can resist the elements and stay healthy for years to come. This article will tell you how.
1. Start with a powerful varnish: First things first: resilient floors begin with a strong foundations. This means coating your wooden floors with a hard-wearing floor varnish. Our Polyurethane Floor Varnish is ideal for use on all interior timber flooring, and will greatly increase the strength and durability of your floors. This fast-drying varnish is a comprehensive solution for healthy floors.
2. Take off your shoes when indoors: The shoes you wear all day will inevitably track dirt and other damaging outdoor elements into your home. These can erode your floors over time, so it’s best to remove your shoes as soon as you enter your home. During the winter, when sand and salt is used on ice, these can attach themselves to shoes and wreak havoc on your floors. Keep a pair of slippers by the door to slip your feet into and keep you cosy and warm during the cooler months.
3. Sweep, wipe, and/or vacuum floors regularly to keep floors clean: Make sure to use the proper wood-floor-approved broom, wipe, or vacuum to keep your floors clean. Particles can work their way into your floors, causing tiny scratches and pesky buildup that can abrade floors over time. Regular and thorough cleaning will keep potential harm at bay.
4. Check for leaks: During this wet and icy season especially, you want to make sure there are no leaks around your home which can cause water damage to your timber floors, among other things. Any leaks should be properly repaired as soon as possible, and any floors beneath the leak covered in the meantime.
5. Use rugs on high traffic areas: Rugs will not only help cosy up your space and ready it for winter— they will help protect your wooden floors. Rugs will catch dirt and minor spills, prevent scratches, and rugs are easily replaced when they get worn. Before laying your rug, ensure the area is thoroughly cleaned underneath. If any large spills do occur, be sure to remove rugs to clean and dry the wood underneath.
If you want to keep your wooden floors healthy through the winter and beyond, following the above tips is a wise idea. For everything you need to get started, call into your local Sadolin stockist. You can also visit us on the web for more timber-related tips from our experts. Wishing a happy and healthy New Year to you and yours, from all of us here at Sadolin!