How to Properly Take Care of Antique Wood Flooring

You are a proud and lucky owner of antique wood flooring.  Antique wood flooring is extremely beautiful and brings a lot of character, style, elegance and charm to every space where the floor is installed. However, owning an antique wood flooring is not only flowers and roses since it requires a specific upkeep approach and a good and regular cleaning and maintenance routine. This article is dedicated to helping you make the right choices for your favourite antique wooden floor.

Fortunately, when we speak of specific maintenance and cleaning routine, this definitely does not means that keeping your antique floor in good condition is time-consuming, complex, or requires a lot of money, energy, and elbow grease. Thankfully, antique wood floors are very durable and tough because they have stood the test of time and are already acclimatised to interior use and less prone to the negative effect of moisture, humidity, temperature fluctuation, high traffic, wear and tear, etc. In addition, antique wood flooring is a low-maintenance product. Of course, it is important to choose to buy your antique wooden floor from a reliable and reputable wood flooring contractor and supplier and ensure proper and high-quality installation too. This can guarantee you are getting and going to enjoy a durable, long-lasting, and hard-wearing floor.

So here are some tips and tricks that will help you keep your antique wood floor and old recycled timber floor in perfect condition:

Antique Wood Flooring’s Characteristics

Antique flooring is mostly made out of aged wood, also known as reclaimed wood and it is sourced from different places, mostly old houses and other premises, where wood was used for other purposes. Therefore, one of the major advantages of antique wood flooring and a big benefit it can offer is that it is wood that is already seasoned and acclimatised to the specifics of an indoor environment. Timber has stood the test of time and it can ensure a durable, long-lasting and hard-wearing floor that is less prone to common issues putting at risk new real wood floors.

For instance, aged timber is often sourced from old beams in barns, railway sleepers or old factory joists, which makes the material very strong and provides strong support. Additionally, when treated and manufactured by an experienced and knowledgeable professional, antique wood floorboards will also keep their amazing characteristics and the old-world charm and beauty they possess. Antique wood’s inherent quality, durability, strength, functionality, character, charm, and beauty make it the perfect choice for both domestic and commercial settings and for different sorts of interior styles.

The Best Finishes

Most common than not, antique wood floorboards are treated with a penetrating oil finish. This type of finish is a great choice not only because it penetrates into the wood’s structure and gives the floor strength and protection from within, not just on the surface, but also because oil finishes look very natural and organic and enhance the charm and distinctive beauty of the aged wood. Oil finishes allow the natural beauty and pattern of the wooden material to stand out even more and bring out all the characteristics of antique wood you enjoy the most. In addition, penetrating oil finishes are pretty easy to keep clean and in good condition, so they make the antique floor low maintenance. Normally, all you need to do as part of your regular cleaning routine is simply gently wipe the floor with a dry and clean cloth or with a soft brush instead.

Regular Brushing and Vacuuming

It is important to make sure you are cleaning the dust and dirt from your antique wood floor as often as possible. Dust and dirt get easily transported into the room and onto the surface of the floor when you are wearing shoes inside the house. From this moment on, dust and dirt can easily scratch the surface of the floor and make it appear worn and town much sooner than what you expect.

Therefore, use a brush with soft bristles to get rid of the dust and dirt particles or vacuum as often as you think the floor needs a thorough clean. However, when you are using the vacuum machine, make sure you are using the attachment that is designed for hardwood floors, otherwise, there is a high risk of you scratching the surface of the floor while cleaning it with the vacuum. Don’t forget to place doormats inside and outside your front door so the majority of the dirt and debris is left right there, at your front door.

Mopping Antique Wood Flooring

A more in-depth cleaning than just vacuuming is required every now and then. In such cases, you can take advantage of mopping the floor to get rid of all the debris and dirt build-ups or anything left by the vacuum machine or the soft brush. However, as you already know, water and moisture, in general, are not wood’s best friends and excessive use of water and liquids can make the wooden floorboards contract and expand, which can lead to a number of potential issues and risks for the floor’s condition and stability.

Whenever you are using a mop on your antique wooden floor, make sure it is slightly damp only and immediately remove any leaks, spills, and splashes. You can clean the floor just with warm water and a mop, which is totally fine. However, if a bit more cleaning power is required, make sure to opt for a wood floor cleaning product. It is important to use a product that is designed for wood floors especially because these products normally come with a neutral pH which makes them gentle enough to finish the floor.

Additional Tips for Antique Wood Flooring Upkeep

There are small but very efficient steps you can take in order to make sure your antique wooden floor is well-maintained and in flawless condition and appearance. For example, furniture pieces, especially if you drag them onto the floor, can leave marks and scuffs that are either beyond repair or hard to get rid of. Therefore, it is highly recommended to put protective felt or rubber pads on the legs or bottoms of heavier furniture pieces or ones you usually move around like chairs, tables, etc. When you are moving heavy furniture pieces like sofas, for example, always make sure to have someone helping you to lift them up and don’t drag them around.

Whenever you are doing some improvement changes in the room where the floor is installed, like painting the walls, for example, always make sure every inch of the floor is thoroughly covered and protected from splashes and spills that can easily leave permanent stains. Another domestic policy you can reconsider is wearing shoes inside the house. Shoes, especially high heels, leave micro-scratches on the surface of the floor that lead to your floor experiencing wear and tear sooner than expected and can also affect the condition of the finish and weaken its protective power.