6 Top Tips for Restoring, Protecting, and Maintaining Parquet Flooring

Parquet flooring is a very common choice for many households and commercial spaces and there is no wonder why. Parquet floors are not simply decorative to the extent of being a masterpiece, they are also very functional, durable, solid, long-lasting, hard-wearing.

In addition, parquet flooring, being made from natural materials, is also very easy to maintain and keep in good condition. While regular maintenance routine involves around vacuuming and mopping with a slightly damp mop, more thorough and in-depth maintenance is required every now and then and it will help you enjoy your parquet floor in flawless condition for many decades.

So if you want to enhance the appeal and attractiveness of your parquet floor, all you need to do is following these simple but very effective tips and tricks for restoration, protection, and care.

 Limit the Moisture

The more your real hardwood floor is exposed to moisture and humidity, the more damage you can expect and the more the floorboards will be affected to an extent that the floor may end up beyond repair. Unfortunately, moisture is not the best friend of real wood flooring and it makes the floorboards contract and expands. While this movement, if kept in a reasonable amount, is not necessarily extremely damaging and the floorboards can naturally be back in their natural shape, extreme contracting and expanding can make the boards split, break, etc.

Fortunately, the modern-day market provides some parquet floor options made out of engineered wood that is noticeably more resistant to moisture due to the specific construction of engineered wood that is made out of crisscrossed layers. However, no matter if solid wood or engineered wood, parquet flooring should be protected from moisture and liquids, which includes mopping the floor only with a slightly damp mop, wiping off spills and splashes immediately, etc. During humid and wet seasons, make sure to wipe the floor regularly with a dry mop or cloth too.

Protection from Physical Damage

Besides being sensitive to moisture, parquet flooring is also vulnerable to physical damage, high traffic, heavy footfall, etc. Physical damage can make the floor experience wear and tear very soon and the scratches, dull and tired look, which includes scratches, dents, marks, etc. Physical damage is often caused by dragging furniture pieces around the world, so you should make sure to stop doing that. Neglecting the cleaning of the floor for too long can also affect its condition and look as dust and debris can leave fine scratches. Make sure to place protective felt pads on the legs of all furniture pieces in the room, stop wearing shoes inside the house and wear house slippers instead, placemats on your front door to make sure the majority of the dust and debris are collected and won’t enter the house. Keep the nails of your pets trimmed for preventing scratches and if you have young children crawling around the house or playing on the floor or simply some areas of the house that experience high traffic, make sure to place rugs strategically too.

Cleaning

As already mentioned, parquet floor cleaning will not make you invest too much energy, elbow grease, money, or time. However, despite being pretty simple and effortless, it still should be tackled down. The best and most effective parquet floor cleaning routine includes weekly vacuuming, or more often if needed and in higher traffic areas.

Always make sure to use the soft brush attachment of your vacuum cleaner or the mode for hardwood floors to prevent scratches being left on the surface of the floor. Additionally, wipe the floor clean by using a slightly damp mop. Dampen the mop in a solution of warm water and a hardwood floor cleaning detergent. Always use products that are designed for hardwood floors in particular, because they have a neutral pH that won’t affect the condition of the finish and the floor in general.

Get Rid of the Stains

Spills and splashes on your parquet floor can leave permanent stains, this is why it is very important to wipe them off as soon as you notice them and never leave them to soak into the floor. To remove the stubborn stains, make sure to treat them with a product designed for real wood floors and that is non-abrasive together with a soft, dry cloth. Hard objects such as shoes, furniture pieces, etc. also can leave some noticeable marks and if you want to remove them make sure to buff them lightly with a cleaner with fine steel wool and apply wax that is suitable for parquet flooring.

Touch-ups

Once the parquet floor starts looking a bit too worn and tired, you can restore its natural beauty and attractiveness unless there is no major damage that needs to be handled. In the latter case, make sure to ask for professional help as parquet floor restoration and repair is very challenging service that requires a lot of knowledge, experience, craftsmanship, and skills. However, you can DIY some little renovations and handle some small imperfections by yourself. As an example, you can touch up some fine dents and scratches by treating them with a touch-up stick that is made with special wax for repairing marks on the wood. These are available in different colours and you will be able to find the exact or a very close match to the colour of the floor. Such treatment will refresh the look of the floor.

Professional Services

However, not all issues and imperfections with your parquet floor are that easy and simple to handle and once the floor starts struggling with a lot of wear and tear and other more serious and major issues, professional help is highly recommended. Make sure to contact your local contractor of professional parquet floor restoration, repair, sanding, and refinishing services.