If you have recently installed wood flooring in your home or office, you may be wondering how to clean engineered wood floors. Our maintenance and cleaning tips will help you enjoy your engineered flooring for many years to come. Engineered wood floors are hard, making them easier to clean. However, as time passes and floors are used, even engineered wood floors require care.
We’ll also take a look at the styles of engineered wood flooring available from Wood Flooring Ireland. We provide all of the patterns that make your home aesthetically pleasing, as well as bespoke requests. Most importantly, we build our engineered flooring to be long-lasting and durable, necessitating less maintenance than a weaker design.
No matter how durable your floors are, they require wood floor cleaning and care after installation. We’ll go over some dos and don’ts for engineered wood floors, as well as some basic maintenance tips. Before we do that, we will explain some of its advantages and the different styles available.
The Advantages of Engineered Wood Flooring
If you are undecided about the type of flooring you want, we’ll make it easier for you to choose. Engineered wood floors offer numerous benefits. To list just a few:
Less Expanding and Contracting
Engineered wood floors do expand and contract but to a much lesser extent than solid wood floors. The construction process at Wood Flooring Ireland is to install engineered wood flooring in both dry and moist areas, such as kitchens and bathrooms.
It Looks Like the Real Thing
In days gone by, engineered wood floors were never mistaken for solid wood flooring. However, the industry has progressed to the extent that engineered flooring looks and feels 100% authentic. We build the flooring from many layers of plywood, but the top layer is a solid wood lamella of your choice, such as Oak. When we discuss how to clean engineered wood floors, the top layer is the most critical consideration.
It Feels Like the Real Thing
Our engineered flooring is rugged and durable because of our layering process, which is designed to handle greater than normal foot traffic. We bond many layers of plywood together before applying the top layer of solid wood. Do you think you’ll need your floor for a whole century? Yes, engineered wood flooring can last that long! Check the Janka score of the lamella you want to use for your top layer. It specifies the hardness factor of the wood.
The Dust is a Good Thing
One of the advantages of engineered wood flooring is that the dust and debris rest on the floor. As a result, cleaning wood floors is easy. It is preferable to contend with dust on your engineered wood floor than to deal with it deep inside the carpeting. Unless you neglect your flooring entirely, you will not have to struggle with difficulty removing ground-in dirt. Sweep or vacuum, then wash, and you’ll keep your home free of excessive dust and allergens.
The Many Styles of Engineered Wood Flooring
At Wood Flooring Ireland, we stock a wide range of flooring options to suit every room in your home. Visually appealing engineered wood flooring designs are available in a variety of colours and styles. Cleaning and maintenance are required for all styles of engineered wood flooring.
- Long plank Flooring – The flexibility of a plank-styled engineered wood floor is a primary attraction of this type of flooring. Planks can be short or long, narrow or wide, and suit a traditional, contemporary, art-deco, or classical décor.
- Chevron Flooring – Chevron flooring forms continuous zigzag patterns, using short planks that form the letter V.
- Herringbone Flooring – Herringbone flooring forms staggered zigzag patterns, using precisely cut planks that need to fit very accurately.
- Versailles Panels – If you are looking for bespoke handmade flooring, we can install a pattern of square panels that reflect the beauty of the original designs in the Palace of Versailles. Select your colours, and together we’ll work on a uniquely designed pattern for you.
Looking after your floors
The good news is that keeping your engineered wood floors in good shape is simple. But maintenance must be sustained. Let’s take a look at what it means to maintain your wood floors.
Maintaining Vigilance:
Although our homes are where we live, dine, rest, and often work, it’s a good idea to be mindful of potential mishaps. You wouldn’t let your guard down on any valuable items in your home, and this should include your flooring. Avoid moving furniture across a wood floor without providing protection, such as felt padding. Be cautious about which toys are permitted in rooms with wood flooring. Metal cans and other objects should not be moved along the floor. In general, you’d be wise to lift and carry anything that needs to be moved in a room with engineered wood floors.
Sweeping and Vacuuming:
Vacuum your wood floors every day if the machine’s brushes can be held in an upward position, as in a bare floor setting. Dust can also be thoroughly removed with a broom. Regular sweeping is one of the best ways to keep engineered wood floors clean.
Applying Lacquers and Oils:
Lacquers and oils are finishes that protect the top layer of your engineered wood floors. Lacquers add a layer to your flooring, making it more resistant to liquid spills. Oil finishes penetrate deeper into the floor, protecting the layers beneath. You can also use oils to cover up scratches, eliminating the need to repair them.
How to Clean Wooden Floors
It is easier to clean your floors when you take good care of them from day to day. Daily sweeping or vacuuming and proper floor care is the easiest way to clean wood floors. It will keep your floors in good condition, but there will be occasions when a thorough cleaning is necessary. Let’s look at some of the best ways.
Use a Moist Mop
A mop, like a broom, is your engineered wood floor’s best friend. Keep it slightly damp. It should not be drenched. Engineered wood floors are more resistant to moisture than solid wood floors, but the lamella is natural wood, which can warp when wet. Microfibre mops are non-abrasive and work well on engineered wood floors. Alternatively, use mops with washable microfibre pads or disposable pads.
Purchase the Appropriate Cleaner
Many floor cleaners have been approved for use with wooden floors. It is essential also to make sure that the cleaner works with the finishing on your floor. Strictly follow the cleaner instructions. This is the best way to make wood floors look new again.
Rinse with Clean Water
You may find it necessary to rinse your floors after washing them with a cleaner. Check for cleaner residue, which may be more visible on flooring with a shiny finish. Rinse with a clean mop and water to remove any residue.
Deeper Cleaning
There is no getting away from it. Floors become dirty. Although frequent sweeping and washing will keep dirt from becoming embedded in your floors, you may require a deeper cleaning occasionally. At Wood Flooring Ireland, we can advise you on the best floor cleaner to use when you need a more vigorous cleaning. Use the same method you use for lighter mopping. Wash the floors once with the more powerful cleaner, then rinse with a clean mop. Depending on which wood you choose for your top layer, we can recommend how often you should deep clean. A good rule of thumb is every 4 – 6 weeks.
How Not to Clean your Engineered Wood Floors
Your flooring isn’t so fragile that you should be afraid to use it. However, when you start to learn how to clean engineered wood floors, be aware of a few limitations:
- Do not clean with steel wool.
- Avoid cleaners that contain vinegar or ammonia.
- Do not use melamine sponges or foam.
- Avoid the use of steam cleaners.
- Don’t start mopping until you have swept or vacuumed.
Some Valuable Tips and Tricks
Often, it is the lesser-known tips that will provide a solution to your issue. We’ll take a look at a few ideas that might be just what you need to keep your flooring looking great:
- Never be afraid to refinish or resand your floors at least once in their lifetime. Wood Flooring Ireland’s engineered wood floors are tough and long-lasting. However, any flooring will eventually become quite drab and lifeless, especially in a home with a lot of foot traffic. We can advise you on the best procedure for bringing life back into your flooring.
- Finish your wood floors immediately after installation or sanding. Don’t let foot traffic or dirt damage your flooring before you provide protection.
- A hygrometer is a valuable tool for checking the humidity of a room. Although engineered wood floors are resistant to humidity and moisture, the lamella is natural wood, which is more susceptible to damage. Ideally, a home’s moisture content should be at 8 – 11%. Relative humidity (RH) should be at 40 – 65%. Note that our technicians will measure the humidity in your home before installation to ensure that conditions are perfect for installing engineered wood flooring.
- Avoid placing electronic equipment directly on the floor because the heat it generates could cause damage.
- If your engineered wood flooring has lost its lustre, use a slightly damp mop to bring out its shine once again.
- Be quick to wipe up any spills.
- Be sure to mop in the direction of the wood grain.
Let’s Talk
At Wood Flooring Ireland, we have been listening to our customers for more than 15 years. We advise, but mostly, we hear what it is that you want. Together, as a team, we’ll design your bespoke flooring, built to endure and enhance your home’s décor. Call into our Cork showrooms, and we’ll show you how we use some of the best forests in the world to craft high-quality flooring. Contact us by phone or email, and let’s talk.
LEARN FROM OUR GUIDES
Wood Flooring Ireland writes plenty of blogs and guides for our existing and potential customers. You can learn how to combine tile and wood flooring, wood floor care tips, the differences between engineered and solid wood flooring or even the latest wood flooring trends. Why not give one a read to learn more about the different types of wood flooring available or whether they are the right choice for you?