Aftercare Guide
Although Broadleaf wood floors and the finishes that we recommend are designed to cope with the demands of modern living, like most things they will need a little care if they are to stay looking their best.
Curing
It is important that a wood floor finish is fully cured before furniture and rugs are placed on it, before it is exposed to normal levels of traffic or before it is cleaned.
Pre-finished wood floors are fully cured on delivery. Finishes applied in situ will normally dry sufficiently to be re-coated or walked on carefully in a matter of hours, but they will take longer than this to fully cure. Please refer to the manufacturer’s recommended curing times for your chosen finish and do not hesitate to contact us if you are unsure.
Environmental Conditions
To avoid abnormal movement in your wood floor, keep room temperature and humidity within normal living conditions after fitting ~ that is an ambient temperature of 15° - 24°c and relative humidity of 40° - 65°c . If these are exceeded, correct them gradually.
Entrance Mats
To protect your wood floor finish and help keep maintenance to a minimum, place coir mats in entrance doorways to catch dirt and grit from outside. These can be attractively housed in matwells cut into the floor as it is fitted, which keep them in place and mean they can be changed quickly and easily as they wear. Matwells can be made to measure and edged in matching or contrasting timber as you prefer.
Pads & Castors
To prevent unnecessary scratches and damage to your wood floor finish, fit suitable felt pads or castors to items of furniture that move across the floor without being lifted. A wide selection are available to accommodate large and small items of most styles and materials.
Ageing
All timber mellows in tone over time in reaction to light. In order to even out this process across the floor and avoid noticeable differences, we recommend that you move large pieces of furniture and rugs slightly from time to time.
Spills
Don’t let spills stand on your wood floor. Although all of the finishes that we use and recommend are stain and water resistant, they are not entirely impervious and may be breached or damaged by spills left for extended periods.
Maintenance
Looking after your Broadleaf wood floor doesn’t have to be hard work and is quite straightforward. It also pays great dividends.
To remove loose dust and dirt, vacuum or sweep wood floors with a soft brush.
To clean your wood floor, use Broadleaf Wood Floor Cleaner, diluted as directed and applied with a well wrung out mop. Bear in mind that non specialist products can damage your wood floor finish over time.
To repair day to day scratches and wear and tear use Broadleaf Wood Floor Wax on oil and wax finishes, and Broadleaf Lacquer Refresher on lacquer and varnish finishes. These should be applied about every 3 months or as needed.
If you have any questions on looking after your wood floor, just contact one of our showrooms or email [mailto:technical@broadleaftimber.com technical@broadleaftimber.com]