If your home has hardwood flooring, or you have been in a home or office that has hardwood flooring you know the stunning difference, it can make to any space. Hardwood flooring has the ability to create a calming, comfortable, and designer atmosphere just about anywhere it is installed. Whether you want to create an elegant, classy look by installing dark hardwood flooring in your living room, or a light refreshing look with light colored hardwood flooring in your kitchen, hardwood gives you the ability to completely set the tone of a room.

While there are many things that can be done to a home to increase its value, adding hardwood flooring is definitely among the more drastic and visible things you can do. Homeowners and potential buyers alike seek out hardwood flooring because they know with proper care it will literally last a lifetime.

Proper care for your hardwood flooring is certainly necessary to ensure it lasts as long as you expect it to. Hardwood flooring is not bulletproof, and it will dent, scratch, and can be affected by drastic changes in humidity, but easy steps can be taken to minimize and prevent damage. Here are a few tips to help make your hardwood flooring last:

●     Install felt pads or some other type of covering on the legs of furniture to avoid scratches and dents from prolonged periods of sitting or dragging.

●     Avoid dragging or pushing furniture across the floor. This can result in gouges, scratches, and other unsightly marks.

●     Clip your pet’s toenails. A dog, cat, or another animal with long sharp toenails has the ability to gouge marks into your hardwood flooring. The simple action of a dog jumping off of a couch can result in enough focused pressure to leave marks on your hardwood floor.

●     Do not put tape on hardwood flooring. The resins that exist in the formulation of tape have the ability to take the finish off hardwood floor, and when the tape is removed, there will be a mark.

●     Take your shoes off in the house. If you or your family have a habit of walking around indoors with your outdoor shoes on you might start to notice marks in your hardwood. This can result from stones and other debris getting stuck in the treads of your shoes, which then leave marks in your hardwood flooring as you walk around.

●     As wood is a natural product, it is constantly expanding and shrinking as humidity increases and decreases around it. This is unavoidable, although ensuring that the humidity levels don’t fluctuate too much is important to the health of your hardwood flooring. It’s recommended to maintain humidity levels between 30% and 50% in order to properly maintain your hardwood flooring.

Hardwood flooring can take between six months and two years to fully reach its final mature coloring. Depending on the type of wood and the age of the wood used in the manufacturing of the flooring these color changes can be subtle or drastic. Some woods become lighter as they age, and some will become darker. It’s important to avoid placing area rugs on your flooring until the floor’s coloring has reached its final mature color, and if possible it’s a good idea to periodically rearrange your furniture so the color can change evenly.

If you’re unsure about how your hardwood flooring will change in color or for any other information about hardwood flooring consult a Global Alliance Home Improvement Products hardwood flooring specialist. With years of experience and a vast supply of hardwood flooring in stock, Global Alliance Home Improvement Products is a great choice for flooring solutions. We keep the majority of our products in stock. Call today: 705-466-9997.