Scratches are the worst enemy of San Diego hardwood flooring, even though this material is generally among the most resilient. The main issue here is that most homeowners only take preventive measures within the first few weeks or months after installing the hardwood floorboards. It is basically the same situation as with a new automobile, which receive a great deal of pampering from the owners only to the point where they lose the new car smell. Let’s find out what the principle factors that determine scratches include.
Who scratched my new hardwood flooring?
If you own a pet, blaming it for the scratches is very convenient. However, the only pets that can actually scratch the hardwood floorboards are dogs. Cats typically walk around with their claws retracted and it is only in very rare cases that they mistake the floor for a scratch post. Dogs on the other hand will typically utilize their claws for traction when running around the house.
In addition to your family pets, scratches are also caused by grit and debris resulted from traffic directly on the surface of the boards. To put it simply, if you come in with your outdoors shoes which inevitably accumulate moist dirt on the soles and you leave them on the floorboards, this dirt will eventually dry out and fall off the shoes and onto the floor. Furthermore, you can graze the flooring easily by walking on it with footwear that has rigid soles.
Surely there is something I can do to prevent the damage!
In fact, the way to prevent unwanted dents and scrapes in your hardwood flooring is quite simple. First of all, dog owners should make sure that the pet’s nails are constantly clipped and kept within a minimum length. An alternative to clipping the dog’s nails comprises of fixing them with protective nail coats that can be acquired from most specialized pet stores. On a side note, the same applies for cats that love to scratch everything around the house and that seem impossible to train.
Concerning the manmade dents in the floorboards, the damage potential can be substantially reduced by adding carpets and rugs over the entry points and in the highly circulated areas of the home. You and your family members should get used to taking the outdoor shoes off before walking into a room and placing them in a specially designated location, away from the unprotected boards.
Is there any way to increase the durability of the hardwood floor?
You can always apply an additional protective coating on top of preexisting finish. High-grade floor coatings constitute the ideal buffer between the floorboards and the potentially damaging environmental factors not only in terms of scratches or dents, but also against sun exposure related fading, warping caused by excessive moisture and so on. However, it is necessary to point out that applying another protective coating over the default one is a violation of the warranty terms and condition in most cases. On the other hand, if the warranty of your hardwood San Diego flooring has already expired, there is no reason not to perform this operation.
Search Flooring by Brands
Search for all our Brands
West Coast Flooring Center, San Diego Flooring Leader. We are an authorized Tile, Hardwood, Laminate, Carpet, Vinyl Hardware and Cabinets Dealer for Top Brands. You are welcome to come to our new showroom or shop at home/office with our Mobile Office. Free Floor design at your desire location and floor sample. Schedule Now!!
Search Flooring by Categories
Area Rugs | Carpet | Countertops | Green Floors | Hardwood | Laminate | Natural Stone | Tile | Vinyl
