Like any other coating, wood needs proper and regular care. There are many options and ways to do this. Read on to find out which ones deserve attention and help you take proper care of your wood floors and walls.

When planning the decoration of walls and floors with wood materials, it is important to know their characteristics. Over the years, this natural material is capable of losing its properties – during operation it becomes prone to destruction, cracking, decay, loss of color. It should be borne in mind that it is greatly influenced by moisture. Therefore, in any of the care options, cleaning with wet rags and an abundance of water should be excluded. Water causes deformation and swelling of wooden products, which leads to cracking of structures and the loss of their aesthetic appearance.

It is not surprising that finishing materials made of natural wood require a special care approach. To preserve the original qualities of the products as long as possible, it is recommended to process them with special compounds, which also make its own adjustments to the regulations for cleaning and maintaining surfaces.

Wooden materials and structures during operation and maintenance require adherence to clear rules. Walls made of lining, imitation of timber, panels, or boards are treated with chemicals to preserve the structure, as well as protect against parasites and external influences. The presence of an additional protective layer on the surface of the walls does not negate the need for regular cleaning.

On the modern market, you can find and purchase a wide variety of products for the care of a wooden house:

• formulations with antibacterial properties;
• solutions to prevent moisture accumulation;
• impregnation for protection against fire, etc.

Treating wood with fire retardants reduces the risk of fire and prevents the burning of materials.

The age of natural wood finishing materials can be determined by their appearance. Without proper care, over time, they begin to turn gray. Special coatings – colorless or colored – can help to restore freshness and attractiveness to the cladding. Such solutions allow not only to preserve the aesthetics of wooden products but also to extend their service life.

It is customary to process wooden floors or parquet immediately after installation with professional varnish-and-paint compositions with protective properties. A layer of additional coating guarantees the preservation of the shade and the integrity of the surface of the material. However, over time, the coating begins to wear off. This is especially noticeable in places with high traffic in the house and where there are furniture legs.

With regular high-intensity use, wooden floors deteriorate:

• materials take on a dark shade;
• dents are formed;
• a large number of cracks appear;
• the glossy layer loses its shine.

If the recommendations for maintenance are not followed in a timely manner, the floor covering will have to be replaced, completely replacing the old materials with new ones.

Floors made of wood, floorboards, or parquet should be vacuumed periodically. In order not to damage the coating and not leave scratches, a vacuum cleaner brush should be purchased with a soft nozzle. Wet cleaning should be done once every 2-3 days. Clean the floors with a slightly damp cloth.

Painted or varnished wood flooring can be damaged by sand. In the summer, it easily penetrates the house on the soles of shoes and feet, and in other periods it is brought into the house with mud and snow. Even when wiping the floor surface, grains of sand can scratch the surface. Therefore, be sure to use a vacuum cleaner before wet cleaning.

Parquet is easily damaged by hard shoes. Therefore, in houses with such floors, it is better to move around in house slippers with textile soles or in socks made of natural wool.

Wood floors under furniture legs can be prevented from rubbing off by placing sofas and armchairs, cabinets, and dressers within the carpet. If there are no rugs and carpets on the floors, then circles of felt can be glued to the furniture legs or special caps made of silicone or rubber can be put on.

If the above measures are not enough to keep the wooden floors in good condition, then you should think about restoring the coating. To do this, you will need to perform scraping and sanding of surfaces, and then treat them with special protective compounds.

In order for natural wood flooring to last as long as possible, it is worth following a number of recommendations:

• After installing the materials, wet cleaning can be carried out only after 9-10 days. If the floors are treated with a high-quality varnish-and-paint composition, for the first 7-8 years they practically do not require special maintenance. But then, the coatings need to be sanded and coated with paint or varnish again.
• When cleaning, you should only use special detergents and cleaning agents that are appropriate for the type of floor covering. The application of any formulations to the surface is possible only if the manufacturer’s instructions are followed. Caring for wood products excludes the use of caustic and aggressive chemicals.
• Once every 30-40 days, floors can be cleaned with a resin-based solution. Such products have renewing properties and extend the life of the protective layer.
• In rooms and areas of the house where the flooring is most intensively erased, it is better to lay carpets or rugs. However, the underneath should be vacuumed regularly, as grains of sand penetrating the fibers under the pressure of the carpet will severely scratch the wood floor. It will not hurt to put a rug at the front door – it will protect the coating from dirt and retain on itself the bulk of the garbage, sand, and small stones brought in from the outside.

In houses and apartments where owners live with their pets, there are no special rules for caring for floors. But you need to take into account the fact that four-legged pets are capable of causing significant damage to materials – scratching floorboards and parquet.

In addition to dirt, they can scratch the surface with their claws and teeth. Therefore, the main recommendations are to provide complete and timely care for four-legged friends. For example, every time you go outside, your pets’ paws should be washed well, carefully removing particles of debris and dirt between the pads. It is also advisable to wash or clean the fur on the belly with a damp cloth after walking. Then wipe the paws with a towel or microfiber cloth.

It is also important to trim and grind the claws of animals in a timely manner. This treatment will not protect the wood floors from damage, but it will make life easier for pets. Maintaining wood floors, walls, and ceilings in your home is not as difficult as many people think. The main thing is to clean the house on time and use special tools that match the type of flooring.