Are My Hardwood Floors Sealed

Protip don t do this in the middle of the floor where you could stare at it for a few days.

Are my hardwood floors sealed.

It is quite common to find unfinished wooden floors in older homes and apartments while finished or sealed floors are characteristic of contemporary homes with different sealing or treatment choices available. So how do you clean unsealed hardwood floors without experiencing any of these problems. There are several different mixtures to use for hardwood floors and you ll. Hardwood floors add classic elegance to your home but not when they re dull dinted or dingy.

Do not use water to clean your hardwood floors. If it stands for 5 minutes without soaking in your hardwood floors are sealed. Hardwood floors add a beautiful touch to just about any room but there s some debate about the best way to clean them. If you can feel the graininess and texture of the wood the floor probably has a coating of penetrating oil and perhaps wax.

So how do i know if my hardwood floors are sealed. Because different floor finishes have unique care requirements the best way to clean hardwood floors will depend on the type of finish rather than the wood species e g cherry maple oak. Although cleaning unsealed vacuum floors requires extreme care and caution simple cleaning principles also apply. Almost all hardwood floors are sealed even if the seal is just a coat of penetrating oil and a layer of paste wax.

Get a small glass of water. The term sealed hardwood floors often comes up in reference to cleaning products or techniques for hardwood flooring. You also find the phrase used in instructions for steam mops which by the way should never be used on wood flooring of any type. Sealing the wood protects the floor from moisture which is the floor s worst enemy.

If your home or apartment sports a hardwood floor it is important for you to know if the floor has been treated or finished so that you can clean and care for it in the right manner. Test for wax by rubbing an out of the way floorboard with the edge of a coin and looking for telltale wax buildup on the. If it touches a seam try again with a smaller amount in another area. However if the bead of water sinks down into the floor and makes a spot the sealant on your floors is no longer sound and water damage can and will occur.

Off with the dust. The easiest way to test a floor finish is to run your hand along the surface of the floor. Gentle cleaners are best for any hardwood floor finish but oiled and waxed floors require a type. Pour a small amount on the wood.