Timber is an organic material, its beauty is in its natural colour and feel that can’t be copied, because it’s always changing as it grows, is harvested and then ages. The expectations of timber floors have grown over time and with that the quality of manufacturing and construction has significantly improved.
We will always strive to improve the processes from design to floor. Then once installed you have the opportunity to take over and look after your floor to ensure the longest lifespan. Whether you’re happy for it to age and develop more character to tell a story of your home, or you want to keep it as close as possible to a fresh floor, there’s some guidance to keep in mind:
The most dangerous time for a floor is move in day. Keep the floor clean as you move in.
Take care when moving particularly when using trolleys, only ever use a trolley with inflatable tyres and use floor protection to avoid direct contact with the floor.
Never drag heavy furnishings or appliances, take extra care when moving the fridge and other appliances in, the edges are sharp and even the wheels can cause damage if they’re not clean or in good condition.
Tables, chairs, and sofas are often moved back and forth with extreme point loads that can lead to accelerated wear and tear of the coatings or scratching in localised areas. Under legs use felt pads, rugs can also be used in some locations where style can meet practicality, making sure to avoid rugs with rubber backings as these can cause staining.
Even furnishings that aren’t moved often should have a suitable no scratch surface in contact with the flooring.
Under desk chairs or other wheeled furnishings use a non- staining mat and rubber casters. Although be aware rubber will cause staining to the surface of the floor over time, so again select mats without rubber backing.
Be aware like your skin timber can tan in the sun, timber naturally oxidizes in the sun and coatings fade, this is a natural ageing process of a natural product. This should be managed by moving furnishings from time to time to avoid uneven colour changes.
If exposed to direct sunlight for prolonged periods timber can also suffer more serious issues such as minor cracking. The floors are designed for an indoor surface and need to be kept in comfortable living temperatures. Excessive heat, humidity and fluctuations in temperature can cause the floor to distort.
Window protection such as blinds, window tinting or external shading to limit direct sunlight is required to ensure the floor is protected from prolonged direct sun exposure. Use heating and cooling to keep the ambient temperature between 10-30°C and moderate humidity between 35-75% particularly in the more extreme climates of Australia. In Northern Australia take time to understand the settings of your heating and cooling to manage humidity.
It’s always important to keep a floor clean, minor dirt and grit can accelerate the wear of coatings.
Use mats both inside and outside of doors leading outside to clean shoes and remove debris before it ends up on the floor. Mats should be kept clean. (Where installed in commercial premises it’s recommended foot traffic passes over a 3.0metre mat).
Recommend you take your shoes off and enjoy the floor under your feet, this will help keep the surface clean. (Always remove shoes with spikes and sharp heels)
Always keep the floor dry, spills should be immediately cleaned up to prevent the timber absorbing moisture and distorting. Oil, food, drinks, and other household spills including pet accidents should also be cleaned up and wiped clean with a damp cloth to ensure staining does not occur.
Regular (aim for daily) sweeping with a soft broom and vacuuming will keep the floor free of debris preventing build up in the joins and grain where exposed. When vacuuming ensuring the head of the vacuum has felt on the underside, let’s not scratch a floor while aiming to look after it.
As required (weekly) the floors are suitable for mopping to ensure they remain clean and fresh, but again remember timber loves to absorb water, moisture can lead to major damage. Always keep the floor dry, use a spray mop to limit the moisture on the floor. The moisture is only to soften and loosen the dirt, let the mop do the work.
When using a mop and bucket, ensure it’s well rung out and the floor is drying immediately after, and moisture isn’t been left on the floor. Avoid spills as you go and dry immediately if you do.
Never use a steam mop, or caustic cleaning agents.
Recommended cleaning products:
When using other cleaning products ensure they are neutral, non-abrasive and don’t use oil-based soaps, or polishes as these will create a residue which can be difficult to remove.
Multi-purpose cleaners should not be used on floors.
In the event of minor damage there’s a few steps that you can take.
Other coatings and more invasive steps are available and should be discussed with your flooring professional.
For questions or further information on your floor feel free to contact the manufacturer.
