No matter the type of wood, proper care and maintenance will make your custom reclaimed wood and new wood products last for generations. If you have any questions regarding how to care for reclaimed wood products feel free to call us anytime, we are happy to help.
Ready for Another 100 Years!
Care and Maintenance
Regular care is the best policy for maintaining wood, preventing discoloration and buildup, and keeping your reclaimed wood surface at a high quality for years to come!
Use a mop or damp cloth that is lightly dampened (not wet) with warm water and/or vacuum for regular weekly cleaning. Only use wood cleaner products that are recommended by the finish manufacturer. Wood surfaces may have oil finishes or polyurethane finishes. Never use a scrubbing or scouring pad that may damage or scratch the wood surface.
Wipe up spills immediately with a slightly damp lint-free cloth to prevent watermarks, then follow up with a recommended cleaning product. For stubborn stains, apply directly to the stain and repeat as necessary.
Keeping a clean surface prevents dust and dirt from scratching and grinding into the varnish over time, thus reducing the need to refinish the surface often in the future. Keep all wood products away from heavy moisture to avoid warping.
Protecting Your Investment
Use felt protector pads on the feet of furniture legs to protect flooring wood surfaces from scratching and denting. If a piece of furniture has casters, use non-marking rubber casters instead of metal or plastic casters, which can dent.
Throw rugs and dirt-trapping mats at exterior doors will greatly reduce long-term wear on wood flooring, reducing the need to sand and refinish the surface and maintaining the beauty of your natural wood floor. Throw rugs can help limit exposure to direct sunlight as this can cause discoloration to the wood surface over time. This also applies to any of your natural wood products. If using a throw rug or doormat with a rubber or vinyl backing, check to make sure that it does not dull or discolor your floor over time. Some chemicals in rubber and vinyl can react with certain finishes.
Water can be especially damaging to natural wood surfaces and wood furniture. Wipe up any moisture as quickly as possible, and use coasters on table tops and coffee tables to prevent watermarks from forming on the wood surface. Hot dishes may also impact the surface of the wood, so it’s also important to use silicone trivet mats, hot pads and placemats.
Force on Your Floor
An elephant has a force of 50 to 100 pounds per square inch (psi) on a floor, while a 125-pound woman in high heels has a force of 2,000 psi. That’s 20 times greater than the elephant. Such force can damage any type of wood floor. Exposed nailheads are especially brutal to a floor as their 8,000 psi is damaging enough to pulverize hardened concrete.
When to Refresh Your Finish
Knowing when your reclaimed wood flooring needs sanding and refinishing is more than just the way it looks and feels, although they are usually the first indicators. Pour a tablespoon or two of water onto the floor. Does the water:
Bead up so that you can wipe it up without a trace?
Congratulations! Your floor’s finish is doing its job!
Soak into the wood after a few minutes, darkening the floor only slightly?
Don’t panic, your floor’s finish is only partially worn. Immediate refreshing probably isn’t necessary, but keep a close eye on the floor.
Immediately disappear into the wood leaving a dark spot?
If so, your floor’s finish is seriously worn and it’s probably time to refinish and recoat.