What kind of hardwood floors do you have in your home? Are your hardwood floors done with wax, varnish or polyurethane? Did you invest in floor-heating on your hardwood? It is common knowledge that you can save time, money and energy in the long run by installinghardwood floors, especially ones with some Heavenly Heat’s warming solutions. However, if your hardwood floors are not well-taken care of, it becomes extra difficult to get real value for your money.

A few rules to go by

Anyone who has hardwood floors in their home must abide by a few rules to protect them from damage.  For instance, you must have a professional, polish the woods every so often. You should also avoid wiping your hardwood floors with a wet mop, or worse still, waxing over the hardwood floors in an attempt to bring back their shine. Lastly, walking on hardwood floors with heels or other uneven footwear is a quick way to destroy your floors.

Hardwood floors are pretty expensive; however, they are very cost-effective especially if they are well taken care of. They also improve the value of your property. However, one can only truly reap the benefits of hardwood floors, if the floors are shown proper care to maintain their beauty.

Underfloor heating systems

Electric underfloor heating systems work perfectly with hardwood floors and are a great way to enjoy hardwood floors. The wood conducts and retains the warmness produced by the underfloor heater and this, in turn, keeps the room at a warm temperature. Wood can heat up quickly, and also has the capacity to lose heat very slowly, because of this, woodmaximizes the energy-efficiency of an underfloor heating system.

Not all types of wood are appropriate for installation over underfloor heating. There are certain guidelines to follow when using underfloor heating systems with timber woods. Therefore, when installing underfloor heating systems, it’s recommended that you work with a specialist who would offer advice on a wood species’ suitability over radiant heat.

Tips for cleaning your hardwood floors

No matter the type of wood or the heating system used, a good number of the hardwood floors installed these days, have been finished with polyurethane and to take care of them, one must vacuum, sweep and dust-mop the wood surface regularly. Always use cleaning solutions that are specifically designed for hardwood floors when cleaning the floors. When damp-mopping hardwood floors, ensure you make use of a pH neutral cleaning agent with water.

DIY Network recommends regular vacuuming of hardwood floors to remove dust and dirt particles that can damage the wood.To vacuum hardwood floors, first ensure that the vacuum attachment used is the best for wood floors. Also, remember to turn off any rotating brushes or beater bars that can cause damage to the wood floor. You can vacuum once every day. If you prefer to sweep rather than vacuum your hardwood floors, then sweep with a broom that has synthetic fibre tips.