For many people summer means a time to go to the beach at either a vacation home, rental property, or a friend’s house. If you are at a beach house with hardwood floors, there are some easy steps you can take to prevent any damage to the floor from sand or salt water.
Sand and salt water can easily cause damage to hardwood floors. Both sand and salt are jagged in shape. When they are dragged or crushed along the floor it can damage the finish of the floor. These rough particles can cause scratches in the floor and decrease the lifespan of the finish.
Taking preventative measures
Make sure you or anyone else is not tracking sand or salt water into the house. Sand, as you know, gets everywhere, so keep shoes, sandals, or flip flops outside. If you would like to keep shoes inside place a bin or basket near the front door. Have a heavy mat leading into your home so people can knock off the sand. If you have children’s toys like shovels and buckets, it is advisable to keep them outside.
To keep salt water off your floors make sure everyone––guests, children, and pets––are completely dry before entering the house. If your beach home has an outdoor shower, ask guests to rinse and dry off before entering.
In addition to these preventative methods it is also highly recommended that you vacuum or sweep your hardwood floors regularly. By doing so you will ensure that your floors are not being damaged by foot traffic grinding sand into your floors.
If there is visible damage to a floor because of sand it is possible you will have to call a hardwood floor professional to either recoat, or in cases of significant damage, refinish the floor.
If there are dried salt stains on your floor it is possible that you can clean it yourself.
Make sure you know how to properly clean hardwood floors
Before you go to clean your hardwood floor, you have to understand that water and vinegar is not a recommended cleaning method. This method was used many years ago. Since that time there have been products developed that are specifically made for the purpose of cleaning hardwood floors.
One such product is Bona Hardwood Floor Cleaner. This product is an easy to use cleaner that is formulated for most hardwood floor finishes. It is easy to use and will not leave any sort of residue. Click here to read about what you can and can’t use to clean your hardwood floors.
Keeping your beach home floors free from sand and salt water is all about preventative measures. If you can remember to do so, you will avoid any problems that arise from sand and salt water damage.
