The holidays are here, and they always bring some extra activities to your home. Parties, pets, and giant trees that live indoors for a month or so – all things that can be hazardous to your hardwood floors. You don’t have to skip out on the fun, but it’s a good idea to take a few extra precautions to keep your floors from being a casualty.
An Ounce of Prevention…
… is worth a pound of cure, as the saying goes. This particular adage is a good one to live by when it comes to just about everything in your home. Preventing problems is much easier, and far less expensive, than solving them after the fact.
Start with adding a few rugs in entry ways and high traffic areas. Bonus points if you use water resistant rugs and make sure they have a non-slip underlay. Here in Austin, we’re not usually likely to see a white Christmas, but we’re very used to a wet one. Holiday parties, out of town guests, and kids on break from school all mean more wet feet in and out. An extra rug or two goes a long way to keeping all that traffic from leaving puddles that can cause damage to hardwood flooring.
Don’t forget that pets’ paws track in as much extra moisture and mud as any shoes. Keeping your pups’ nails trimmed is always the best way to avoid them scratching your floors. This is even more true during rainy times since slipping paws are more likely to cause damage. Add a little paw cleaning station at your back door and spend the extra time to make sure paws are cleaned off each time they come in. Mud and debris being tracked in can cause scratched floors, too.
About that Tree
We love the look and smell of a real Christmas tree. If you’re planning to have one, make sure you do a little extra preparation to keep your floors covered. Real trees need to be watered – probably more than any other indoor plant since keeping them hydrated is the best way to prevent them from being a fire hazard. A piece of waterproof material under your tree is a quick and easy way to protect your hardwood flooring. A simple piece of plastic sheet will fine at keeping your floor dry. However, we recommend a heavier vinyl – you can use it year after year, and it will also help avoid any scratches from a tree stand getting shifted around slightly throughout the season.
If you have any questions about the best ways to maintain your flooring we’re here to help. Let us know what you need.
