Vintage Wood Floors

Cleaning

• While a dampened cloth helps clean up accidental traffic and spills such as an animal’s potty accident or the random boot print of mud, as a general rule you should never allow water to come into contact with the wood. Wood warps in the presence of moisture, and expands and twists when wet. Instead, general cleaning should be done with a vacuum or by sweeping. Microfibers should not be used on vintage floors because they often catch splinters and rip them from the surface of the floor. If you must clean a liquid or mud stain, use a damp cloth and do not allow the water to soak into the wood. Paste waxes are also available for cleaning.

Sealing

• Regular sealing keeps moisture and liquids from penetrating the wood. You have three choices for stains: natural oils, penetrating sealers and surface sealers. Natural oils, such as linseed, contain no preservatives and need to be regularly applied to keep the top surface of the wood covered. Penetrating sealers sometimes only need to be applied once a year, while surface sealers sometimes require coverage every few months. Penetrating sealers bond within the fibers of the wood to keep liquids out. Surface sealers create a hardened layer on top of the wood that acts as a buffer against foot traffic and liquids. Waxes are also available for preservative-free surface coats.

Touching Up

• Over time, the color of the wood stain fades, as well as the color of the wood itself. If you decide to restain the floor, you must first clean it of all debris using a vacuum and then restain it with your chosen color. If there is a coat of sealer on top of the wood, this layer must first be removed via sanding with a fine-grit paper to avoid damaging the wood below, after which a vacuum cleaning removes the debris. Once the sealer is sanded off, restain the floor to bring it back to its original luster, and then reseal the floor.

Rugs

• When it comes to putting rugs on a vintage wood floor, ensure that the rug won’t trap moisture underneath, thus warping the wood and discoloring it. Do not use any rug that has a sticky or tacky backing, as the plastic within damages wood. Instead, use a nonsolvent lattice or waffled-rubber backing, or an untreated natural fiber backing that easily breathes and thus evaporates moisture. For best results, the rug should be moved every few months to ensure that the floor has time to breathe properly.