You've just moved into a new home, and it has beautiful wood floors. Unfortunately, you have no idea how to care for them. What can you do?
First, there are three types of wood flooring finishes: surface, wax and acrylic.
1. Surface Finish
To determine if your floor has a surface finish, scratch the floor gently with a coin in an inconspicuous area. If the finish flakes, it likely has a surface finish. You also can apply two drops of water in an inconspicuous area. If white spots do not appear within 10 minutes, it's likely a surface finish. To clean surface finished floors, use a generic hardwood floor cleaner available from your local flooring store.
2. Wax Finish
To identify wax finishes, use a small amount of mineral sprits on a clean, white rag in a low-traffic area. If the rag appears slightly yellow or brown, the floor likely has a paste wax finish. To identify acrylic waxes, mix a small amount of dish soap, ammonia and water, and place a drop in a low-traffic area. If the spot turns white, it's likely an acrylic wax finish. To clean wax floors, use a product recommended by your local flooring store.
3. Acrylic Finish
To identify an acrylic-impregnated finish, remove a floor vent and look at the side of the wood. If the color is consistent throughout the board, it's likely acrylic impregnated. However, some wood species will have consistent color throughout the board and are not impregnated floors. If in doubt, contact a wood flooring professional. To clean an acrylic-impregnated floor, use the same procedures as surface-finished floors for urethane-based finishes; for nonurethane-based finishes, you will need to use a spray and buff system recommended by the manufacturer.
For more information on finishes and maintenance for wood floors, visit the Wood Floor Maintenance section of The National Wood Flooring Association consumer Web site.
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