- August 18, 2020
- Posted by regularadmin
Hardwood flooring in your Arlington Heights home is a beautiful addition that increases your resale value. They are easier to keep clean than carpet, easier to replace than tile, and more attractive than laminate. But they have two enemies that can still be a problem for them: moisture and sunlight.
If you love hardwood floors and live in an area with plenty of warm sunlight, intense moisture, or both, protecting your hardwood floors has probably already become part of your home maintenance ritual. If hardwood floors are new to you, we have some steps to take to preserve your gorgeous flooring.
Protecting your hardwood floors
During the summer months, take these tips as gospel to keep your floors healthy:
- Close the blinds
Natural light is fantastic for the home and your energy bills, but direct sunlight through your windows can damage your floors, breaking down chemicals in the wood and causing the sheen to fade. Closing the drapes, shades, or blinds in any area that is exposed to direct sunlight will help.
- Low-E
An expensive alternative to closing your blinds or drapes, low-e windows can filter out the more harmful sun rays and give you your outside view while also protecting your floors
- Rearrange things
If neither of the previous options suits you, perhaps moving some furnishings around will do. Clever placement of furniture or perhaps a throw rug over the most dangerous sunlit areas could be a way to prevent damage.
- A/C is OK
You are probably running your A/C during the warmer months. Keep doing it. The colder air and filtration system of the unit will lessen the moisture present in your home.
- Not all humidity is bad
Optimal humidity in the home is about 40%. If you have a condition where higher humidity is necessary, then skip this tip. Otherwise, putting a few dehumidifiers around the home to make sure your humidity isn’t too high can keep the natural moisture in the air from warping your floors.
Vigilance and knowledge are your best defenses against hardwood floor damage.
