Come prendersi cura dei pavimenti in legno

A wooden floor is certainly a refined choice for your home and, although in the past it was believed that its maintenance and cleaning were difficult and constant operations, with the right precautions it is possible to keep it always alive and shining. In this article, we'll explore the different aspects of caring for hardwood floors, from material characteristics to cleaning and maintenance techniques.

Ordinary cleaning of the parquet
Routine cleaning of parquet involves the use of specific tools and products, depending on the type of finish. It is important to use a vacuum cleaner with a soft brush to remove dust and residues, avoiding the use of electric brooms which could scratch the surface.
Furthermore, it is advisable to wipe with a well-wrung damp cloth, preferably microfiber, to remove any stains.

Extraordinary cleaning of parquet
The extraordinary cleaning of the wooden floor varies according to the type of finish.
In the case of varnished parquet, you can proceed with the application of a specific detergent, diluted in water according to the manufacturer's instructions. For waxed wood floors, you should use a waxed wood cleaner and then apply a new coat of wax. Finally, in the case of a floor with an oil finish, it is advisable to use a special cleaner and, if necessary, to renew the application of the oil.

Parquet maintenance

Wood, being a natural material, tends to adapt to the conditions in which it is found, which change according to the temperature, the radiation received from the environment and the humidity rate. If these simple parameters are not carefully controlled, the wood tends to get damaged and suffer unpleasant deformations.

It is important to heat rooms gradually, avoiding sudden changes in temperature. To further limit these sudden changes in temperature, it is also necessary to humidify the environment correctly, both with correct natural ventilation and through the application of trays to the radiators. In the case of underfloor heating, electric humidifiers must be used, in addition to natural ones.

It is necessary to calculate a correct balance between humidity and air temperature. In this case, in addition to the well-being of your parquet, the conditions for the inhabitants of the house also improve considerably.
In particular, the recommended temperature ranges from 15° to 20° and never below 10°, while the humidity rate inside the room should be constant within the range between 45% and 60%. In fact, continuous exposure of parquet to a dry climate could cause small cracks up to irreparable micro-fractures. While if the environment is too humid, the parquet could expand irreversibly.

Parquet: handle with care

- Pay attention to the weights: The wood could easily deform due to excessive weights concentrated in small surfaces, such as for example the feet of furniture or the legs of chairs, stools and stairs. In this case, protective felts can be applied and try not to overload these pieces of furniture, especially if they discharge onto the parquet in a punctiform manner.

- Be careful at the entrance: placing a doormat at the entrance to the house and always keeping your shoes clean prevents particles of dirt or gravel from entering the house which could scratch or dirty the floor irreparably. The same attention should be paid to pets and to avoid rubbing objects on the floor, such as chairs or suitcases.

- Attention to stains: If the stains on the wooden floor are caused by water, they can be removed using a cloth slightly moistened with water and neutral soap. After that, you need to dry the floor well with a dry cloth. To remove grease stains instead, you can use a cloth moistened with a solution of water and neutral soap, or a specific detergent for wooden floors. After removing the stain, it is important to dry the floor with a dry cloth.
However, the recommendation is to use specific parquet cleaners so as to minimize the possibility of ruining the wood.