Hardwood floors are classy and elegant, but like any type of flooring, they can do with some occasional upgrading. With the holidays growing closer, you may need to prepare your hardwood floors to hold up better to extra guests and pets. Here’s what you need to know about preparing and upgrading your hardwood floors for the holidays. 

Maintenance

Getting your hardwood floors beautiful in time for the holidays starts with regular maintenance. Keeping up with routine deep cleans and refinishing will ensure that your floors are always in their best shape. Scheduling a refinishing service a few weeks before the holidays will give you a fresh, like-new floor. 

As the holidays draw near, make sure to incorporate sweeping, dusting, and mopping into your regular cleaning routine. This will help keep your floors in their best shape in the week or so leading up to your party – and you won’t have to worry about deep-cleaning the day your guests arrive!

Keep Dry

One of the worst things for hardwood flooring is moisture. Too much humidity or a leaky pipe can cause water damage to hardwood floors. Around the holidays, you’re going to have to be vigilant to wipe up any spills or unexpected moisture. Make sure guests have a place to leave snow behind (a shoe rack or welcome mat to wipe their feet) before leaving it to melt on your floors.

Protect

Hardwood floors are durable, but they still need to be protected from damage. Area rugs in high-traffic areas are an excellent choice to keep floors in great condition. Likewise, felt pads on the bottom of heavy furniture and chairs will keep your floors from getting scratched or dented. 

Watch the Feet

Obviously, floors are for walking on, but that doesn’t mean that you can’t mitigate some of that damage feet can do to them. If you have pets, keep their nails trimmed, so they don’t scratch the floor. If your guests bring their own pets, you may consider creating a designated pet area that doesn’t have hardwood flooring. For your human guests, you may want to insist on a “no shoes” policy in the home to avoid dings and dents from high heels or other heavy footwear. Make sure your guests know of your policy beforehand. You may also want to consider providing slippers or house shoes for guests who aren’t comfortable with removing their shoes. 

Contact Central Mass Hardwood

Taking the time to prepare and upgrade your hardwood floors for the holidays will give them a fighting chance when guests come to stay. Whether you need a few repairs, refinishing, or even a whole new floor installed, the expert hardwood flooring contractors at Central Mass Hardwood can help you out and have your home holiday-ready in no time! Contact us today to request a custom quote.