Thank you for your trust in allowing Pat’s Woodworks to provide you with a beautiful, quality hardwood floor. Today’s wood finishes are designed to be low-maintenance. The information that follows explains everything you need to know to keep your floor looking its best.

Newly Completed Finishes

Immediately after your floor’s new finish is dry:

• Wait at least 24 hours before placing any furniture on the floor (wait up to 48 hours for very heavy furniture). After waiting, carefully carry and place furniture. Never drag furniture across the new floor surface, even if the furniture is first placed on cloth or carpet to cushion the drag. Dragging or sliding furniture (cushioned or not) always results in a marked or dented floor surface.
  

  When putting back your furniture, use felt bottoms on chair, couch, and table legs in order to soften their contact with the floor’s finish.

• Wait seven days before putting down area rugs. The finish needs exposure to air in order to properly cure and harden.
• Wait one month before cleaning your floor with any type of commercial cleaner. During this first month, wipe spills with a damp cloth and then dry. See “Regular Care” below for normal cleaning recommendations after the first month.

Regular Care

• Important –> Never wax a floor finished with polyurethane or use any cleaner that contains wax, including paste wax, liquid wax, or other wax-based products (eg. Pledge products). See further explanation in “Long-Term Care” below.
• Your low-maintenance finish does not require frequent cleaning and scrubbing. Vacuum the floor regularly to remove dirt, dust, and grit. When necessary, periodically clean your floor with Polycare (or a similar cleaner), or with a solution of 1/3 parts vinegar and 2/3 parts water. Use a damp (not saturated) sponge mop to avoid excessive amounts of water and cleaner covering the floor surface. Tough spots may be scrubbed carefully without risk of finish damage.
• Spilled liquids such as water or common beverages should be wiped up as soon as possible. The finish will resist spills, but the wood itself can be damaged by these fluids if they are able to seep into spaces between floor boards.
• Use felt bottoms on chair, couch, and table legs in order to soften their contact with the floor’s finish.
• Area rugs in main traffic ways are recommended.
• Be aware of rocks in sneaker treads, worn or broken heels on high heel shoes, sports cleats, etc.
• Pets with long claws can cause excessive wear over time.

Long-Term Care: Application Of New Finish

Pat’s Wood Works can carefully buff and re-coat old, worn finish with new, professional-quality urethane finish. Precise, expert application of finish finish will perfectly restore worn areas. This low-cost procedure eliminates the need to completely re-sand the floor’s entire finish.

Re-coating can be done on:

• Entire floor surfaces.
• Sections of floor surfaces such as high traffic areas.

Re-coating will preserve your floor’s beautiful appearance. However, if the floor contains any traces of wax, re-coating will not adhere properly, and restoring worn areas will only be possible by complete sanding of the old finish – a considerably more involved process.

Questions or problems? Please call Pat’s Woodworks anytime at 201-400-8520.