Frequently asked questions

No, but you should take some simple precautions to minimize the potential harm they could do. Keep your pet’s nails trimmed as pets with long nails can scratch and dull the floor finish. Also make sure your pets are house broken and well trained because pet urine will leave a black stain that will not sand out of the wood. If you have pets, you also might consider three coats of a urethane finish to provide more protection for your wood floors. If your pet’s food and water bowls are on a wood floor, choose water bowls designed to avoid spills or put a throw rug under the area to absorb stray drops of water. Remove the mat and dry it out if it becomes saturated.

 

 Touch up kits, which are matched to specific woods, are available and can be quite effecting in covering scratches or dents. Check with your floor manufacturer or your local hardware store.

 

Wood, because it is a natural product, reacts to changes in its environment, including humidity levels. When the air is dry, the wood shrinks and when the air is more humid, it expands. Most of these small cracks that appear in the wood during the winter season when heating is required will close up during more humid periods. To minimize this fluctuation, consider reducing humidity changes by using a humidifier during dry periods.

 

Hardwood floors can be installed in every room of the house except a full bathroom,

where water from bathtubs and excessive humidity can do extensive damage.