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How To Maintain Wood Flooring in the Kitchen

How To Maintain Wood Flooring in the Kitchen

Wood flooring is a beautiful option for any home because it gives rooms a sense of class and sophistication. However, it can be tricky keeping hardwood flooring in the kitchen looking its best if you don’t provide regular maintenance. Cabinet Creations offers expert kitchen remodeling service in Southeast MI, so we know about selecting the perfect kitchen flooring and how to maintain it.

Here, we share several tips to care for wood flooring in the kitchen.

Consider the Best Hardwood Species Options for Kitchens

You can increase the longevity and durability of your new kitchen floors by choosing the right wood species. For example, oak is long-lasting and handles finishing stains well, though it already comes in many colors. Similar options include ash, maple, and hickory.

Choose Prefinished or Unfinished Wood

When getting wood flooring in the kitchen, you might notice the debate about prefinished vs unfinished planks. Prefinished hardwood comes with a durable urethane sealant as a protective coating, increasing its strength and water resistance. Still, these planks generally don’t lie flush against each other because they often have rounded edges.

Installing unfinished wood flooring takes more time because installers apply the stains and floor sealant onsite. Yet, the process requires installers to sand the wood first, making the installation smooth, even, and gapless.

Don’t Neglect Wood Acclimation

Wood acclimation refers to the adjustment wood planks undergo when they move between environments. Most wood flooring panels remain in boxes inside climate-controlled warehouses, which affects how much moisture they absorb. If you immediately install wood floors in your kitchen before letting the wood adjust to your home’s moisture level, the planks could swell or shrink soon after the installation.

Clean the Floor Correctly

Excessive water is bad for wood floors since moisture leads to staining and warping; because of this, it’s best to sweep or vacuum the kitchen regularly. Sweeping and vacuuming is gentle on the floors and helps remove unsightly dust, crumbs, and other debris.

You can run a damp mop over the floor weekly as long as you don’t saturate the wood with water. Avoid steam cleaners, and immediately clean up spills.

Avoid Scratches

Besides moisture damage, scratches are a problem for wood floors. Still, you can protect your new kitchen floors with strategic area rug usage. Place attractive rugs near entrances to minimize how much dirt and moisture tracks into the kitchen from footwear. You can also use area rugs around places where food crumbs and moisture can fall onto the floor, like the area under the sink or dishwasher.

If you have chairs in your kitchen, use felt protectors on their feet to prevent wood floor scratches.

Contact Cabinet Creations for a New Wood Kitchen Floor Today

When you want stunning wood flooring in the kitchen, turn to Cabinet Creations, serving all of Southeast MI. As a top kitchen remodeling and custom cabinetry company with years of industry experience, we can transform your kitchen into the room of your dreams, whether we’re replacing floors without disturbing cabinets or giving the kitchen a complete renovation.

Request a consultation from Cabinet Creations today at (248) 618-3332.

Kirk Richardson
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