If you haven't already noticed, we absolutely adore timber flooring when it comes to interiors. We think it's such a beautiful way to bring the outdoors in and to add warmth to a space. It suits all design styles: from Hamptons interiors through to contemporary interiors - you really can't go wrong look-wise!
In one of our previous blogs, we spoke with Damien from Terra Flooring about the different flooring options he deals with and he kindly passed on some tips and tricks on how to look after timber flooring.
Timber is a natural product and so it's not unusual to have variations in knots, colour and texture - keep this in mind when selecting your timber flooring. It also ages differently to man-made products, so extra care is always recommended...
"For the first 12 months, your timber floor will darken, so it is important NOT to put mats or any rugs down. Any mats or rugs with rubber backing may also react with the floor coating, so we do not recommend it too. Any low-lying or furniture touching the floor I recommend moving it once a month for the first 12 months only."
If the above is not achievable, then Damien says not to fear - those are cautionary steps to help give it the best possible start. In this case, he suggested that - when you have a chance - to"move all your furniture out the lighter spots which have not seen the UV light [and it ] will eventually turn dark matching the rest."
Protecting Your Timber Floor From Your Furniture
Felt Pads
Another thing to help prolong the life and look of your beautiful timber floor is to attach felt pads to the feet of your furniture. This will help protect the floor from any potential scratches and scrapes should the furniture be push/pulled/dragged. Retailers like Bunnings, Coles/Woolworths and Officeworks will have them: https://www.officeworks.com.au/shop/officeworks/p/scotch-felt-pads-beige-162-pack-3msp845bg? .
When Moving Your Fridge
Sometimes though, felt pads aren't going to cut it when it comes to larger items like when you're moving your white goods... "If you move your fridge, I recommend buying 1 MDF sheet of 1830 X 915 X 3mm and cutting this in half, which will be around 90cm x 90cm each. This can be put under the fridge before pulling it out and moved onto the other sheet and vice versa. Remember, grit and timber don't go well together; make sure the floor is clean before putting the MDF sheets down."
At Your Desk
Many of us still work from home and so get a lot of hours in front of our computers. Damien suggests that if you have an office chair with roller wheels that the wheels be rubber/silicone and not the plastic ones. He says "rubber/silicone will roll over dirt or grit where plastic wheels will drag it and may scratch your floor, and we don't want that."
Unless you live bubble-wrapped, scuffing and light scratches are bound to happen. The good news, according to Damien, is that depending on the severity of the scuff or scratch, it can normally be fixed easily with help from his "scratch repair kit" - which can be purchased through him at Terra Flooring. Anything more severe will need to be look at by a specialist, so be sure to get in touch with Damien at Terra Flooring for help: damien@terraflooring.com.au or 1300 1 TERRA (83772).