Maintenance of Lacquered Surfaces
After installation and the first cleaning, your Timberwise flooring is ready for use. When installed correctly and used and maintained as instructed, the flooring will last for decades. Important instructions for maintaining your parquet floor:
- Ensure that the relative humidity and temperature conditions are suitable for the parquet.
- Protect the parquet from excess wear (for example in hallways).
- Clean the parquet regularly (in connection with your normal weekly cleaning).
Wood is a hygroscopic material, i.e. it absorbs and loses moisture according to the humidity and temperature of the air. In practice, this means that the volume of the parquet floor increases as the relative humidity increases, and respectively, decreases as the relative humidity decreases. Relative humidity is the most important factor influencing the functionality of the parquet floor. Optimal humidity for a parquet floor is 35–60% RH and the temperature is +18–24⁰C. Not following these recommendations will always strain the parquet and weaken the functionality of the floor. This is why Timberwise recommends that room temperature and relative humidity are monitored by using a digital combination meter in all seasons.
Marks of use are part of a wood floor’s natural character. The degree and types of use must be considered in the maintenance of both wax oiled and lacquered floorings. In more-used rooms, we recommend protecting the floor with loose carpets, for example. To avoid scratches, it is recommended to attach felt pads to the ends of furniture legs.
Regular vacuum-cleaning and mopping prevents dirt from sticking to the parquet surface. For lacquered floorings, we recommend Kiilto maintenance products designed for lacquered parquets.
- Maintain appropriate humidity (RH 35–60%) and temperature conditions (+18–24°C) in all seasons. In humid seasons (summer), adequate ventilation is required, and in dry seasons (winter), adequate humidity must be ensured by using, for example, a humidifier.
- Prevent dust, sand and gravel from entering the house by placing door mats
on both sides of front doors. - In the entryway, place plastic mats under shoes to prevent water damage.
- Vacuum-clean and mop the floor regularly to prevent dirt from sticking to the parquet surface.
- Use only a small amount of water in cleaning – the parquet surface must be dry within a minute
of mopping. - Avoid using strong detergents, since they can dissolve the protective lacquer layer on the parquet.
- Avoid using excess amounts of detergent, since otherwise a detergent layer will accumulate on the surface of the parquet and collect dirt.
- Remove stains immediately.
- Attach felt pads to the ends of furniture legs and cover the floor under office chairs equipped with wheels.
- It is a good idea to change the position of furniture and carpets regularly to keep the color of the floor even when exposed to UV light.
Maintenance of lacquered flooring
Timberwise lacquered flooring is surface treated at the factory with ultraviolet-solidified wear-resistant acrylate lacquer. The lacquer does not emit formaldehyde or chemicals harmful to people into the indoor air. Caring for your lacquered floor is easy. Just follow the instructions presented above.
Vacuum-clean loose dirt and wipe the flooring with a damp microfibre mop or floor cleaning cloth. Do not unnecessarily wet the floor, but always use smallest amount of water possible when cleaning wood flooring. We recommend cleaning the floor with warm water and mild detergent suitable for wood floors, such as Kiilto detergent designed for lacquered floors. For brushed surfaces, we recommend using a microfibre mop that is designed especially for wooden flooring in order to reach the brushed wood fibers as well.
Instructions for stain removal:
- Synthetic detergents are the most efficient substances for removing stains caused by fruits, berries, dairy products, juices, beverages, wine, coffee, tea, and urine.
- White spirit is used for removing stains such as grease, oil, shoe prints, shoe polish, tar, pitch and chocolate.
- Denatured alcohol is used for removing stains caused by ballpoint pens, ink, lipstick, and office chemicals.
- Cold water can be used for cleaning blood stains.
Re-sanding and re-lacquering of Timberwise plank parquets
If the lacquered surface has dimmed or worn out due to years of use, Timberwise flooring can be sanded and surface treated again. It is recommended to employ a professional to do this, so that the floor surface will have the best chance of regaining its former good condition.
NOTE! The surface structure of brushed wood flooring will change if the surface is sanded. The surface layer of Timberwise parquet is approx. 3.5 mm thick, which means that a brushed flooring can be sanded up to 3 times.