[Hardwood Flooring Tips] Holiday Parties & Your Floors

As you begin to think about upcoming holiday parties, are your hardwood floors on your mind? This time of year, it’s not uncommon for flooring to take on extra wear and tear from extra people in your home, moving furniture around and more. How can you protect it? Keep reading for 6 tips.

6 Hardwood Flooring Tips for Holiday Parties

1. Invest in quality finish up-front. The good news is, if your hardwood floors are protected with a good finish there really isn’t a lot you need to do; it serves as an extra form of protection against scratches, dents and liquids. Still, even with a high quality finish, make sure you clean up any spills as quickly as possible.

2. Move furniture carefully. Although high heels are also blamed for most damage to the hardwood flooring, the truth is that moving furniture around is more likely to damage your floors. As you rearrange, make sure you pick up chairs, tables and other items instead of sliding them from one space to the next. You may also want to use furniture pads for a little extra protection.

3. Add mats to your doorways. The elements, especially during the winter, can be especially hard on your hardwood floors. Make sure each entrance to your home includes a durable mat for guests to wipe their shoes on; this will significantly decrease the moisture and dirt tracked around your home.

4. Ask guests to remove their shoes. If you’re really concerned about friends’ shoes damaging your hardwood floors, warn them that you’ll ask them to remove them upon arrival, or even offer a pair of slippers or festive socks for them to wear as a gift during the party. This will also keep your flooring cleaner and prevent dirt and germs from being tracked around your home.

5. Invest in a few area rugs. In addition to adding a decorative element to your home, area rugs and runners in high traffic areas of your home can protect your hardwood flooring from dents, dings, scratches and spills. After the party is over, they’re easy to store or move to another room depending on the overall décor of your home.

6. Clean your hardwood floors. As always, maintain your hardwood floors by taking care of them. This blog post about floor care shares a nice schedule for you to follow year-round.

Want to know more about protecting your hardwood flooring during the busy holiday season? Come visit our showroom and talk to our floor experts about any specific species or styles you have questions about! Make sure you contact us for a free in-home estimate, too.