Newly Finished Hardwood Floors - What Do I Do Now?

So you just got your floor installed and finished or perhaps you had the surface refinished. Now what do you do? How do you keep the floor looking its best? Here is a little fact: In the first 24 hours the finish reaches 90% of its hardness, but the last 10% of  its hardness happens over the next 3 weeks. The 3 weeks are crucial to the quality of the finish. Here are a few dos and don’ts to help you keep that floor looking great.

1. Once the final coat is dry, the floor may be walked on with clean socks only, No bare feet and No shoes.
2. After 24 hours shoes or bare feet are ok and furniture may be set on the floor, No dragging or pushing. Furniture feet need felt pads. These can be purchased at home improvement stores or department stores, they can sometimes even be found at your local dollar store.
3. No Pets on the floor for 1 week – since the finish isn’t fully hardened claws and paws can cause damage.
4. No Rugs on the floor for 3 weeks – rugs smother the finish and make it change color.
5. No Tape or any adhesive product for 3 weeks – this means no painting, just hold off.

Some of these restrictions will be hard to follow but the results will be well worth the patience you put into preserving the quality of your newly finished floor.