By Ken Ige, Star-Bulletin
William Valdez of Masterpiece Flooring scratches on a
brush box stairway in a Hawaii Loa Ridge home.

Regular care can
make a finish last 20 years
without resanding

By Tim Ryan
Star-Bulletin

THE first step in repairing a wood floor is to determine its original finish. One way to do this is to scratch the surface of a corner or inconspicuous space with a coin or other sharp-edge object.

If the finish does not flake off, a penetrating seal was probably used. If the finish flakes, a surface finish was probably used.

Next check the floor for wax. Attempt to smudge the surface with your finger in a corner or another low-traffic area. If a smudge is evident, wax was applied to the surface. If wax was applied to a surface finish, a complete sanding and refinishing of the floor is required, or you can opt to continue waxing the surface finish.

"For older houses or when the homeowner can't remember what kind of finish was applied, we recommend cleaning with warm water and vinegar," said William Valdez, of Majestic Flooring. "For hardwood kitchen floors, warm water and vinegar does a great job at removing grease without damaging the finish."

Regular care of a wood floor -- sweeping and cleaning -- can make a finish last 20 years without having to resand and refinish, Valdez said.

"Make sure that any liquids that spill, or especially animal urine is removed quickly to prevent damage to the finish," he said.

Here are some general steps Valdez suggest to maintain the beauty of any hardwood floor:

Every floor should be dust mopped, vacuumed or swept with a soft bristle broom as often as necessary to remove grit and dust from the surface. Walking on a dusty or dirty floor is the fastest way to damage a finish.

Place mats at all exterior entrances to capture much of the harmful dirt before it reaches the floor.

Floor protector pads of soft felt or similar material should be placed on the bottoms of the legs of the furniture. Floor protectors must be kept clean of grit and periodically replaced.

Kitchen floors experience the most traffic in a home. To prevent premature wear of the floor, place an area rug in front of the sink and stove area. Shake out or vacuum the rugs frequently.

For routine cleaning of floors with urethane finishes, Valdez recommends that you use the finish manufacturer's or the prefinished floor manufacturer's recommended cleaning system.

And remember, Valdez said:

Never wax a urethane finish and generally do not allow a wood floor to get soaked with water.

When using any wood floor cleaner which requires mixing with water, follow mixing directions. A cloth moistened with water and squeezed dry may be used to wipe up spills, provided the area is buffed dry immediately.

Heel or scuff marks and stubborn stains may be removed by lightly rubbing with a cloth and a wood floor cleaner.

Never use a water-based cleaner for floors with wax finish.

Once dirt and dust have been removed, the luster may be restored by buffing. Apply additional wax only in heavy traffic areas, if needed. Do not overwax. Applying a solvent-based cleaning product will remove dirt and allow the floor to be buffed clean.

By Ken Ige, Star-Bulletin
Three main tools needed to install a wood floor from
lower left: pin nailer, mallet and staple gun.

More floor aid

Depending on the traffic, a properly maintained wood floor should need waxing only once or twice a year, Valdez said.

Some of the most common problems with wood floors are scratches and stains. Most problems can be prevented by keeping the floors vacuumed and waxed (if you have a wax-finished floor) and by wiping spills immediately.

Here are some first aid tips from the National Wood Flooring Association for penetrating stained and waxed floors.

For scratches: Wax the area.

Dried milk or food stains: Gently rub with damp cloth. Rub dry and wax. When removing stains from any wood floor always begin at the outer edge of the stain and work toward the middle.

Water stains or white spots: Rub spot with #000 steel wool and wax. If this fails, lightly sand with fine sandpaper and clean the area using #00 steel wool and mineral spirits or a wood floor cleaner. Allow the floor to dry. Stain, wax and hand buff.

Heel marks: Rub in small amount of wax with fine steel wool and hand buff to a shine.

Mold: Rub with wood cleaner.

Chewing gum, crayon, candle wax: Apply a plastic bag filled with ice until the deposit is brittle enough to crumble off. Crayon or candle wax can be removed by placing an ink blotter on the wax and applying a hot pressing iron to the top of the blotter. Solvent-based wax can also be applied to loosen the deposit.

Oil and grease stains: First rub area with kitchen soap having a high lye content or saturate cotton with hydrogen peroxide and place over the stain. Then saturate a second layer of cotton with ammonia and place over the first. Repeat until stain is removed. Let the area dry and then hand buff.

Dark spots (dog spots) and ink stains: Use a cleaner developed specifically for urethane finishes to remove the spot or stain. More stubborn spots may require additional scrubbing with the cleaner and a wood flooring scrub pad made for urethane floors. You can also try the water spot treatment.

Wax build up: Strip the old wax with odorless mineral spirits or a wood floor product made for stripping wax. Use cloth and fine steel wool to remove all residue. After the floor is dry, wax and buff.

Lifestyle dictates finishing touch The right finish protects wood flooring from wear, dirt and moisture while giving the wood an attractive color and sheen. Today, most wood floors are finished with a stain and a top coat. Technology has provided a wide selection of wood flooring finishes, each with its own distinct benefits and appearances. The finish that's best for you depends on your lifestyle and specific needs, agreed Majestic Flooring's William Valdez and Pacific American Lumber's Chris Nied. There are basically five types of surface finishes: Oil-modified urethane is a solvent-base polyurethane that dries in about eight hours and is easy to apply. This finish ambers with age. Moisture-cure urethane is a solvent-base polyurethane and is very hard and resistant to scratches, Valdez said. Moisture-cure urethane comes in non-yellowing and in ambering types and is generally available in satin or gloss, Nied said. But, these finishes are very difficult to apply, have a strong odor and Valdez recommends having a professional apply it. Swedish finish or acid cure urethane is a clear and fast drying finish. It's durable and non-yellowing. These finishes have an extremely strong odor and should be applied by the highly skilled wood flooring professional. Water-based urethane -- the most popular finish -- is a waterborne urethane that dries by water evaporation. These finishes are clear and non-yellowing, have a milder odor than oil-modified finishes and dry in about two to three hours. Water-based urethanes usually are more expensive. Penetrating Stain and Wax finishes soak into the pores of the wood and hardens to form a protective penetrating seal. The wax gives a low-gloss satin sheen that wears only as the wood wears. It will not chip or scratch and is generally maintained with additional thin applications of wax. Usually, wax finishes are applied more often than surface finishes.