Perhaps you have spent a fair amount of money to beautify and increase the value of your home. Thus, it is necessary to keep your hardwood flooring, which is a lifetime investment, in top shape (health).
The most important thing is to create a suitable indoor climate by maintaining a stable environment at home. It is recommended that the room temperature is between 60° and 80°F throughout the year and the humidity range between 30-50%.
With wire-brushed or wire brushed texture, some boards may have minor snags and raised grains on the surface. This is normal for this style. In the maintenance procedure, we recommend using a lint-free cotton cloth mop with no loops instead of a micro-fiber applicator that contain very fine fibers caught and snagged on textured surface. TIP: If you have a cleaning kit that includes a microfiber cleaning pad, wrap and cover it in a cotton material (such as an old T-shirt).
Today's hardwood floors are fast and easy to maintain, with a few low-cost cleaning tools and a little preventative maintenance that can look beautiful in the next few years. In addition to maintaining a stable environment, your hardwood floors should be cleaned regularly. Simply sweep, dust mop or vacuum to remove dirt and grit. If necessary, clean the floor with a hardwood floor cleaning product. Universal cleaners are not recommended as they can darken the surface of the floor or leave a hazy residue. Avoid using wet mops as it will damage the finish over time. Remember: water & wood cannot mix. Standing water can dull a finish, damage the wood and leave a discoloring residue.
Note: It is important to only use a cleaning product that is compatible with the finish of your floor. Carefully follow the manufacturer's cleaning instructions.
• Clean, dust the mop or vacuum regularly. Use a vacuum cleaner designed for hard surfaces.
• Don’t expose to direct sunlight for an extended period as it may dry/fade natural wood. Close the curtains or blinds properly to limit direct sunlight.
• Use felt protectors or furniture coasters under heavy furniture and Caster wheeled chairs should have wide casters. Don’t drag sharp wooden legs or metal furniture legs as it can scratch/dent hardwood floors.
• Wipe up liquid spills with cloth or paper towels immediately
• Use a suitable floor cleaner.
• Place a carpet in front of the kitchen sink to absorb water.
• Maintain room temperature (60°–80° F) and relative humidity in the room/building between 30-50% throughout a year.
• Place the mat and throw a carpet at the door to prevent the tracking of grit, dirt, and sand.
• Remember that cleats, sneakers and high heels will sag any floor surface
Normal exposure to sunlight, heat, air conditioning, and other environments, the original color will naturally change as the floor aging. If possible, use blinds or curtains to protect the floor from excessive sunlight. When certain areas of the floor are covered, such as large furniture and carpets, the changes under these areas may be lighter than the surrounding floor because they are not exposed to the same conditions. This is normal and is not a defect.
Throughout its life cycle, wood naturally expands and contracts as the wet and dry seasons and indoor environmental conditions change. To keep these dimensional changes to a minimum, maintain the room temperature and relative humidity within the range outlined above.
During the months of low humidity in winter, there may be slight surface cracks in the wood floor, then often close again in the summer months when the humidity is higher. This is a normal characteristic of natural wood.
Rather than relying on pigments like traditional stains, reactive stains taking advantage of carefully selected chemicals interacted with the naturally occurring compounds in wood to change the color from within. Reactive stains are an excellent way to activate the inner beauty of wood, as they can replicate the oxidative processes that occur in the wood when it is exposed to the elements.
To some, the terms ‘reactive stain’ or ‘chemical stain’ bring up concerns that there may be some health problems caused by these stains. However, unnecessary in this sentence, consider removing it, it is not. Most reactive stains are just different kinds of salts dissolved in water.; even one of the most common ones, iron chloride, is commonly used in the treatment of drinking water. We use more advanced formulas that give us better stability and consistency, thus, the basic building blocks will be still the same and completely safe.
Drilling, sawing, sanding or machining wood products can expose you to wood dust, a substance known to the State of California to cause cancer. Avoid inhaling wood dust or use a dust mask or other safeguards for personal protection. For more information, go to www.P65Warnings.ca.gov/wood.
The National Wood Flooring Association (NWFA) is an international not-for-profit trade association representing all segments of the hardwood flooring industry, including manufacturers, distributors, retailers, installers, importers/exporters, inspectors and consultants.
NWFA's mission is to unify and strengthen the wood flooring community through technical standards, education, networking, and advocacy. NWFA works with a wide range of industry organizations, such as: h ands-on and online training, our annual Wood Flooring Expo, Hardwood Floors magazine, and technical standards and publications that are recognized worldwide.
The California Air Resources Board (CARB) enacted legislation in 2007 to reduce formaldehyde emissions from composite wood products. The Air Toxicity Control Measures (ATCM) include hardwood plywood (HWPW), particle board (PB) and medium density fiberboard (MDF), including thin MDF less than or equal to 8 mm.
The California Air Resources Board is one of six boards, departments and offices of the California Environmental Protection Agency. It is the main national institution responsible for protecting public health from the harmful effects of air pollution. CARB has pioneered many of the world's solutions to air quality problems, such as guiding the activities of 35 local air pollution control zones, leading the efforts to address global climate change, etc.
EPA was born in the wake of elevated concern about environmental pollution and established on December 2, 1970 to consolidate a variety of federal research, monitoring, standard-setting and enforcement activities about environmental protection. EPA has been working for a cleaner, healthier environment for the American people.
on March 15, 2019, EPA issued a final rule under Section 6 of TSCA to address the unreasonable risks presented by methylene chloride in paint and coating removal for consumer use. if EPA evaluates the risk and concludes that the chemical presents an unreasonable risk to human health or the environment, EPA has the authority to prohibit or limit the manufacture, processing, distribution in commerce, use, or disposal it.
FloorScore is the most recognized indoor air quality (IAQ) certification standard for hard surface flooring materials, adhesives, and underlayment. Developed by SCS with the Resilient Floor Covering Institute (RFCI), a leading industry trade association of flooring manufacturers and suppliers, it qualifies for many green building schemes including LEED v4, WELL, BREEAM, and CHPS.
The FloorScore program is administered by the RFCI, with SCS as the exclusive certification body. Partnering with independent, ISO-17025 accredited labs worldwide for efficient, unbiased testing.
The passion to develop, produce and offer the most beautiful and innovative flooring has driven Compass Materials relentlessly in the flooring industry. Our hardwood floor collections are developed and designed to enhance the aesthetics of all types of homes and interiors. We are convinced that the continual developments of our flooring will promote Compass Materials to be one of the best-quality wood flooring companies on the market. Besides, we are pleased and proud to offer you uniquely designed hardwood floors.