Hardwood flooring looks gorgeous. It provides a classical "home" feel to any domicile. Be it a small apartment or a large mansion, hardwood floors add a sense of timelessness and elegance that immediately put any visitor in a state of ease. There is, however, one huge drawback: maintenance.
Maintaining hardwood flooring requires vigilance. It simply isn’t enough to sit there and "let it be”. But have no fear – a little bit of preparation goes a long way!
Most scratches or abrasions happen because people do not protect the floor from their furniture. Some simple padding on the legs of your furniture can prevent scratches. Walkways in between your furniture as well as hallways are all prime places for abrasions to develop over time. A well-placed rug can help prevent that. There are plenty of ways that you can try and prevent potential damage to your hardwood floor.
But there is a drawback. Hardwood flooring comes with one universal truth. Prevention will never be enough!
Inherently, a pet will rub its paws or claws along it. You or someone you know will drop something heavy on it. A child will drag a toy truck across it. Basically, everyone owning a hardwood floor at some point has had to find a product or service that can fix the surface – or worse, replace the flooring altogether.
This recently happened with me. I use my own kitchen table as my at-home office. After countless hours of backing my chair out, moving forward, scrunched over my laptop, the chair legs – which I thought were covered enough – ended up having too little padding. After finishing work one day, I noticed the countless scratches all across the floor.
My own father is more obsessive than your average person when it comes to caring for his own hardwood floors. He does everything to prevent scuffs and scratches. But no matter his effort, to this day I have yet to see a place that he's moved out of which doesn't end up with scratches and scuff marks. This damage ends up costing a great deal of money either to fix or cover up. Sometimes, it can even devalue the home.
Imagine a world where this concept is resolved. A world where I will no longer have to worry about the pesky scratches located on my kitchen floor. A day where my father can sit a little better at ease when guests and grandkids are over. A place where the dog can finally come inside.
The time is here, everyone. You may now rest easy.