Hardwood Floors Advice

Are you getting the pergo floor or real wood? We have a very old house with original wood floors. And I will tell you that if you have a good coat of polyurethane on them you should not have much trouble. I have 3 small children (5, 3, 2 months) and we have lived here 7 years. They still look as good as ever. I use that one of those vaccuums that wash and dry your floor at the same time. The kids have even rode their scooters inside and it doesn't seem to even faze them. Hope this helps. J.

Hi A.,

I just wanted to let you know that we have hard woods and I love them- we need to get them in our living room as well because our carpet is so dirty! But I wanted to tell you something about the dogs- we don't have dogs but my neighbor and a few friends have big dogs and their floors are almost ruined! The dogs run around and in and out of the house and the floors look really really bad! I just thought I'd let you know! One of our friends put laminate that looks like wood in their kitchen because the dogs come running in all the time from outside- and the laminate is great because you can hardly scratch it- and it looks just like their wood in the rest of the house. You might ask the people putting it in or call around to different floor shops to ask about what you can do to about the dogs. Also- I have 2 kids and my kitchen wood is pretty scratched- but we are going to wait and have them re-finished in a few years. That's the good thing about wood too! Good luck with everything! The other thing to keep in mind is putting felt on the bottom of all of your furniture! Even the high chair if you still use one. We scratched our kitchen badly with the highchair. As far as cleaning- the best thing that I have heard and done is using the vinegar sollution- 3 parts water to 1 part white vinegar. And you can use a mop or to really clean well the best way I have found is on your hands and knees! V.

I would recommend Pergo over actual hardwood. I grew up in a house w/ hardwood, and we had a German Shepard, and there is NO good way keep the dog from scratching the floors. They will run and slide.....then you have scratches. We just put in Pergo about 2 years ago, and have been really happy w/ it. We have 3 dogs (one is very big), toddler and baby on the way. We have no scratches or anything on the floors after 2 years!!!! We are SO happy w/ the purchase, and glad we went this route over hardwood. It looks nice, and there is the added bonus that it isn't as loud to walk on as regular hardwood.
Sorry that I don't have any good advice on care for hardwood. I know my mom used to mop it w/ water w/ a little wood cleaner/polisher in it. What was it...orange glo, maybe?? And they did pay for someone to refinish the floors twice in the 20 years they lived there, but some of the scratches from the dog was so deep, they couldn't get rid of them. Oh...I should also add....the house I grew up in was built over 150 years ago....and I belive they were the orignial floors for the most part. Flooring now-a-days might be better than flooring from that long ago!!!

Hey A.~

I have used some awesome products from a store that I shop from. Plus they are safer for you to use around your pets and children too. They work great for hardwood floors and stay clean a lot longer by using these products. If you would like to know more details about the best to use for you and your family then let me know and I would be glad to share with you or you can go to www.livetotalwellness.com/cindygeoff to get more info.

Hey!
I have 2 large german Shep's My 9 yr old is almost 100lbs and my 7 month old is 70lbs already...I have lived in my home 10 yrs. We have original hardwood floors through out the entire house. I have NEVER had an issue with my pets and the floors. My kids cause the most problems. Paint, food, etc. when they spill it and dont let me know. I think the thing that has been the help with my pets is keeping their nails trimmed. I do it every 3 weeks. I also have 2 cats, with claws. The other blessing with my floors is that the dogs can not run in the house, LOL. I have though of carpeting my living, hall and 2 of 4 bedrooms, but I think that hardwood is much easier to keep clean. Just wanted to give my 2 cents.

Hi A.,
Well like you I used to have to vacuum all the time until we pulled up our carpet throughout the house. I have 4 kids and a yellow lap, so I know what you are saying.

Once you get the floors make sure you use a soft bristle broom to sweep. Theres a dust mop you can by from walmart that works good also. It has covers you can buy for it and then throw them in the washer. One pad will last about a day or so, so you would need quite a few of them. I sweep and mop 3 times a day. Thats about all I have, W.

I used to sell Bruce hardwood floors. Julie C. has great advice on cleaning them. Use a dust mop as needed and when mopping put your liquid in a spray bottle and use a damp mop. Avoid putting lots of moisture on them, it can cause them to warp. Make sure your house stays as dry as possible, too much humidity can make them warp. I knew a family that had gone on vacation in the summer and turned of the ac while they were gone, they came back to a mess and had to have them replaced. Do not go with a laminate floor, they look good,but do not hold up. Engineered hardwoods are harder than old fashioned hardwoods, but can only be refinished one or two times. They also are more moisture resistant. If you are worried about the dogs marring them up and small scratches, go with a more rustic look in the wood, it will disguise the inevitable everday marks. I love hardwoods and tile and have my whole main floor done in ceramic, I love it. With kids and animals there is no better option! Most people that i know of put thier furniture in the garage while floors were being installed, if that isnt an option, try cramming it into the basement and your other rooms. Dont worry about scratching the floors, it gives them great character!

A.,
It will really depend on the finish of your floor, so be sure to get care advice from your installation company. I have 40 year old hardwoods in my last house and that finish was GREAT. I used mostly a wet Swiffer weekly, and vinegar and water to mop sometimes, and about 2x a year, I'd break out the Bruce Duraluster kit. I also have 2 big dogs (golden retreivers). I lived there 7 years with those dogs and the floors still look great and do not need to be refinished. In my current home, which is 8 years old, I have wood floors that are not nearly as hard--things have fallen on them and created gauges. It's a dark finish and we've only used the wet Swiffer and vinegar and water on them. This finish is not as durable as my other, so I'm very cautious about what I use on them. The prior owners used a Hoover machine and cleaning solution but I haven't done that. I'm completely with you on wanting to keep the new floors looking great, so be cautious and talk to the salesman AND the installers about care. I'd trust the installers/refinishers' opinion over a salesman's.

We recently had laminate installed throughout the entire first floor. We de-cluttered as best we could and cleared one room for them to start in. As they progressed, they moved the furniture to best suit them. I believe this is included in most sales contracts. It took only two days and we were qble to live fairly normally. We opted for laminate because it seemed more indestructible than those gorgeous wood floors. We have three cats (one elderly with digestive problems), two dogs (one a puppy in training). I loved the idea of having a floor as easy to clean as the kitchen counter as I am 66 and disabled. Invest in a microfiber dust mop immediately..........it collects the pet fur amazingly.

I work for a wholesale flooring distributor here in Wichita and we have cleaning solutions for the floors. It is kinda hard to damage them unless you like pull your furniture across them without protection, but other than that its hard to hurt them. I would ask the place where you bought the material and they should have some suggestions for you. By the way are you here in Wichita, where did you buy the material from and what is the name of the product? Just curious.