Care & Maintenance
Caring for your floor
Easy to take care of, an Element7 engineered wood floor will retain its beauty for many years without the need for re-finishing. Following our care and maintenance guides below will help to ensure that you retain the performance and appearance of your floor.
Helpful tips for caring for your floor
Wood and leather are of course, natural materials, and will react to changes in ambient conditions. Wear is an inevitable characteristic of a living material but, over time, it actually contributes to the floor’s beauty by creating a ‘lived in’ feel.
UV Exposure
As with all natural products, colours may fade naturally from excessive exposure to UV light so, in order to preserve the look of your floor we recommend the use of UV filtered glass, film or blinds.
Temperatures
Room temperature should ideally be kept within 15°– 30° degrees Celsius (60°– 86° Fahrenheit) and, if underfloor heating is used, as with all timber floors, the surface temperature should not exceed 27°C (81°F).
This range is quite broad and something that most homes or commercial environments will typically operate within. If you are away from home for long periods of time, then we recommend setting your heating to maintain the lowest temperature of 16°C (61°F) to help avoid dehumidification of the wood.
Cleaning
Only ever use the recommended PH neutral cleaners and NEVER use ammonia-based or abrasive products. Read more on our specific recommendations for different types of cleaning and maintenance for the different kinds of Element7 finish below.
Scratches and Damage
Our finishes are extremely hard-wearing and durable, however, to help avoid scratches on our flooring, we recommend the following ways to protect your floor:
- doormat at the entrance to remove grit and dirt from shoes and boots
- ensure felt pads are installed on all furnishing
- never use abrasive cleaning products.
That said, accidents can and do happen, so should you need assistance with a scratched or damaged floor please contact our installation team who will endeavour to help you on +44 (0)20 7736 2366 or email sales@element7.co.uk
Element7 – Oiled Finish
Routine Cleaning
Continued maintenance of any wood floor requires regular cleaning to avoid any dust or dirt scratching or damaging the surface of the wood. Therefore, regular sweeping is a must for oiled wood floors. Oiled Flooring will need a little extra care. We recommend that you use a WOCA Natural Soap which is formulated for oiled wood flooring. We would not recommend using floor cleaner, bleach or any other all-purpose cleaner as this can cause blemishes and leave your floor dull. If there are any spillages onto your oiled wood floor, then wipe up immediately to prevent stains. We suggest the WOCA Natural Soap Spray for its convenience.
Maintenance
Regular maintenance can help keep your oiled wood floors looking fresh and beautiful, as well as letting the natural grain stand out. Every so often we recommend a WOCA Maintenance Oil should be applied that will feed new oil into the surface, helping to ensure that it remains protected. This can be every 6 – 24 months, depending on use. It’s easy to do and helps ensure your oiled wood flooring stays protected and looking beautiful.
We suggest the WOCA oiled flooring maintenance box which is available in natural (for natural or dark flooring) and in white for lighter colours. Always test a small area of the floor first before total application.
Download our Oiled Floor Care Guide
Element7 – Waxed Finish
Routine Cleaning
Wax is popular with reclaimed floors and floors with colours that benefit from the soft sheen achieved.
Continued maintenance of any wood floor requires regular cleaning to avoid any dust or dirt scratching or damaging the surface of the wood. Therefore, regular sweeping is a must for waxed wood floors. Waxed Flooring will need a little extra care. Routine cleaning is done using pH neutral wood floor soap and water. Element7 recommends WOCA products for the routine cleaning. We would not recommend using floor cleaner, bleach or any other all-purpose cleaner as this can cause blemishes and leave your floor dull. If there are any spillages onto your waxed wood floor, then wipe up immediately to prevent stains.
Maintenance
Regular maintenance can help keep your waxed wood floors looking fresh and beautiful, as well as letting the natural grain stand out.
Waxed floors when new are prone to scuff marks, but as these scuff marks are buffed away with a domestic buffing machine, and the floor periodically polished, the wax hardens and the scuffing stops.
Maintenance requires the application of more beeswax every 3 to 4 years. The new application will scuff a little, but the scuffing will reduce as before.
Download our Waxed Floor Care Guide
Element7 – Varnished Finish
Routine Cleaning
Cleaning is easy but It is important to use the correct materials to clean the floor. For routine cleaning, a vacuum cleaner with brushes down or a broom is usually enough. For a better finish you can use a damp cloth or mop. We recommend using a WOCA Master Cleaner. You should rinse the cloth or mop regularly and ensure the cloth or mop is well wrung out to avoid the wood getting too wet. Do not use alcohol-based products as they would quickly damage the surface and cause it to age rapidly.
Maintenance
If your lacquered floor needs deep cleaning we suggest the WOCA Clean and Care Kit as it will help ensure that the surface lasts longer, and increases protection to a lacquered surface.
Element7 – Leather Floors
Post-installation Treatment
Upon Installation Wax and buff the floor at least three times prior to using it, this will both enrich and protect the leather floor. Allow at least 24 hours between coats, wax is wet and needs time to cure, it is important NOT to use too much wax, the thinner each coat the better.
Routine Cleaning
Never clean the leather floor, our floors are not coated with a plastic synthetic surface, they are vegetable tanned and aniline dyed, therefore the surface will develop its own character from use. The scratches and marks that will appear as you live with the floor enhance the character of the leather and help build a rich patina over time.
Sweep with a soft broom or vacuum with the brush on the vacuum head engaged as often as is necessary. If there is a spillage use a slightly damp (not wet) cloth and blot off.
Maintenance
The floor will need to be waxed 2 to 3 times a year in high traffic areas, or once per year in low traffic areas to ‘feed’ the leather and maintain its character.
The thinner the coat of wax the better, dab a level teaspoonful of wax every 2 square metres, then buff it in.
Leather floor wax can be purchased from Element7, contact our team on +44 (0)20 7736 2366 or email sales@element7.co.uk