Maintenance of Your Lacquered Hardwood Floor
A lacquered wooden floor offers many advantages, especially being easy to maintain. However, to keep your solid hardwood floor looking beautiful over the years, it requires occasional care beyond routine cleaning. Read below to learn how to best care for your lacquered wood floor.
Why you should care for your lacquered wood floor
To ensure that your wood floor lasts for many years, it is recommended to occasionally give your wood floor a light sanding and then refinish with a single coat of top coat. We call this procedure “ maintaining a wooden floor”.
When should I treat my lacquered wooden floor?
How often your wood floor needs to be treated depends on the wear and tear your wood floor is exposed to. This can depend on how many people live in your home, whether there are pets, etc.
If you notice light wear and scratches on the surface without any wear through the lacquer, it's time to care for your lacquered wooden floor.
Guide: How to care for your lacquered wood floor
We recommend that you use a neutralizer, which is used to clean off soap residues. Afterwards, give your wooden floor a light intermediate sanding and finish with one of Junckers' top coats such as floor varnish, which is intended for floors with light wear or heavy wear, depending on your needs.
What you need before you start:
- A neutralizer
- Hard-wrung cloth or mop
- 150-180 grit sandpaper
- Floor varnish
- Brush, paint roller or airless sprayer
1 | Cleaning with Neutralizer
To dissolve old soap residues, first wash the floor with neutralizer (Mixing ratio: see the recommended ratio on your preferred product).
2 | Sand the floor
Then carefully sand the floor with 150-180 grit sandpaper. Washing and sanding the floor is essential for the adhesion of the coating.
3 | Remove sanding dust and clean the surface
Remove sanding dust by vacuuming and wipe the floor with a cloth/mop wrung out in clean water. The wooden floor can then be treated with a top coat of varnish.
4 | Apply one of Junckers topcoats
Choose a Junckers water-based topcoat that matches the strength of the wear the floor is exposed to.
Then apply 1 coat of topcoat and let it dry for approx. 4 hours. The varnish is fully cured after 3 days.
Before varnishing the entire floor, it is recommended to perform an adhesion test on a small area.
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Daily cleaning of lacquered wooden floors
Cleaning a lacquered hardwood floor is generally a quick and easy task, but regular maintenance is essential to preserve its appearance for years to come.
Frequently asked questions and tips for a lacquered wooden floor
Avoid scratches on your wooden floor - use felt pads add
It’s worth repeating: always use felt pads under your furniture. Even if you’re careful when sitting down, guests or children might not be, and a chair dragged across a wooden floor can easily leave scratches, exposing the wood beneath.
Use doormats and small rugs add
There are areas in your home where your wooden floor will be exposed to wear and tear. The entrance hall is where you walk in and out with shoes, siding, water and snow, and the area around the dining table gets a lot of use every day.
Minimize daily wear and tear in these areas by placing a doormat in the entrance hall and carpet under the dining table. This will minimize daily wear and tear.
Can my floor withstand sanding? add
The answer depends on how many times your floor has been sanded and how thick your wood floor is. A solid wood floor will withstand more sanding than a laminate floor.
For example, Junckers solid wood floors can be sanded to clean wood as follows:
- 14 mm wood floors - 5 times
- 15 mm wood floors - 6 times
- 20.5 mm wood floors - 8-10 times
- 22 mm wood floors - 8-10 times
If you are unsure about the type of floor you have or whether your floor can be sanded, you can contact a floor sander.
Can I desand or sand my wooden floor myself? add
Sanding or planing your wooden floor is a task best left to a professional floor specialist. However, many homeowners are opting to take on the job themselves. If you're unsure or unfamiliar with the process, it’s always a good idea to reach out to a professional craftsman to ensure the best result.
How long is the lifespan of a wooden floor? add
The lifespan of your wooden floor largely depends on how well you maintain it. With regular care, it's not the wood itself that will wear down, but rather the surface treatment. This means that your floor can potentially last for generations if refreshed with floor varnish or maintenance oil as needed. High-traffic areas like hallways and kitchens require more frequent attention, especially if you have children or pets. To extend its life, avoid excessive water exposure and maintain normal humidity levels.