Care & Maintenance for Raintree Hardwood Floors

RECOMMENDED FLOOR CARE INSTRUCTIONS

Please read the following information in regard to the proper maintenance of your Raintree
hardwood flooring. In order to protect your new hardwood floor and to keep it looking new, it is important to follow some basic procedures to protect it for years to come. Our factory finish is one of the most advanced finishes made today. The finish contains aluminum oxide which offers increased protection that allows for a better wearing finish, yet the finish is still capable of scratching and losing some of its gloss level over time. By simply following our recommendations the floor will give you years of service.

PREVENTATIVE CARE

  1. Prior to placing furniture, heavy objects, or equipment on the hardwood floor, floor protectors should be placed on all legs or corners to prevent scratching or denting of the hardwood floor. Do not slide or drag objects across floor as they may scratch and/or dent the hardwood flooring.
  2. In commercial installations place commercially rated mats at all exterior entrances to absorb street dirt and moisture. The mats need to be periodically cleaned, changed or dried out as often as needed. In addition, place mats at high-wear traffic areas and/or pivot points. Example – checkout counters. Keep in mind that mats or area rugs may cause color differences due to variation in light exposure.
  3. Maintain normal indoor temperature levels between 50-90 degrees Fahrenheit. Your Raintree hardwood floor is not affected by changes in humidity but it is affected by extreme temperature swings.
  4. When possible avoid direct sunlight from hitting the surface of the flooring as ultraviolet light can change the appearance of wood flooring causing discoloration.

ROUTINE MAINTENANCE

  1. Sweep, vacuum, or dust mop as needed to remove loose dirt or grit from the surface of the flooring. Doing so will help to prevent wear and scratches on the finish. Use only a soft bristle type broom or vacuum attachment that is recommended for hardwood floors. For dust mopping use only an untreated electrostatic type dust mop such as Swiffer® distributed by Proctor & Gamble. For information on Swiffer call 1-800-214-8734. Scrubbing machinery, steam cleaners or power scrubbers are not recommended to clean the floor.
  2. Blot up liquids with a clean dry cloth. It is best not to allow spills or puddles to remain on the floor for an extended period of time as it may cause damage to the subfloor or cause mold or mildew to develop.
  3. For routine cleaning — Use the Bona® Swedish Formula® Hardwood Floor Care System or Basic Coatings Squeaky Cleaner. For information on Bona Kemi products call 1-800-574-4674 (8-5 MST) or go to www.bonakemi.com. Information on Basic Coatings can be obtained by calling 1-800-441-1934 (8-5 CST) or visit www. basiccoatings.com.
  4. Apply Hardwood Floor Cleaner or mineral spirits to a clean rag to remove stubborn heels marks or stains.
  5. Recommended wet mopping systems: Swiffer Wet Jet maintenance system and Bona Care wet maintenance systems are the only wet mop systems recommended with Raintree wood floors. Although your Raintree floor is waterproof it is not recommended to damp mop your floor with water and a string mop or other non-approved wet cleaners or allow excessive water to remain on the floor as it may damage the sub floor or cause mold or mildew to develop on or under the floor. Avoid the use of products that contain oils or wax that may leave a residue allowing the floor to be slippery or sticky and in addition these materials may prevent future coats of finish from properly bonding to the original factory finish.

REPAIR PROCEDURES

Use of fillers or touch up kits available can help to repair minor scratches, splinters and/or gouges in the floor. In the event that a board has become damaged beyond repair it is possible to remove an individual board and replace it with a new one according to our installation instructions regarding single board replacement.

RECOATING PROCEDURES

When your Raintree hardwood floors have lost their shine, they usually can be recoated to restore the desired gloss level using the Bona PrepTM system with Bona TrafficTM or Bona StrongTM finishes or Basic Coating’s Tykote® System with Street Shoe® or Street Shoe® XL. Prior to recoating the floors the finish manufacturer instructions must be followed properly to help ensure a successful application of finish.

Updated on February 1, 2023

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