Remember the beauty of your hardwood flooring when it was first installed? Nothing could take the place of that shine and pristine look.

Yet in a matter of weeks, life got in the way and things started to change. A spill here, a scratch there, and before you know it that beautiful shine in the beginning has turned into a dull, well used floor.

While its only natural to have floors fade under normal every day living conditions, there are a few things you can do to prolong the process as long as possible, ensuring the beautiful floors you fell in love with in the beginning.

Choose The Right Flooring

While you may love the exotic, soft wood floor on display at your local flooring dealer, is it appropriate for the way you live? A single executive living in a high rise in the city will use space differently than a family of six in the suburbs. Before you select a wood, start with your needs first. Hard woods are more durable than soft woods. A distressed or hand scraped wood won’t show wear as easily as a more uniform plank. Be completely honest with the way your family lives, and trust the flooring contractor you work with to point you in the right direction for your needs.

Prevention Is The Best Medicine

Its always easier to prevent a problem than it is to recover from it. If you have pets, brush them to avoid clumps of hair accumulating easily, and keep their nails trimmed and well manicured. Clean spills as soon as they happen. And if possible, avoid wearing shoes inside as much as possible – those tiny heels can pack a lot of pressure and dent your flooring easily. Also, clean regularly using a damp mop with no cleaning solutions. If you prefer to use cleaning solutions on occasion, check with your local flooring dealer for the best remedies.

Attack Damage Immediately

Instead of waiting for a severely damaged floor before refinishing, repair even the smallest problems as soon as they happen. Small problems can quickly escalate; by stopping them early you can add more life to your floor overall. Your flooring contractor will have options for simple repairs to small scratches. For deeper scratches or stains, it may require professional care. Once your floors are in need of refinishing, be sure to talk with your contractor about using no or low VOC stains to keep your family out of harms way.