Care keeps wood stairs looking their best, and it can also help the timber itself last as long as possible. Standard cleaning, scratch-and-dent touch-ups and irregular refinishing are the principal processes that help keep wood stairs. Additional measures to prevent damage, like rugs to keep debris off the ground, also can help wood stairs stay in top form.
Regular Cleanup
Clean wood stairs regularly by vacuuming and sweeping them. Avoid leaving wet stains and spills on the timber for too long, since they can soak into the timber and warp it or leave spots. When the stairs require a good cleaning with something moist, use a cleaner designed specifically for the kind of floor finish on the stairs, such as a solvent-based liquid wax designed for waxed floors.
Damage Prevention
Prevent damage by placing rugs close entrances. Rugs help keep tiny pieces of gravel off the bottoms of shoes, which prevents them from scratching wood flooring and stairs. Avoid wearing dent-causing shoes, for example skinny and hard high heels, on soft wood stairs. Protect stairs from scratches when transferring furniture by padding the corners and legs of furniture with soft socks, foam padding or bubble wrap.
Scratch and Dent Removal
Hide tiny scratches and dents in stained hardwood flooring by implementing and buffing a new layer of wax on top of the damaged area. To eliminate a dent or scratch on stairs with a penetrating finish, rub the area with a few additional penetrating finish and steel wool.
Refinishing Wood Stairs
With a lot of heavy traffic, the finish on timber stairs might become worn or cracked. Penetrating finishes can be mended at worn spots without repainting the whole floor. To fix worn spots in a penetrating finish, apply new finish to the worn spots with steel wool. Surface finishes, like varnish and shellac, need to be entirely removed and replaced when they workout. Remove finish by sanding it away either by hand or with a oscillating tool armed with a sanding attachment. Start out with a relatively coarse 20- or 60-grit sanding abrasive and complete by smoothing the ground with 120-grit abrasive. Clean up all the dust and dirt, and then apply the new finish in accordance with its manufacturer’s instructions.
Mold Removal
In moist or humid locations, mold can start to grow on timber flooring. Although mold frequently seems to go away when wiped up, it normally continues to return until a disinfectant actually kills the mold spores. To kill mold spores on a timber floor, North Dakota State University recommends cleaning with a solution of 1/4 into 1/2 cup of bleach in a gallon of water. Before finishing or refinishing stairs in a home with a mold problem, start looking for a finish designed to help prevent mildew and mold from growing.