Greenwood Bamboo

Regardless of how the floor has been finished, there are certain steps that shall be taken to maintain the beauty of the bamboo floor.

The floor shall be dust mopped, vacuumed or swept with a soft bristle broom daily, or as often as necessary, to remove grit and dust from the surface. Walking on a dusty or dirty floor is the quickest way to damage a finish.

Place walk-off mats at all exterior entrances. This will capture much of the harmful dirt before it reaches the Bamboo floor. Shake out, vacuum or wash mats and area rugs frequently.

Floor protector pads should be placed on the bottoms of the legs of furniture. Floor protectors shall be kept clean of grit and periodically replaced. Wheels should have hardened-plastic casters at least 2" in width depending on weight. Narrow or metal casters may dent the flooring.

Kitchen floors experience the most traffic in a home. To prevent premature wear of the floor, place an area rug in front of the sink and stove area. Shake out or vacuum the rugs frequently.

Using a dehumidifier or humidifier to maintain relative humidity in the home at 30-50% will maintain the moisture level in the wood and help minimize cracks between the boards. Continued excessive humidity may cause swelling of the floor. Continued lack of humidity (below 20%) can cause shrinking of the planks and/or cracking of the bamboo strips.

Use a cleaner that will not leave a residue that will inhibit bonding and re-coating. Wax should only be used for commercial applications since it requires periodic buffing beyond what most homeowners are willing to do. Once wax, in any form, has been applied to a bamboo floor, only wax may be used as a coating over the floor. Urethane and other surface finishes can not be applied over an existing wax finish.

While bamboo is more resistant to moisture than most woods, never use a wet mop or sponge to clean the floor. When using any wood flooring cleaner that requires mixing with water, follow the mixing directions precisely.

A cloth wetted with water and the squeezed dry may be used to wipe up foodstuffs and other spills, provided the area is buffed dry immediately. Heel or scuff marks and stubborn stains may be removed by lightly rubbing with a cloth and a wood floor cleaner.

Urethane finishes eventually will show wear patterns from surface scratching. When high surface areas look dull, it is time to re-coat or restore the finish. Always follow the manufacturer’s recommendations.