Having slippery wood floors is like having a disaster waiting to happen right in your own home. The best way to avoid having to face this problem is choosing a suitable wood flooring that is not slippery at all. Before making any purchase, solicit samples of floorings from your local retailer or order them online so you can see for yourself the finish and texture of the flooring material you wish to install in your home.
Ask around and surf the internet for additional information and reviews made of several wood flooring brands and styles. Install wood flooring with matte finish in high traffic areas of your house and in the kitchen, where spills and are likely to occur. Also, do not leave things lying around your house, as this can also contribute to making your floor slippery.
Never Wax
Wood flooring with polyurethane or urethane finish should never be waxed. Apart from making your flooring dull, waxing also lead to slippery wood floors. Some flooring manufacturers may allow some of their products to be waxed though make sure you do it when there are less people in the house and that you do not overdo it so as not to cause accidents. Some common household items can also contribute to making wood flooring slippery, such as aerosol dusting products. Avoid using polishing wax meant for furniture and banisters on your wood floor, to avoid the accumulation of wax that might cause some serious falls and bumps.
Install Rugs
One quick remedy for slippery wood floors is to throw a rug over it. And to prevent the rug from shifting and sliding underneath you, install some liners on its underside. You can easily purchase these liners in your local home improvement or DIY stores. If you find that your stairs is quite slippery, place a carpet runner with liners over it. The carpet will allow for the safe usage of the stairs but still leave some parts of the wood exposed.
Scratch a Little
If your flooring remains slippery and you are bothered by the potential liability and risk it pose, try getting down on your hands and knees and scrubbing the surface of the flooring gently. The purpose of doing this is not to remove the finish but rather to remove the buildup of wax and dusting sprays. Most experts would recommend using a fine steel wool for this task.
When All Else Fails...
And if your floor still remains slippery despite doing what were recommended above, then there is no choice for you to do but to refinish your entire floor. Be sure to hire a professional to do the task and inform him or her of the problem that you wish to remedy. Apart from removing the slippery aspect of your flooring, sanding and refinishing will update the look and beauty of your floor. Never put off addressing the problem of slippery wood floors before somebody in your home might get hurt.
Find out more on buying laminate flooring [http://www.thehardwoodfloorguide.com/buy-laminate-flooring-13.html] for your home by visiting [http://www.thehardwoodfloorguide.com], a popular hardwood flooring website that specializes in explaining the many different flooring options from solid hardwood to engineered flooring to Shaw laminate flooring [http://www.thehardwoodfloorguide.com/shaw-laminate-flooring-17.html] to your home.
