Engineered Wood Flooring Care and Maintenance

Engineered wood flooring is a fantastic addition to any home and although certainly not the cheapest, with proper care and attention, your engineered wood floor should last 35-40 years, if not more!

Of course, you’re going to want to do everything you can to keep your floor’s high quality and luxurious look and feel, and we don’t blame you! So with that in mind, we spoke to our experts to come up with our best advice for your engineered wood flooring care and maintenance.

Engineered Wood Flooring Care

As with many things, prevention is often better than cure, and your floor is no exception. By helping stop damage in the first place, engineered wood is much more likely to look better for longer. Knowing how to maintain your engineered wood floor is simple, and basic things you can do include:

Use felt pads or floor protectors on the feet of all furniture and undersides of furnishings
Lift items instead of dragging them across the floor
Use abrasive doormats at all external doors to help get rid of dirt and grime on the way in to your home
Avoid wearing outdoor shoes on it where possible, especially high heels or metal trimmed soles
Use a microfibre brush to remove dust and debris from the floor, doing this daily reduces the possibility of damage occurring
Wipe up splashes and spills as soon as they happen. Use a damp cloth or mop to blot up accidents as they happen. Use a clean dry cloth to absorb any moisture that’s left.
If you have furry members of the family, keep their nails trimmed!

How to clean engineered wood floors

When you do have to do a deeper clean on your floor, there are a few things to consider:

Always vacuum and/or brush your floor as this will remove any debris which could scratch it.
Never use harsh chemicals, ammonia or wax-based cleaners, or abrasive materials when cleaning as this can lead to permanent damage. If in doubt test the cleaner on a spare board first
Use a slightly damp mob or cloth. Avoid using too much water for too long and too often, as this can damage your floor in the long term.
We recommend using two buckets to clean your floor. The first containing a suitable cleaning solution and the second contains nothing but water. Use the first with a well wrung out, damp mop and then rinse off any residual cleaning solution with the water. Wring your mop out thoroughly before use and always make sure you dry the floor properly.

Repairing Engineered Wood Flooring

One of the beauties of engineered wood flooring is that in many cases if your engineered wood does get scratched, it adds more character to your floor. Building up marks and scratches over time can further enhance the unique appearance… in fact, many people buy flooring in this style for that exact reason!

That’s not for everyone though and some remedies are possible:

It is possible to remove scratches on your floor by lightly sanding the area and re-varnishing or waxing in your chosen colour and finish. However, we suggest you seek guidance from a specialist company before attempting such repairs.
If you have an oiled engineered wood floor, you often don’t even need to sand a scratch, as reapplying oil should fix the problem in most cases. Suitable oil should be sourced – be aware that varying shine finishes could result in a patchy appearance.
For a lacquered floor, you will have to follow the process we outlined above and lightly sand the area before re-finishing. Remember to wipe away any dust with a clean, dry cloth before applying your finish. Suitable lacquer should be sourced – be aware that varying shine finishes could result in a patchy appearance.
For even significant damage, all is not lost. Although not ideal, it is certainly possible to replace individual engineered wood planks, even in the middle of the room. We recommend storing any spare boards for this reason.
To rejuvenate your floor it is possible to lightly sand and re-finish the entire floor with a fresh oil or lacquer

Note: Engineered wood flooring only has a veneer of wood, so there is a finite number of times it can be sanded and refinished, usually two or three.

Engineered Wood Floors FAQ

Many of our customers have questions about caring for their engineered wood floors, and of course we’re always on hand to help should you wish to contact us or visit us in store, but we’ve compiled some of the most common below:

Can you steam clean engineered wood floors?

Unfortunately not. The high heat and pressure will force moisture down into the joins and into the lower layers. Over time this will cause warping or bowing.

What is the best cleaner for engineered wood floors?

There is no single ‘best’ cleaner for engineered wood floors, but there are several you can’t use such as those that are wax or ammonia-based, or those with harsh chemicals.

There are specially designed engineered and hardwood floor cleaners you can buy that will be safe to use. Different manufacturers recommend different ones, and we suggest testing the cleaner on a spare board before using on your floor.

Explore our full range of engineered wood flooring