Maintenance
Maintenance & Repair natural oiled floors
Maintenance using Kährs maintenance wax
The need for maintenance depends on a number of factors, and varies from case to case. Maintenance needs to be carried out more frequently if the floor is cleaned regularly with a damp cloth, because this has an abrasive effect on the protective coating. Maintenance is required more frequently on floors subjected to greater wear, e.g. where people walk wearing outdoor shoes. Light, soft and porous wood species (e.g. Beech, Ash) also require more regular maintenance.
It becomes obvious when a floor needs maintenance, because it starts to feel more difficult to clean. In the majority of cases, a floor will require maintenance twice in the first year and then once a year thereafter.
It is recommended that the first maintenance be carried out immediately after the floor has been laid. This first maintenance should include the whole of the floor. If it is done immediately after the floor has been laid, there is no need to move furniture.
You also get extra protection from the onset against moisture that can get into the joints between boards. If you carry out the first maintenance after 6-12 months, it is best to move the furniture into one half of the room, treat the cleared area and wait 1-2 hours. Then move the furniture and repeat the treatment on the rest of the floor.
Subsequent maintenance can be carried out only on floor areas where it is really needed, such as high traffic areas. Maintenance, therefore, does not necessarily mean that all the furniture has to be removed from the room. The surface's dirt resistance, durability and resistance to moisture increases each time it is maintained, The need for maintenance, therefore, decreases over time.
Partial repair of multi-layer parquet and Linnea
Treat small surface scratches and scrape marks with Kährs Maintenance Wax. On deeper scratches, use Kährs Touch-up Oil first. Then apply a layer of Kährs Maintenance Wax to the damaged surface.
Fill small indentations with Kährs Touch-up-oil.
First fill deep dents, scratches and cracks with Woodfiller, then oil with Kährs Touch-up Oil. Boards with major damage can be replaced.
Renovation natural oiled floor
Microscratches
If small areas have been scratched (under chairs, etc.), the floor can be treated with Kährs Maintenance Wax, which conceals the microscratches.
Partial repair of Kährs multi-layer parquet
Worn or damaged surfaces can be sanded or planed down to clean wood; finish using 220 grit sandpaper. Apply a thick layer of Kährs Touch-up Oil, and wipe off the excess after about 30 minutes.
Allow the renovated surface to dry overnight. Then apply a coat of protective maintenance wax. Use Kährs waterbased Maintenance Wax.
If necessary, the treatment with maintenance wax can be repeated. Any differences between the treated area and the rest of the floor disappear with time. Damaged boards can also be replaced. This is easy with the woodloc joint.
Renovating the surface treatment on wood floors
After extended use, it may be necessary to renovate the surface treatment and replace it with a new oil treatment.
Apply a thick layer of Kährs Maintenance Oil on the floor.
Then buff the floor using a polishing machine (150 rpm) so that the oil dissolves any dirt in the floor. Use a nylon pad, e.g. green, or coarse Scotch-Brite.
Collect the soiled oil using a rubber scraper and wipe up the residual oil. Then attach a cloth beneath the disc of the polishing machine and buff the floor as dry as possible. Work in small areas so that the dissolved dirt does not have time to dry.
The floor can be used again when the Kährs Maintenance Oil has been allowed to harden.
Total renovation of natural oiled wood floors
If normal renovation of the surface treatment is insufficient, the wood floor can be machine sanded down to clean wood and then oiled again. Consult your floor oil supplier.
Silk Matt / Matt Lacquer
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Maintenance silk matt and matt UV-lacquer
Remember
Place doormats inside and outside the front door to stop dirt and grit being walked in, which can cause considerable wear.
Put protective pads on furniture (not metal feet, which mark wood floors) to avoid unnecessary marks and scratches on the floor.
In rooms where you know water is frequently spilled, and where it may also be left on the floor, we recommend that you lacquer the floor again after laying. This seals the joints between the boards and gives better protection against water.
Wood floors expand and contract depending on the ambient climate. To avoid too much expansion and contraction of the floor boards, you should keep the normal room temperature and the relative humidity should be kept between 30-60%. Some wood species, such as Beech and Hard Maple, are more sensitive to climate change than other species.
Apply Kährs Lacquer Refresher with a soft clean cloth, sponge or polish applicator. If necessary, apply a second coat.
Allow to dry for approx. 30 min. before replacing the furniture. For a floor in a domestic environment, 1-2 treatments per year are sufficient. One litre treats 60-70 m2.
Unlike floors that are maintained with polish or wax, a floor treated with Kährs Lacquer Refresher can be relacquered. Remove all Kährs Lacquer Refresher using Kährs Remover, then sand the floor before relacquering it.
Cleaning silk matt and matt UV-lacquered floors
Cleaning
For daily cleaning, use dry methods such as vacuuming. When necessary, damp-clean the floor with a well wrung-out
mop/floor cloth. The floor must only become slightly damp. The film of water formed in this way must dry within one minute.
For the best cleaning results, use Kährs Cleaner. If you use another cleaner, ensure that it is pH-neutral (maximum pH 8).
Do not allow spilt water to be left on the floor, particularly on Beech and Hard Maple floors, which are particularly susceptible to moisture. The frequency of damp-cleaning depends on how much the floor is used and how soiled it gets.
Removing marks
If you get a mark on the floor, try removing it using a mild cleaner (without ammonia) such as Kährs Cleaner or washing-up liquid diluted in warm water.
If this does not help, there are a few hints below for removing
difficult marks. Use strong stain-removal materials cautiously, because using too much and rubbing too hard could effect the lacquer.
Take care of your Kährs floor
Mark Remove with
Asphalt, rubber oil, shoe polish, soot and dried residues of chocolate or grease. Dilute alcohol, petroleum ether or similar.
Wax crayon, lipstick, felt-tip pens. Dilute alcohol.
Candle wax, chewing gum. Freeze spray, or put a plastic bag of ice-cubes on the mark.
Then scrape off carefully.
Repair UV-lacquer
A dull surface can be given a new finish
Kährs Lacquer Refresher gives a scratched and dulled surface a new finish and good protection. The floor must be clean, and free from polish, wax and other contaminants.
Apply Kährs Lacquer Refresher with a soft clean cloth, sponge or polish applicator. If necessary, apply a second coat. Allow to dry for approx. 30 min. before replacing the furniture.
For a floor in a domestic environment, 1-2 treatments per year are sufficient. One litre treats 60-70 m2.
Repairs
Treat small surface scratches and scrape marks with Kährs Lacquer Refresher. On deeper scratches, use Kährs Touch-up Lacquer first.
Fill small indentations that have cracked the surface with Kährs Touch-up Lacquer.
First fill deep dents, scratches and cracks with Woodfiller, then lacquer with Kährs Touch-up Lacquer. Boards with major damage can be replaced.
Renovation UV-lacquer
Renovation of surface treatment on woodfloors, microscratches
If small areas of the lacquer have been scratched (under chairs, etc.), the floor can be treated with Kährs Lacquer Refresher, which conceals the microscratches. Vacuum thoroughly and damp-clean the floor well with Kährs Cleaner to remove all traces of grease. If the surface of the floor is very dirty, clean it twice. Then apply Lacquer Refresher.
Partial repair of Kährs multilayer floors and Linnea
A small area has been damaged or worn through, or needs repair for any other reason, this is best achieved by replacing the damaged boards. This is simple with the woodloc joint.
Total renovation of multilayer wood floors
If the floor is very worn, or needs renovation for some other reason, it can be machine sanded and treated again to give a new surface. Note! Linnea floors can not be sanded to bare wood. Follow the lacquer manufacturer's instructions.