When you have a hardwood floor in your single-family rental home, the level of its beauty and durability is instantly increased. But if your rental property has hardwood floors, then you’ll need to incorporate a few more items into your maintenance routine to make sure the condition of your floors doesn’t degrade. Regular maintenance is one of the additional things you’ll have to do. Sometimes, tenants aren’t careful around hardwood floors, scratching and gouging them either by accident or through negligence. This is a reason why both you and your tenant must know how to properly care for and maintain your property’s hardwood floors.
Conducting proper hardwood floor maintenance really keeps your Issaquah rental property functional and aesthetically pleasing. But what you must not neglect is knowing the right way to care for a hardwood floor. For example, most hardwood floors have a coat of surface finishes that protect the wood from liquid spills, scratches, and other types of damage. That means that keeping this finish intact is a simple way to prevent damage and ensure the long life of your floor.
Hardwood can also be damaged by using harsh cleaning products or the wrong cleaning technique. This is something to consider. That’s why experts recommend using a soft microfiber mop or cloth to sweep dirt and dust off the floor. Even vacuum cleaners can scratch up a hardwood floor, and regular mops are just as bad since they use too much water— which isn’t also good for a hardwood floor. Now, when there are liquid spills, you need to make sure they are immediately cleaned up and that steps are taken to make sure the floor is thoroughly dry.
There are quite a number of things that you, as a property owner, can do to ensure that your rental property’s hardwood flooring looks great. But the best and most effective thing you can do is to work with your tenants in caring for the home. One of the things you can begin with is teaching your tenants about proper hardwood floor maintenance and cleaning. When you assist them so that they will learn how to clean the floor, you can extend the life and beauty of the hardwood and prevent damage at the same time.
Another way to preserve your property’s hardwood floor is to encourage your tenants to place rugs in high-traffic areas. This will catch the dirt and reduce the amount of cleaning needed. Finally, it would be really good if your tenant uses the right cleaning products. You could ensure this by giving them the name of the one recommended for use on your floor, or even write it down in your lease that they are required to only use approved cleaning products. This can help boost the importance of proper hardwood floor maintenance.
Even when given the best care, hardwood floors still need some additional attention every few years or between tenants. After a while, wear and tear can fade a floor’s finish and accumulate scratches or other blemishes. But if that’s all that happened to it, then you really have no need to completely refinish the floor. For the most part, all a faded hardwood floor needs is a screening (which roughens up the surface of the existing finish) and a new application of a finish.
Nevertheless, if your hardwood has become seriously damaged, warped, or has deep scratches or other problems, repairing and refinishing the floor may be your only option. Refinishing a floor is a long, labor-intensive task that requires specialized equipment. Now, you can spend your time and money doing it yourself, but Issaquah property owners feel that hiring a professional is well worth the cost. A flooring contractor can tell you the specific flooring you have in your home, and also which process would best serve to restore it. Different kinds of wood require different techniques and engineered or wood laminate simply won’t tolerate heavy refinishing as solid hardwood does. For situations like these, any restoration work is best left to a professional.
Taking care of hardwood floors doesn’t have to be difficult; if you spend some time planning and enlist the help of your tenant, it would be so much easier. The crucial part of this solution is actually maintaining good tenant relations. The better the relationship, the greater the likelihood that your tenant would help you keep your valuable hardwood floor in the best possible condition.
Take the headache and hassle out of managing your rental properties. At Real Property Management Eclipse, we handle the lease paperwork, renter relations, professional vendors and everything else! Don’t hesitate to contact us online or give us a ring at 425-209-0252 to talk to a professional Issaquah property manager today.
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