Hardwood floors have their own gorgeous vibe. The envy of all your neighbors, your stunning hardwood floors never have to worry about pet smells getting stuck in them like with carpet, or having to battle a nasty red stain from the fruit punch your 5-year-old just spilled. However, hardwood floors are certainly not damage-proof, and one of the more common situations we have come across is damage from a fireplace. The following four tips will help you to better protect your hardwood floors.
#1 Install A Hearth Extension
Extending the hearth on your fireplace can work wonders in protecting your hardwood floors from burns and ash marks. More often than not, a hearth is made of some type of stone or fireproof material. Hearth extensions can also be raised or lowered depending on the homeowner’s preference and the layout of the room. While some homes do come with hearth extensions already built in, this option is more in line with a small home renovation situation.
#2 An Enclosement Or Metal Covering
Much like the hearth extension, an encasement or covering over the opening is always a good idea to have if you want to protect your hardwood flooring. Make positive the covering is fire-resistant and can’t let embers through, but you also want to make sure there are at least little air holes so the flow of air can circulate properly out the chimney. There are many different styles and sizes to choose from when picking a metal covering for your fireplace, so you are sure to find something that can suit your individual tastes.
#3 Only Use Your Fireplace When Needed
Do you really need to get that fire going on July night? More than likely, no. Simply put, avoid using your fireplace unless you need to due to cold weather, or for that special occasion. In common sense terms, the more you use your fireplace, the higher the probability of damage occurring to your hardwood floors. In addition, the higher usage of your fireplace can create thin layers of ash on your floors, which can permanently stain your hardwood floors.
#4 Stay Legit With Wood
The only thing that should be burning in your fireplace is wood (gas fireplaces excluded of course). Throwing random materials such as cardboard or toilet or some other random flammable object is not only bad for the environment, but it can cause hotter flames in your fireplace, which in turn can cause warping and peeling of your hardwood floors over time. While you may not notice this damage at first due to its gradual nature, you could end up not noticing until it is too late.
Since many people, including myself, love the way hardwood floors look in a room with a traditional fireplace, it is wise to follow these fairly simple steps which can allow homeowners to keep that beautiful look going for years and years.
We here at Floor Floor We Restore gladly offer this advice to you with the hopes that we can earn your trust as a customer at some point in the future. Don’t hesitate to reach out with any flooring-related questions you may have.