There's nothing that quite matches the beauty and character of Marks Lumber's circle sawn, Douglas fir flooring. While circle sawn floors may look rustic and low maintenance, they still require regular cleanings and refinishing every now and then. Proper upkeep of wood floors is necessary to maintain their natural beauty and ensure a long-lasting product. However, circle sawn floors require slightly different maintenance than that of smooth wood floors, as special attention must be paid to preserving those revered circle saw marks. Here are a few tips for keeping your circle sawn flooring in tip-top shape for many years to come.

Cleaning

Just like any flooring, circle sawn wood floors require some upkeep, including regular cleanings. Cleaning your wood floors is an essential part of ensuring your circle sawn floors remain bright and beautiful, even after years of wear and tear. When cleaning your wood floors, it is essential to remember that each flooring type is unique and, therefore, requires different products and processes.

A few things to keep in mind when cleaning your circle sawn wood floors:

• Avoid steam cleaning. Steam mops add excess heat and moisture to your floors that, over time, can lead to long-term damage such as cupping.
• Don't wax your wood floors. While waxing wood floors may give them an immediate shine, wax actually leaves a residue that will build up over time and inevitably cause more harm than good.
• Avoid bleaching. Bleaching wood floors can harm the finish of the wood and eventually seep into the wood fiber, discoloring it or even causing permanent, irreversible damage.

Instead of these methods, opt for products designed specifically for wood floors. We recommend using Bona products for cleaning and maintaining your circle sawn floors.

Refinishing

Refinishing wood floors is a crucial part of maintaining their natural shine, but how do you know when it's time to refinish circle sawn floors? Unlike smooth wood flooring, where scratches will become more and more evident, the main thing you'll notice on circle sawn floors is a lackluster or constant dull appearance. If you begin to notice this, it's probably about time to refinish your floors.

Once you determine it's time to refinish, less is always more. Here's what we recommend:

1. First, thoroughly clean the floors.
2. Then, lightly sand it down using a flooring sander and 120 grit sandpaper. Only sand just enough to rough up the surface of the floors. If you sand too much, you may start to smooth out those authentic, circle saw marks.
3. Apply the finish following the directions recommended by the manufacturing company. Make sure to stick with the same product that you originally applied when the floors were first installed.

Marks Lumber's circle sawn flooring effortlessly adds a rustic, charming appeal to almost any interior. Proper cleaning and maintenance are crucial parts of preserving the natural beauty of the Douglas fir. Please contact Marks Lumber for any questions regarding the maintenance of your circle sawn floors. We're here to help!