Around this time of year, it is more important than ever to take care of your wood floors as they will be exposed to significantly more foot traffic as well as the addition of a Christmas Tree. If not cared for properly, you may find some damage to your flooring when the Tree is removed, meaning you may have to get it sanded and refinished. If you have recently had your floors refinished, it is recommended to wait around 30 days after having them done to bring in your tree as the floor may still be vulnerable to damage.

Before even bringing the Christmas tree into your house, be sure to clean the area that it will go using either a hoover or a microfibre cloth with a specialised floor cleaner. If opting for the floor cleaning, be sure to clean up any moisture and thoroughly dry the floor. By cleaning the floor beforehand, this makes sure that any dust or debris on the floor wont be potentially scratching your floor by having the extra weight placed upon it. When moving your Tree around to get it into the perfect position, never drag it! This is highly likely to scratch your floor.

One of the main things of caring for the tree that can damage your floor is the watering that the Christmas Tree will need. The consequences of wood flooring being exposed to excess moisture has been mentioned in our previous blogs countless times. When coming into contact with moisture, wooden planks will expand and may end up damaged. To ensure that your flooring is protected from this, make sure you don’t use any more water than needed and have a protective layer of material between the floor and the tree. We recommend getting a type of tree mat or something that will collect excess water but not absorb it. Towels and other absorbing materials are not to be used as they will trap the moisture and not protect your floors at all. Water damage is something that may have to be solved through the floor being re-sanded or even replaced!

Another way that your wood flooring can be damaged is if dust and debris is scratched across the floor. This is an issue that we have also spoken about before in our previous blog posts. It is imperative that you regularly clean your floor to avoid this. Ontop of the usual debris and dust that may settle on your floor, Christmas tree needles fall off, so this is extra potential damage to the flooring. Never use a hard-bristled brush on wood flooring though as this will further damage the floorboards. If you are opting to use a brush, make sure that is a soft-bristled one to ensure that minimal scratching will occur. We recommend using a vacuum as this will not damage the floor and it also will not add any moisture to the floor.

It is important that you take extra care when removing your Christmas tree after the festive season. Be sure to watch out for any extra moisture that the Tree may drop onto the floor when removed from the stand and the pine needles that may drop when being moved. It is often said that you should wrap the tree in sheets to prevent any sap or pine needles being dropped. However, just to be on the safe side, clean your floors carefully once the tree is removed!

Following these steps will ensure that your wood flooring is as protected as it can be during the busy season and that you will be able to enjoy Christmas without having to worry about any touch-ups that may be needed in the New Year.