How do I protect my wood floors?!

[pqtex]

but in my neck of the woods, to ask guests to remove shoes would be a huge breach of ettiquette.

You probably don't often have people and pets sometimes walking through a foot of snow, road salt, and cinders, before entering your house. Floors, like cars, last longer in Texas.

You're right, but when we have a lot of rain or when working in the garden, I wear boots outside and change to regular shoes before going back in the house. Guests with common sense and courtesy would remove muddy or wet boots or shoes, but under normal circumstances, folks don't remove shoes to visit. Under the weather conditions you mentioned, wouldn't you perhaps have overboots or a porch or mudroom to change shoes? I realize that from past posts on this topic, that viewpoints on wearing shoes in the house varies by region, but the custom of not wearing shoes in the house is still something I am not accustomed to.

My interpretation of what the original poster said is that they do not wear shoes in the house. I took that to mean all the time, regardless of conditions. I still have the opinion that whatever the type of floor or finish is selected for floors, it should be durable enough to be used under ordinary circumstances and walked on with shoes on a regular basis. I wouldn't use silk for dishtowels because it is too delicate and water marks the fabric. By the same analogy, I wouldn't use a delicate or easily scratched or spotted finish on the floor. I also wouldn't expect any floor to remain totally pristine and shiny under normal usage. Floors will eventually have some wear, and I think sometimes there is too much emphasis on maintaining perfection when it just isn't practical. But that's just my opinion and what's important to others isn't necessarily something that bothers me.

Jill

[Jero312]

Thanks for all the replies, I guess we will try getting a nice rug for the high traffic areas, and we don't wear shoes because my wife is Japanese, it was just one of those traditions that followed me back from living oversees.

[YinzerMama]

I was not raised to not wear shoes in the house but it's something we try to do now and which seems to be more common than when was growing up. But it can be hard to stick to. Sometimes you need to run in and back out... sometimes you have that one guest who will not remove shoes... *cough* my dad *cough*

I think you gotta sweep regularly - with a good dust mop or broom - and hope for the best. The dog is the biggest problem.

One thing I have learned is scratches look awful when fresh but they will mellow with time. I was completely beside myself when we first moved here and I move a chair and there was a piece of sand or something under it, HUGE scratch in the floor... I imagined refinishing, etc. Oh well. It mellowed, as have I. An old floor, with wear, has character.

Area rugs will help with the dog.

We are a no pet family so I can't give any real advice beyond that. My kids are rough on thing but at least they don't have claws LOL

[markwright247]

You see I have bought a house and it too has wood flooring, with your post a thought of wooden floor maintenance has popped in my mind too. Looking forward to the suggestion coming your way.

[lavender_bush]

We refinished our floors at home (circa 1964) with a satin polyurethane - 3 kids, 2 dogs, 4 cats and 11 years later? They still look good . I don't wear shoes in the house but that's a personal thing because I simply prefer bare feet, DH does wear shoes and I don't think the floors have suffered.

The Purple House has one room that we sanded and used Waterlox on and I know that we won't use it again. It's scratched all over even though the dogs don't spend that much time there. Again, the Lehmans poly. that the professional re finisher used has held up well.

Polyurethane may be harder to refinish in the future but the Waterlox already needs dealing with and we don't even live there

[mross_pitt]

The Purple House has one room that we sanded and used Waterlox on and I know that we won't use it again. It's scratched all over even though the dogs don't spend that much time there.

I don't have the "Purple House" but other than that I have the exact same problem with one room that we ventured to try Waterlox which lasted maybe a year despite minimal traffic on the floor.

Essentially, the product on the floor is as important to the condition of the floor as is wearing shoes, dogs and cats running around, etc.

[mfglickman]

In our 1880's Victorian, there were poplar/maple narrow strip floors and wide pine. All did just fine with a kid and 2 Newfoundlands. No damage, though I would not say we didn't add any scratches at all. We also didn't refinish when we bought the house as I didn't want to be forever worried about new scratches vs. old.

In our current (1750's) house, the wide chestnut flooring seems to be completely dog proof. The only scratch we've put in it was from DH trying to force open the beehive oven door (which he later popped off its hinges and planed). Even if the dogs slip and slide they don't make a mark. In our addition, however, the wide pine (12-16 inch wide) planks scratch if you look at them. This is the kitchen and family room. If a dog's foot slips, it gouges. Someone in high heels leaves divots. Totally annoying.

My quick solution to this was braided and jute area rugs over these floors. They are easy to clean, nice on feet/paws, and protect the floors.

A workman once suggested rubbing some Tung oil into the scratches but I've not tried that as of yet.

Good luck! I'd keep the dog and find a short term solution if I were you - but I am a dog person.