How to Care for Engineered Hardwood Floors

A high-end engineered hardwood floor can retain its beauty for years with proper cleaning and maintenance. At Layer 12 Hardwoods, we manufacture our engineered hardwood from layers of Baltic birch plywood and veneers from traditional wood species or exotics to provide flooring with greater durability and stability than solid wood flooring. You can recommend our flooring to your customers with confidence and advise them to take a few easy steps to keep their floors in great condition.

Engineered Hardwood Cleaning and Maintenance

While engineered hardwood is more moisture-resistant than solid wood flooring, take care to limit its exposure to water and use cleaning tools and products that are safe for the flooring materials.

Cleaning Supplies

Use the following supplies for cleaning engineered hardwood flooring:

Soft-bristle broom or vacuum with a hardwood floor attachment
Microfiber mop
pH-neutral wood floor cleaner, such as WOCA Natural Soap, Osmo Wash and Care, or Rubio Surface Care, if you have a hardwax oil finish
Bona Hardwood Floor Cleaner for urethane-finished floors
Refresher product or maintenance oil — optional for periodic care

It’s important to use the right tools and cleaners for engineered hardwood. Cleaning products that include ammonia, vinegar or harsh chemicals can damage the flooring’s sheen. Avoid using steam mops or other cleaning tools that generate excess moisture and generic or multisurface cleaners that strip oil and damage the wood.

Recommended Cleaning Routine

Allowing dirt to build up on the floor can damage the sheen over time, so it’s important to keep it clean. Follow these steps:

Dust or vacuum: Remove loose dirt, dust and grit daily — or as needed — using a soft broom or vacuum. Avoid using rotating brushes and hard plastic casters that can scratch the floor.
Damp mop: Perform this task weekly, or as needed, using a mix of hardwax-compatible cleaner and water. Lightly moisten a microfiber mop, and mop in the direction of the wood grain. Wipe up any pooling water so that it doesn’t damage the floor.
Periodic maintenance: For hardwax oil floors, use a refresher soap or maintenance oil to nourish or restore the sheen.

Prevent Damage to Your Flooring

Keeping flooring free from scratches, stains and water damage is an essential part of engineered hardwood maintenance. To safeguard flooring:

Use mats at entryways to trap dirt.
Place felt pads underneath couches, chairs and tables.
Avoid high heels or pet claws directly on the floor.
Clean spills immediately to prevent staining.

Install Durable, Lasting Engineered Hardwood Flooring

While maintenance and cleaning are important, the first step to a lasting, beautiful floor is selecting the right engineered hardwood. At Layer 12 Hardwoods, the 4-millimeter to 6-millimeter wear layer on our engineered hardwood floors can last 50 years or more with proper care and refinishing. We use Baltic Birch plywood with exterior grade glue, which provides increased stability to the floor.

With our flooring, you can offer your customers the durability of engineered hardwood without sacrificing the premium aesthetic of traditional solid wood flooring.

Create Customized Flooring With Layer 12 Hardwoods

Layer 12 Hardwoods manufactures its engineered hardwood flooring in Houston, Texas. We can customize flooring for your projects by wood species, width, length and sheen. Our factory-applied sheens allow you to save time and achieve custom looks that can’t be replicated on-site.

View our collection of engineered hardwood products online, or schedule a tour of our mill to see our production process in person.