Wood floor aftercare and maintenance schedule

At a glance

Starting points from a UK maker, a UK distributor and a US trade body (read 7 Nov 2026). None is written for a hotel or restaurant: the partner and the operator set the intervals.

What the schedule is for

A timber floor looks good in year five because of what is done from day one, and a hotel, restaurant or residence does not know what that is unless someone writes it down. This sheet is a template for the schedule to hand over with the floor. It does not replace the finish maker’s own instructions, which govern, and it gives no cleaning product names: the partner states the product types for the finish it has applied.

We read three kinds of document: a UK timber floor maker’s guides, a UK flooring distributor’s guide to maintaining an oiled floor, and a leaflet from the US National Wood Flooring Association (NWFA). They agree on the shape of a programme and differ on its frequencies, so the ladder below is a starting point. The maker says its guide is a starting point ‘appropriate for residential and commercial installations’, and that in high-use commercial installations regular maintenance is combined with routine specialist work by a flooring contractor. BS 8201:2011, the British code of practice for installing wood flooring, is listed by BSI as Current; its scope is the material, environment and installation variables that affect the floor’s performance, and we did not read it, so it is not the source of any frequency here.

Keep grit out, and protect the surface

Every guide starts in the same place. The maker says abrasive grit trafficked onto a floor seriously shortens the life of any finish, and that matting at external entrances is essential; the distributor says the mat should be large enough for two steps across, of a type that removes grit and absorbs moisture, and regularly cleaned. A mat that is never emptied becomes a source of grit. The plan shows the points to cover at an entrance.

• Furniture. Felt or fabric-faced glides under every moveable leg, checked and cleaned so that grit does not become embedded in them. Lift heavy furniture, do not slide it.
• Heels. The maker says stiletto heels can indent timber because of the very high point loading, especially if the metal pin in the heel is exposed. The distributor advises against walking on the floor in them. A hotel or restaurant may want a heel policy; no source gives a load figure.
• Wheeled loads. None of the sources read covers chair castors or trolleys. Ask the partner what is suitable for the finish.

Cleaning: what to use, what to avoid

• Use the finish maker’s products, and no others. NWFA says only products recommended by the contractor, floor maker or finish maker should be used, because the wrong cleaner can damage the finish and possibly the wood. The distributor says never to use household detergent-based cleaners or acidic or alkaline commercial cleaners on an oiled floor, because they are designed to break down oils. The maker lists a different cleaner and maintainer for each finish: lacquer, UV oil or hardwax oil, and natural oil.
• No wet mop, no steam. NWFA says not to use wet mops or steam mops, which will damage the finish and even the wood over long periods; the distributor says never to wet-mop and that standing water can stain or damage the wood. The maker’s method is a spray mop, so there is no standing water, with several mop heads washed and changed so contamination is lifted and not spread.
• Direction. Clean smooth or brushed boards along their length; on a saw-marked floor, clean in the direction of the marks (distributor). For a pattern with boards in several directions, such as herringbone, no source read says: ask the partner.
• Wet floors are slippery. HSE’s cleaning page (13 January 2026) says to leave smooth floors dry after cleaning or to exclude pedestrians until they are dry, that a mop or squeegee shortens drying time but a damp floor is still slippery, and that a floor can be cleaned in sections so a dry route stays open. Clean a lobby floor at a quiet time and remove warning signs once it is dry. See slip resistance for floors.
• Machine cleaning. The maker describes a scrubber-drier with low-foaming cleaner in areas of 10 to 20 m² at a time, so that standing water is not left, followed by full drying before a maintenance coat. That is for its own finishes: ask the partner.

Humidity, heating and the room

Timber takes up and gives off moisture until it matches the air. NWFA says dry conditions, as when heating runs in winter, shrink a floor and open gaps, and wet conditions swell it, and that this is a normal seasonal reaction. The maker makes the same point and says small winter gaps are not a manufacturing or installation fault. The three guides give different ranges to aim for, shown on the drawing. Only 45 to 50% sits inside all three, so ask the partner for the range that applies to the product and construction you have specified, and ask the operator to log it.

• Heating. The maker says low humidity commonly comes from heating set too high, open fires and wood burners, and high humidity from poor ventilation. In a room heated only when used, moisture can build up while it is shut and then be dried out at the surface when the heating comes on, causing cupping. See seasonal movement in timber floors.
• Underfloor heating. The distributor says a rug or mat should not be laid directly on a heated floor unless it is a suitable rug with underlay, because heat can build up under it and cause localised shrinkage. See underfloor heating under wood and stone.
• Until handover. The maker says a floor installed on a building site should be protected with breathable paper and an impact layer, not plastic; that protection should be lifted every two to three weeks so the floor can ventilate; that tape must never touch the floor; and that underfloor heating must not run while protection is in place.

Repair, refresh and refinish

• Surface scratches. NWFA says scratches that occur are most likely in the finish only and are easy to repair, and that squeaks, persistent gaps and finish wear can usually be repaired by a certified professional.
• Oiled floors. The distributor says to re-oil at the first signs of wear, when bare wood is getting dirty, because leaving it untreated causes irreversible damage. Heavier-traffic areas, such as kitchens, need it sooner. Our own guide to wood floor finishes says worn areas of an oiled floor can be touched in locally without sanding the whole floor.
• Lacquered floors. A film finish is cleaned, not re-oiled. NWFA gives a maintenance coat every three to five years as a general guideline; no source read gives a hotel interval.
• Sanding back. NWFA says every few decades or as needed. How many times a floor can be sanded depends on the thickness of the wear layer above the tongue or core: ask the partner for the wear layer and the number of sandings it will allow. See solid vs engineered wood flooring.
• Curing. After oiling, one maker’s data say touch-dry in 4 to 6 hours, furniture back overnight, and full cure in 4 to 5 days with no wet cleaning and rugs kept off until then. That is for one product: use the finish maker’s figure.

Before practical completion the partner shall issue a written schedule for each floor area: finish type and maker; daily, weekly and periodic tasks with frequencies [ ] agreed with [operator / floor care contractor]; cleaner and maintainer types for the finish [pH-neutral wood floor cleaner and maintainer approved by the finish maker]; method [spray mop, no standing water; no wet mop; no steam]; products that must not be used [household detergents, acidic or alkaline cleaners]; and how to touch in, re-oil or recoat. The schedule to be included in the O&M pack.

No wet cleaning, rugs or heavy traffic until the finish has cured for [ ] days or as the finish maker states. Floor protection to be [breathable, not plastic], lifted every [2 to 3] weeks for ventilation and removed [ ] days before handover; underfloor heating off while protection is in place. Final clean and maintainer coat by the partner before handover.

The operator to keep the room at [ ] °C and [ ] % relative humidity [as the partner states for this floor] throughout the life of the floor, and to log it [monthly]. Entrance matting [two steps across, __ m] at every external door, cleaned [daily]. Felt glides on all furniture, checked [monthly]. [Heel policy.] Spills wiped at once. Wet cleaning only in sections or when the area is closed, and the area not reopened until it is dry.

Standards and sources

• BS 8201:2011 Code of practice for installation of flooring of wood and wood-based panels: Current (published 31 Oct 2011) per BSI Knowledge, 7 Nov 2026; scope is material, environment and installation variables. Text not read.
• A UK maker’s maintenance and installation guides (2019, 2024); a UK distributor’s oiled floor guide; an NWFA leaflet (2016-18); HSE, Cleaning (13 Jan 2026): read 7 Nov 2026; manufacturer and trade guidance, not standards.

Questions we are asked

How often should an oiled wood floor be maintained?

Published starting points: sweep or vacuum daily, damp clean weekly (more often commercially), and a maintainer monthly to six-monthly (one maker’s guide for commercial and domestic floors), or about every 6 to 12 months in a home. Re-oil worn areas at the first signs of wear. Intervals depend on use, so the partner and the operator set them.

Can I use a steam mop on a timber floor?

No source we read recommends it. NWFA says not to use wet mops or steam mops, which will damage the finish and even the wood over long periods, and the UK distributor says never to wet-mop. Use a spray mop and the finish maker’s cleaner.

What humidity should a timber floor be kept in?

The guides disagree: 40 to 65% (a UK maker), 45 to 65% (a UK distributor) and 30 to 50% (NWFA). Only 45 to 50% sits in all three. Ask the partner for the range for your product and keep a record.

What damages a timber floor in a hotel or restaurant?

Grit tracked in from outside, standing water, wrong cleaners, steam, heel points, dragged furniture and large swings in humidity. A barrier mat, felt glides, spray-mop cleaning and a steady room environment address most of them.

How do I clean a herringbone floor?

Clean smooth or brushed boards along their length, say the sources we read. None says what to do where boards run in several directions, so ask the partner which direction and what tool suits the pattern and finish.

Can a worn timber floor be sanded?

Often, but it depends on the wear layer above the tongue or core, which limits how many times it can be done. Oiled floors can also be touched in locally. Ask the partner for the wear layer and the number of sandings the floor will allow.