As you begin to think about upcoming holiday parties, are your floors on your mind? If you’d like to install new flooring, or even refinish your current hardwood, there’s still time! Contact us right away to get started! This time of year, it’s not uncommon for hardwood flooring to take on extra wear and tear from extra people in your home, moving furniture around and more. How can you protect it? Follow these 6 tips.

6 Hardwood Flooring Tips for Holiday Parties

1. Invest in quality finish up-front. The good news is, if your hardwood floors are protected with a good finish there really isn’t a lot you need to do; it serves as an extra form of protection against scratches, dents and liquids. Still, even with a high quality finish, make sure you clean up any spills as quickly as possible.
2. Move furniture carefully. Although high heels are also blamed for most damage to the hardwood flooring, the truth is that moving furniture around is more likely to damage your floors. As you rearrange, make sure you pick up chairs, tables and other items instead of sliding them from one space to the next. You may also want to use furniture pads for a little extra protection.
3. Add mats to your doorways. The elements, especially during the winter, can be especially hard on your hardwood floors. Make sure each entrance to your home includes a durable mat for guests to wipe their shoes on; this will significantly decrease the moisture and dirt tracked around your home.
4. Ask guests to remove their shoes. If you’re really concerned about friends’ shoes damaging your hardwood floors, warn them that you’ll ask them to remove them upon arrival, or even offer a pair of slippers or festive socks for them to wear as a gift during the party. This will also keep your flooring cleaner and prevent dirt and germs from being tracked around your home.
5. Invest in a few area rugs. In addition to adding a decorative element to your home, area rugs and runners in high traffic areas of your home can protect your hardwood flooring from dents, dings, scratches and spills. After the party is over, they’re easy to store or move to another room depending on the overall décor of your home. See suggestions for selecting the perfect area rugs below.
6. Clean your hardwood floors. As always, maintain your hardwood floors by taking care of them. This blog post about floor care shares a nice schedule for you to follow year-round.

How to Select Area Rugs for the Holidays

As HGTV points out, " require minimal effort, are easy to come by and inexpensive." Here are seven tips to keep in mind as you find the perfect area rugs for your hardwood floors:

1. Even if you only use your area rugs certain times of year, pick out varieties that are easy to clean, like those made of wool.
2. Keep your lifestyle in mind when you purchase rugs for your hardwood floors. For example, if you have pets or young children, select area rugs with patterns to hide stains and shedding.
3. Make sure the rug doesn't dwarf the room; it should be just smaller than the space covered by furniture.
4. Holiday decorating may be a good time to experiment with bold colors or patterns, which tend to be a good option for homes with neutral colored walls, furnishings and flooring.
5. Feel free to use more than one rug. Placing two area rugs that complement each other side by side can be a great way to define separate spaces in one large room. Or, to bring in additional color and texture, try layering a couple of different rugs by placing one on top of the other over the hardwood floors.
6. If you have colorful furniture or accessories, a neutral rug with subtle matching colors will fold into the space easily.
7. What materials should you consider? When making changes mid-year, interior designer Anastasia Faiella, "Suggests using shag and berber in the winter, then switching them out for a low-pile wool or other natural material — like sisal, jute, cotton or sea grass — for the summer months."

Want to know more about protecting your hardwood flooring during the busy holiday season? Come visit our showroom and talk to our floor experts about any specific species or styles you have questions about! Remember there’s still time to install new floors or refinish the hardwood you already have! Contact us for a free in-home estimate right away.