Solid Hardwood, Engineered and Laminate Flooring - Wood floor care and refinishing?

I've read some of the posts and think I understand the difference between floors that have an oil finish (just reapply) and a sealed finish like poly (sand and reseal).

Further, I think I understand that one doesn't use water on oil (duh) and that one can use water based cleaners, e.g. Murphy's, on a poly sealed floor.

We have a 1934 house with beautiful wood floors. However, I think that they have been refinished more than a couple of times in their many years and I'm concerned about the ability to sand them again without 'going too far'.

So, the question really is: How to best take care of them to avoid/prolong the need for a refinishing.

Subquestions:

- What to do on a regular basis? Use Murphy's Oil Soap? How about the Hoover Floor Mate, which uses another cleaning product? I've also heard about the Swiffer?

- What to do with the inevitible dents and places where the poly gets worn out? Can you 'spot refinish'? By that I'm thinking of something like a light sanding with a coat of poly that a DIY guy can do w/o the big sander and taking off lots of wood.

Any suggestions would be appreciated. Perhaps there should be a FAQ at the top of the board?

Thanks.

The biggest enemy to wood floors is grit. It gets tracked in on your feet. Grit is like sandpaper and will sand away the finish on your floor. Thus frequent dust mopping or vaccuuming with brush attachment (no beater bars) is crucial to eliminate the grit. Floor finish will wear off more quickly in high traffic areas where feet grind the grit into the finish.

Thus you need mats inside and outside doors to catch the grit. Keep the mats clean.

Never scoot furniture. Use felt pad furniture protectors.

Place runners and rugs in high traffic areas like halls and in front of kitchen sink and keep them clean to avoid grit.

Depending on the type of finish you have will determine how to clean and maintain the floors. As you say, oil finish requires applying oil. Wax finishes require rewaxing. These finishes should never be damp mopped. Avoid overwaxing because wax can build up. Buff to restore sheen. Rewax the high traffic areas. Use a solvent based floor wax recommended for wood floors. Water spots can be buffed out with #0000 fine steel wood and wax. Never wax a floor that has a surface finish like polyurethane.

If you have a surface finish like shellac, varnish, or poly, never use a wax or oil based cleaner. No Murphy's. Any residue left by these products will contaminate the floor and prevent proper adhesion when refinishing. Damp mopping means with a mop squeezed nearly dry, preferably spraying cleaner onto mop. If you have a poly finish use cleaners that are labeled safe for polyurethane finish. Avoid oil soaps because they will soften and dull finish over time.

Wood & water don't mix, so wipe up spills and pet urine immediately.

If you have a polyurethane finish follow the manufacturer's directions if factory prefinished or the polyurethane manufacturer's instructions for floor care. If you do not know the manufacturers, then use products that are labelled safe for poly finish. The National Oak Flooring Manufacturer's Assoc. does not frown upon the use of 1/4 cup white vinegar in 1 gallon of water as a floor cleaner.

When finish becomes dull and worn off floor it is time to refinish. Spot refinishing tends to not be successful because the new finish will not match the old.

You can do a search on your favorite search engine to learn more about hardwood floor maintenance. You can also search the cleaning forum on this website for cleaning hardwood floors. Go to the cleaning forum and click the little blue search button in the top right hand corner of the screen to read other threads on this topic.