Use fabric glides on furniture so it can be moved without scuffing the floor. If furniture needs casters, use gray, non-marking rubber casters. National Oak Flooring Manufacturers Association floors has grown dramatically in recent years, driven by a national housing boom and a public that loves the floors' durability and low-maintenance, said Doug Lux, president of the National Woodflooring Association. Hardwood flooring shipped in 1999, including oak, beech, birch, maple and pecan, topped 536 million board feet, well more than twice the 205 million board feet shipped in 1990, according to the National Oak Flooring Manufacturers Association. Key to the process is determining whether your existing finish is modern urethane or an older varnish or shellac.
Different finishes require different treatments.
Floors installed before the 1960s are likely to have a shellac or varnish finish. These can be cleaned up by buffing them lightly with a motorized floor buffer and then applying paste wax. These modern floors can be revived in several ways. This requires the use of a floor sander. A complete re-coating also means allowing at least 24 hours of drying time and letting the floor breathe for several days before putting rugs and furniture back down.