CRAFT Hardwood Guides
Caring for Your Herringbone Floor:
A Seasonal Maintenance Guide
Simple, practical advice on keeping your wood floor looking beautiful through every season — and avoiding the mistakes that shorten a floor's life.
Written by Wojciech, founder of CRAFT Hardwood | Updated March 2026 | 10 min read
A well-installed herringbone floor is one of the most durable surfaces you can have in your home. Victorian and Edwardian parquet floors that we restore today have survived a century of daily use, two world wars, and decades of neglect — and still come back to life with the right attention.
But durability isn't the same as invincibility. The floors that last generations are the ones that receive basic, consistent care. The floors that fail early — or look tired long before they should — are almost always the result of avoidable mistakes: the wrong cleaning products, too much water, humidity ignored until problems appear.
This guide covers everything you need to know to keep your herringbone floor looking beautiful through every season. Most of it is simple. None of it is time-consuming. The single biggest factor in floor longevity isn't the quality of the timber or the skill of the installation — it's whether the person living with the floor understands how to look after it.
First: understand what finish you have
Before anything else, you need to know whether your floor is oiled or lacquered. The maintenance requirements are different, and using the wrong products on the wrong finish is one of the most common causes of avoidable damage.
Lacquered floors have a surface film that sits on top of the wood. The finish is the protective layer — the wood beneath it is largely sealed from the environment. Lacquered floors are harder, more resistant to surface scratches and water, and easier to clean. They repair less easily than oiled floors because local repairs are difficult to blend invisibly.
Oiled floors — including hardwax oil finishes — penetrate into the wood rather than forming a surface film. The wood itself is the protective layer, enhanced by the oil within it. Oiled floors have a more natural, matte appearance and are easier to repair locally. They require periodic re-oiling to maintain their protection, which lacquered floors do not.
If you're not sure which finish you have, a simple test: put a small drop of water on an inconspicuous area of the floor. If it beads on the surface, you have a lacquer or hardwax oil finish. If it absorbs slowly into the wood, your floor is either unfinished or oiled with a penetrating oil that has degraded and needs attention.
We specify the finish on every project and include it in the handover documentation. If you're unsure, contact us and we'll confirm.
Daily and weekly care — the basics that matter most
The foundation of floor care is simple and consistent. Most floor problems start with small, repeated mistakes rather than single incidents.
Sweep or vacuum regularly. Fine grit and dust act as an abrasive on wood floors. Every footstep grinds grit particles against the finish, dulling it over time. In high-traffic areas — hallways, kitchens, open-plan living spaces — sweeping every day or two is worth the two minutes it takes. Use a soft-bristle broom or a vacuum with a hard floor setting and the beater bar turned off. Rotating brush attachments damage wood floors.
Wipe up spills immediately. Water is not the enemy of a properly finished floor — sitting water is. A glass of water wiped up within a few minutes causes no damage to either lacquered or oiled floors. The same glass of water left for an hour can cause white marks on lacquer or raised grain on oiled surfaces. Speed matters more than the volume of the spill.
Use the right cleaning product. This is where most people go wrong. Wood floors should never be cleaned with:
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General-purpose floor cleaners
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Bleach or ammonia-based products
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Vinegar or acidic cleaners (despite what the internet suggests)
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Steam mops
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Excessive water of any kind
All of these either strip the finish, raise the grain, or introduce moisture that the floor doesn't need. Use a cleaner specifically formulated for wood floors — and if you have an oiled floor, use one specifically designed for oiled surfaces. Your installer should recommend a product at handover. If they didn't, contact us and we'll advise.
Damp mop, never wet mop. When mopping is needed, the mop should be almost dry — wrung out until it feels barely damp to the touch. The goal is to pick up residue, not to introduce water. Go over the floor once, in the direction of the boards, and allow it to dry immediately. Never leave standing water on a wood floor for any reason.
Spring
Spring is the season of higher humidity as outdoor moisture levels rise and the heating begins to be used less. Wood floors that contracted slightly during the dry winter months begin to expand back toward their summer dimensions.
What to expect: Small gaps that appeared during winter will begin to close as the floor absorbs moisture from the increasing humidity. This is entirely normal and expected. By late spring in most North West properties, winter gaps will have closed completely.
What to do:
Check your humidity. As heating is reduced and windows are opened more frequently, indoor humidity rises. The ideal range for wood floors is 40-60% relative humidity. An inexpensive hygrometer (available for £10-15) lets you monitor this. If humidity is consistently above 60%, increase ventilation or consider a dehumidifier in the most affected rooms.
Spring clean carefully. The instinct to deep-clean after winter is understandable — but resist the temptation to use excess water or steam on your floor. A thorough sweep followed by a damp mop with the correct product is all that's needed.
Inspect the floor. Spring is a good time to look carefully at the floor's condition. Check for areas where the finish looks dull or worn — particularly in high-traffic zones like doorways, in front of sofas, and at the base of kitchen work areas. Catching finish wear early means a simple re-oil or maintenance coat can restore protection before the wood itself is exposed.
Re-oil if needed (oiled floors only). If your oiled floor has seen a full year of use, spring is a good time to assess whether a maintenance coat of oil is needed. Signs that re-oiling is due: water no longer beads on the surface, the floor looks dry or grey in high-traffic areas, or the surface feels rough rather than smooth. Full re-oiling is a straightforward process that can be done by the homeowner with the right product and a little patience.
Summer
Summer brings the highest humidity levels of the year and the most direct UV exposure. These are the two main considerations for floor care in the summer months.
What to expect: Floors are at their fullest dimension in summer as humidity is highest. Any gaps from winter will be fully closed. The floor may feel slightly tighter — this is normal.
What to do:
Manage humidity in hot, humid spells. During prolonged periods of warm, humid weather — particularly in a summer that brings genuine heat — indoor humidity can rise above 65%. At these levels, wood absorbs significant moisture and the risk of cupping increases, particularly in rooms where ventilation is poor. Use a dehumidifier if readings are consistently above 65%.
Protect from direct sunlight. Strong direct sunlight causes UV fading in all wood floors over time. Oak floors darken naturally with age and UV exposure — this is generally a beautiful process — but uneven fading where parts of the floor are exposed to direct sun and parts are shaded by furniture or rugs creates patches that become more noticeable over years.
Use blinds or curtains during the hours of strongest direct sunlight, particularly in south and west-facing rooms. Move rugs and furniture periodically so the floor fades evenly. This isn't about preventing the natural ageing of the floor — it's about ensuring it happens evenly.
Protect against summer foot traffic. Summer means more outdoor activity, more bare feet and sandals tracking in fine grit from patios and gardens, and more guests. A good entrance mat at every external door catches the majority of outdoor grit before it reaches the floor. This single measure makes a more meaningful difference to floor condition over years than almost any cleaning routine.
Check underfloor heating if switching off for summer. If you have underfloor heating that you switch off in summer, do it gradually rather than all at once. Rapid temperature and humidity changes cause more wood movement than gradual ones. Reduce the temperature by 2°C per day rather than switching off overnight.
Autumn
Autumn is the transition season — humidity beginning to drop, heating coming back on, the floor moving from its summer maximum back toward its winter minimum. It's also the most important season for preventative maintenance.
What to expect: As humidity drops and heating is reintroduced, the floor begins to contract. Small gaps may start to appear, particularly in wider boards. This is normal seasonal movement, not a problem.
What to do:
Reintroduce heating gradually. The most common cause of excessive floor movement is the heating being switched on hard after months off. Bring the temperature up gradually — by a degree or two per day over a week or two — rather than going from cold to full temperature overnight. This applies particularly to underfloor heating, where the temperature change at the floor surface is direct and immediate.
Check door thresholds and transitions. Autumn is a good time to inspect the threshold strips and transitions between your wood floor and adjoining floor types. These small details take wear over time and a loose or damaged threshold is both a trip hazard and a source of draughts that affects the floor's moisture conditions locally.
Consider a professional maintenance visit. If your floor has been down for three to five years, autumn is the ideal time for a professional assessment before another winter. We can check the finish condition, identify any areas of concern, and carry out a maintenance coat of finish if needed. Addressing wear before it reaches the wood surface is far less expensive than a full resand and refinish.
Put entrance mats down. As the wet weather arrives, entrance mats at every external door become more important. Wet leaves, mud, and autumn rain tracked across a wood floor on the soles of shoes introduce more moisture and grit than any other single source. A good quality mat — absorbent on top, non-slip backing that won't scratch the floor beneath — at every external entrance is one of the best investments you can make for your floor's long-term condition.
Winter
Winter is the hardest season for wood floors. Central heating dries the air significantly, humidity drops, and wood contracts. This is when the floor is at its most vulnerable to the two most common problems: excessive gapping and finish damage from dry conditions.
What to expect: Small gaps between boards are normal and expected in winter, particularly in heated rooms. In the North West, gaps of 1-2mm in wider boards are entirely within normal seasonal movement. They will close again in spring. This is not a defect — it is wood behaving as wood.
Gaps that are 3mm or wider, that don't close fully in spring, or that appear suddenly rather than developing gradually, are worth investigating. These may indicate that the floor was installed too wet, that the heating is unusually aggressive, or that something has changed in the property's humidity conditions.
What to do:
Don't over-heat. The higher the temperature, the drier the air, and the more wood contracts. Homes heated to 22-24°C in winter create more floor movement than homes kept at 18-20°C. This isn't a reason to be cold — it's a reason to be aware that very high indoor temperatures put more stress on wood floors than moderate ones.
Consider a humidifier in very dry rooms. In homes with wood-burning stoves, very efficient insulation, or heating systems that produce particularly dry air, indoor humidity in winter can drop below 35%. At these levels, wood floors lose moisture faster than normal and gaps become more pronounced. A room humidifier maintaining 40-50% RH makes a meaningful difference in these conditions.
Protect during the holiday period. If you leave the property for an extended period over Christmas — whether for a week or longer — maintain a minimum background temperature of 15°C rather than switching the heating off entirely. A cold, unheated property in January introduces extreme humidity fluctuation when the heating is reintroduced. This is one of the most common causes of excessive floor movement that we're called to assess in February.
Use felt pads under all furniture. Winter is the season when furniture is moved more often — chairs pulled out at the dining table, furniture rearranged for Christmas. Felt pads under every leg of every piece of furniture that sits on the wood floor prevent scratches. Check them periodically — they compress and need replacing every year or two. A felt pad that has lost its pile is worse than no pad at all.
Don't ignore squeaks. Floors that develop a squeak in winter are usually responding to boards contracting and slight movement occurring at the adhesive or fixing points. A squeak that appears only in very cold weather and disappears in spring is usually nothing to worry about. A squeak that persists, worsens, or is accompanied by visible movement of the boards should be investigated — it may indicate adhesive failure or a subfloor issue that's easier to address early than after it develops further.
Finish maintenance — when and how
The most important maintenance decision for any wood floor is when and how to refresh the finish. Getting this right extends the floor's life significantly. Getting it wrong — particularly waiting too long — means a full resand rather than a simple maintenance coat.
Lacquered floors: lacquer doesn't require periodic re-application in the way oil does. What it requires is monitoring. When lacquer begins to wear in high-traffic areas, it looks dull and slightly grey compared to the rest of the floor. At this stage, a maintenance coat of lacquer applied by a professional to the worn areas restores protection. If wear is allowed to continue past this point until the wood itself is exposed, a full resand and refinish is the only option.
How often: a well-trafficked floor in a family home will typically need attention every 5-8 years in high-traffic zones. A floor in a less-used room may go fifteen years without needing anything.
Oiled floors: require periodic re-oiling to maintain their protection. The frequency depends on traffic — a busy hallway may need a maintenance coat every 1-2 years, a bedroom floor every 3-5 years. The test is simple: does water still bead on the surface? If yes, the oil is still doing its job. If water absorbs rather than beads, re-oiling is due.
Re-oiling can be done by the homeowner with the correct product. Clean the floor thoroughly, apply a thin coat of the same oil used originally, work it into the wood with a cloth or applicator pad, and remove any excess after the recommended time. The floor needs to be kept clear for 24 hours afterward. Done correctly this is a two-hour job for a typical room.
The golden rule: address finish wear when it first becomes visible, not when it becomes a problem. A maintenance coat is a morning's work. A full resand is a week's disruption and significantly more cost.
The things that damage floors most — and how to avoid them
After years of installations and restorations, these are the causes of premature floor damage we see most often:
Steam mops. The single most destructive tool for wood floors. The combination of heat and moisture forces water into the wood and through the finish simultaneously. A steam mop used regularly on a lacquered floor will cause the lacquer to lift, bubble, and fail within months. We see this regularly. Never use a steam mop on any wood floor regardless of what the mop manufacturer claims.
Wrong cleaning products. Vinegar is frequently recommended online as a natural floor cleaner. It is acidic and strips wood floor finishes over time. The same applies to multipurpose cleaners, bleach, and anything not specifically formulated for wood floors.
Water left standing. A pet water bowl on a wood floor. A plant pot without a saucer. A mat that traps moisture against the floor surface. All of these introduce sustained moisture to a localised area and will eventually cause staining, raised grain, or finish failure.
Rubber-backed mats. Rubber backing traps moisture against the floor surface and, in some cases, reacts chemically with lacquer finishes causing permanent staining. Use mats with a felt or textile backing, or place a breathable barrier between a rubber-backed mat and the floor.
High heels. The pressure exerted by a stiletto heel on a small surface area is extraordinary — comparable to the pressure of an elephant's foot. Lacquer and oil finishes both dent under this pressure. This isn't something you can prevent entirely, but it's worth knowing that heel marks in herringbone floors are a maintenance reality rather than a quality defect.
Castors without floor protectors. Office chairs, piano stools, and other furniture on castors cause continuous surface damage when moved. Either use a protective mat under any castor-wheeled furniture, or replace hard castors with soft rubber or felt-tipped versions.
Restoration — when maintenance isn't enough
Even the best-maintained floor will eventually need professional attention. Knowing when maintenance tips into restoration territory saves money and stress.
Signs that maintenance alone isn't sufficient:
The finish has worn through to bare wood in high-traffic areas.
The floor looks dull and grey despite cleaning, because the finish is too degraded to respond to maintenance products.
There are deep scratches or dents that penetrate through the finish into the wood.
There are localised stains that cleaning hasn't removed.
The floor has cupped, gapped, or moved beyond normal seasonal variation.
In these cases, a professional resand and refinish restores the floor to its original condition.
For a well-installed herringbone floor this is a straightforward process — the floor is sanded back to bare wood, any repairs carried out, and a new finish applied. This can be done multiple times over the floor's life — solid oak floors can be sanded five or more times, engineered floors with thick wear layers two or three times.
The Edwardian and Victorian parquet floors we restore are proof of what proper maintenance and timely restoration can achieve. A floor that was installed a hundred years ago and has been maintained — even imperfectly — can still be brought back to life. A floor that has been neglected, or cleaned with the wrong products for years, is harder to save.
A simple seasonal checklist
Spring: Check humidity as heating is reduced — target 40-60% Inspect finish in high-traffic areas Re-oil if needed (oiled floors) Spring clean with correct products only
Summer: Manage humidity during hot spells — dehumidify if above 65% Protect from direct sunlight — use blinds, move rugs periodically Entrance mats at external doors Reduce underfloor heating gradually if switching off for summer
Autumn: Reintroduce heating gradually — 2°C per day Inspect thresholds and transitions Consider professional maintenance visit if floor is 3-5 years old Entrance mats down before wet weather arrives
Winter: Monitor for seasonal gaps — 1-2mm is normal, 3mm+ worth investigating Don't over-heat — 18-21°C is adequate Maintain minimum 15°C if leaving property for extended periods Check felt pads under furniture — replace if compressed Address any squeaks that persist beyond cold weather
Frequently Asked Questions
Q: How often should I clean my herringbone floor?
A: Sweep or vacuum high-traffic areas every day or two. Damp mop when needed — typically once a week in busy areas, less frequently in rooms with lighter use. The key is keeping grit off the surface rather than deep cleaning frequently.
Q: My floor has gone dull despite cleaning. What's wrong?
A: Dullness usually means one of three things: residue from cleaning products has built up on the surface, the finish has worn and the wood beneath is no longer protected, or the wrong cleaning product has stripped the finish sheen. Try cleaning with a dedicated wood floor cleaner and buff dry. If the dullness persists, contact us — the finish may need refreshing.
Q: Is it normal to have gaps in winter?
A: Yes. Small gaps of 1-2mm are entirely normal seasonal movement as the floor contracts in dry winter air. They close again in spring. This is wood behaving as wood. If gaps are wider than 3mm, don't close in spring, or appeared suddenly, contact us for an assessment.
Q: How do I remove a stain from my wood floor?
A: Act quickly — fresh stains are significantly easier to remove than dried ones. For most surface stains on lacquered floors, a slightly damp cloth followed by a dry buff is sufficient. For oiled floors, a small amount of the floor's maintenance oil worked into the stain can lift it. For persistent stains, contact us before attempting anything abrasive — the wrong approach can make the stain worse or damage the finish.
Q: How long before I can put rugs down after a new installation?
A: Wait a minimum of four weeks before placing rugs on a newly finished floor. Rugs placed too early prevent the finish from curing properly and can cause permanent discolouration. After four weeks, ensure any rug has a breathable backing — not rubber — to allow the floor to breathe.
Questions about your floor's condition?
We're always happy to advise on maintenance, assess finish condition, and carry out restoration work when the time comes.
A quick call or email with a photo of the area you're concerned about is often all we need to tell you whether it needs professional attention or just a change of cleaning routine.
We carry out restoration and refinishing work across Lancashire, Greater Manchester, Merseyside, and Cheshire.
Call: 07856 308 208 Email: contact@crafthardwood.co.uk
We serve Chorley, Lancashire, Greater Manchester, Liverpool, Chester, and throughout the North West.