Wear and tear on flooring is inevitable, particularly in high-traffic areas. But by being aware of these 3 tips, you can hopefully avoid the most obvious causes of damage and get more life out of your flooring surface before having to consider refinishing or replacing.

• Scratches can occur from debris that gets tracked in from the outside. Keep your home clean on the inside and the outside—sweep your front and back stoop, and set out mats or throw rugs near frequent points of entry, such as the front door, garage door, and patio. Consider placing area rugs elsewhere in the home, such as in the living room and bedrooms, where they can do double duty as a nice accent piece. Sweep daily, and vacuum and mop weekly.    

• Wear “house shoes.” As is the custom in many countries around the world, remove your street shoes when you get home and put on dedicated “house shoes” instead. This can be a fuzzy pair of slippers, or a pair of comfortable tennis shoes or sandals that you only wear indoors. This will prevent your tracking dirt and grime from outside, and cleaner floors have less of a chance of sustaining damage. Avoid ever wearing high heels or cleats, which by not evenly distributing weight pose a serious risk to your flooring. And be sure to keep your pet's’ nails trim, too—but let the vet or groomer do it, since the wrong technique can harm your pet.  

• Protect your flooring from furniture. Place a rug or pads under items that are used frequently, such as dining room chairs or rolling office chairs. Be careful when moving furniture, so you don’t accidentally scratch the floor, particularly when moving heavier pieces, including appliances.  The Steam Team is the number one cleaning company in Austin.