Four Ways to Fix a Slippery Wood Floor
Recently, a few spots on the hardwood floors in my house have become mysteriously slippery—so slippery that they’re kind of dangerous. However, there are some pretty straightforward ways to deal with it.
Why Your Wood Floors Are Suddenly Slippery
Turns out it’s not uncommon for hardwood floors to become spontaneously slippery, and it can happen for a variety of reasons. Meanwhile, some common causes include wax or polish, oil and silicone cleaning products, dirt and humidity, and time.
Start with a Thorough Cleaning
First, I took a thorough cleaning. I clean my floors regularly, but it’s always possible that something spilled without being noticed. Therefore, a thorough cleaning might be the easy solution. Always use a pH-neutral cleaner designed specifically for wood floors—and never use vinegar, even heavily diluted in water.
Add Some Rugs
A simple solution, especially if you’re dealing with one or two isolated slippery spots, is to just throw down a rug or a runner with a non-slip backing. Your floors will still be slippery, but won’t pose any threat. Consequently, this might not work because the rugs might just slide around with nothing to grip onto.
Apply a Temporary (or Permanent) Treatment
If cleaning and covering up your slippery floors won’t work, there are some more involved solutions to try. In addition, you can use anti-slip sprays, coatings, or even paint with an anti-slip additive. As a last resort, you might need to refinish your floors.
Temporary Solutions
Anti-slip sprays, like Rustoleum AntiSlip or Slip Doctors Safety Spray, can be applied to your floors to reduce the slip factor. However, these sprays are temporary and will need to be re-applied every year or so.
Permanent Solutions
Coatings, like Floor Grip, Bona Anti-Slip, or Loba 2K Invisible, can be applied to your floors to create a new finish seal. However, these coatings require you to sand the floor before application and allow them to cure for several days.
Painting
If your wood floors are in good condition, painting them with an anti-slip additive can be a cheap, easy way to eliminate the problem. However, this might not be a great idea if your floors are a bit worn down.
Refinish Your Floors
As a last resort, you might need to refinish your floors to eliminate the problem. Therefore, it’s essential to consider this option if all else fails.
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