The purpose of this research is to study how wooden floorings were maintained in the past in Finland and compare them with wooden floorings used today. In the past floorings were built to function for over hundred years. Nowadays wood is often considered as a material with poorer durability than what other common flooring materials (laminate and plastic) have. In the past wood was widely used and there seemed not to be similar problems with durability and esthetic matters that today are faced when wood is used as a flooring material. The hypothesis is that there is forgotten knowledge of maintaining wooden floorings that could be used also nowadays.
The conclusion is that maintenance and cleanability of wooden surfaces are issues that have not been studied comprehensively so far, but still they play a significant role in the life cycle of wooden surfaces. To support and develop the use of wooden floorings in Finland, extensive analytical and applied research in the field of maintenance and cleanability needs to be done.
Keywords: floorings, wood, maintenance
Authors
Silvo J.
Department of Forest Products Technology, Helsinki University of Technology, Finland
Vahtikari K.
Department of Forest Products Technology, Helsinki University of Technology, Finland
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