After Care Guide: Looking After a Lacquered Oak Floor
A Marchand floor is finished in the factory with nine coats of Treffert UV matt lacquer, so there is nothing to apply on site and nothing to re-oil. Looking after it is mostly a matter of keeping grit off it and water out of it. This page is the full care guide for a lacquered European oak floor; the printable version is at the bottom.
Every week
Vacuum with a soft-bristle head to lift dust, sand and grit, which are what scratch a lacquer over time. Check that the vacuum's wheels are clean and roll freely; a jammed wheel dragged across a floor leaves a mark.
Mop with a microfibre pad and a cleaner made for lacquered wood floors, diluted as the label directs. Work along the boards with the grain, then go over the floor again with the pad wrung almost dry. The floor should be dry within two or three minutes. If it is still wet after that, too much water is going on.
We recommend Bona wood floor cleaner and the Bona spray mop. Cleaners made for tiles, vinyl or general household use can leave a film or dull the finish, and are best kept off the floor.
What not to do
- No steam mops. Steam drives moisture into the joints and the warranty excludes the damage it causes.
- No soaking. A damp pad, not a wet one, and never a bucket tipped onto the floor.
- No wax, polish, oil or silicone products. They are for other finishes and will sit on top of the lacquer.
- No abrasive pads, scouring powders or ammonia-based cleaners.
- No rugs for the first three months. Oak develops its colour in light, and a rug laid on day one leaves a pale rectangle underneath.
Everyday protection
Grit and entrances. A breathable mat inside each external door takes most of the sand off shoes before it reaches the floor. Avoid rubber-backed mats, which trap moisture against the surface.
Furniture. Felt pads under every chair and table leg, replaced when they wear thin. Lift furniture rather than drag it. Office chairs on castors need a mat.
Spills and leaks. Wipe spills as they happen. A dishwasher hose, a washing machine or a pot plant left standing on the boards will do more damage in a week than a family will in a decade. Address any leak immediately.
Pets. Keep nails trimmed and put a mat at the door the dog uses. Water bowls belong on a tray.
Sun. Direct sun through large glazing fades and heats a floor unevenly. UV film, blinds or curtains on the worst elevations help, and moving rugs and furniture from time to time keeps the colour even.
Keeping the room in range
Timber moves with the air around it. The floor is designed for a relative humidity between 40% and 60% and a temperature between 16°C and 27°C, which is the range a lived-in New Zealand house naturally sits in. A dehumidifier in a damp region, or a humidifier in a dry alpine winter, keeps a house inside it. Below 5°C or above 45°C, and outside 25% to 85% humidity without any climate control, is outside the warranty.
Holiday homes. A house closed up for months in Central Otago dries out; one closed up in Northland does the opposite. Leave an HRV or ventilation system running, or arrange for a caretaker to air the house and check for leaks, and the floor will be as you left it.
Over the years
Deep clean, every two to four years. A professional clean with a wood floor scrubber lifts the grime and scuffing that weekly mopping misses. It restores the sheen without touching the lacquer.
Light sand and recoat, every five to eight years in busy areas. Where the lacquer shows wear, a professional can lightly abrade the surface and apply two coats of a traffic-rated matt finish. The floor is not sanded to bare timber; the existing lacquer is refreshed.
Full sand and refinish. With a 6mm wear layer, a Marchand floor can be sanded back to bare oak and refinished four or five times over its life, each sand removing about a millimetre. That is the difference between a floor that lasts a decade and one that lasts as long as the house. Ask us for a specialist in your area.
Frequently asked questions
How do I clean a Marchand oak floor?
Vacuum weekly with a soft head, then mop with a microfibre pad and a lacquered-wood-floor cleaner such as Bona, wrung almost dry. The floor should dry within two or three minutes.
Can I use a steam mop?
No. Steam forces moisture into the joints. Damage from steam mops is excluded from the warranty.
Does the floor need oiling or re-sealing?
No. It arrives with nine factory coats of UV matt lacquer. Nothing is applied on site and there is no routine recoating; a light abrade and recoat every five to eight years in high-traffic areas is all a busy floor needs.
What about scratches?
No timber floor is scratch-proof. Felt pads, entrance mats and trimmed pet nails prevent most marks. Fine scratches disappear in a light sand and recoat; deeper damage can be repaired board by board or removed in a full sand.
Why should I wait before laying rugs?
Oak changes colour in light during its first months. A rug laid straight away shadows the boards beneath it. Wait three months, then move rugs occasionally.
What humidity should the house be kept at?
Between 40% and 60% relative humidity, at 16°C to 27°C. Most homes sit in this range; a dehumidifier or humidifier helps in damp or very dry regions.
The printable guide
Download the After Care Guide (PDF)
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Last reviewed September 2026.