Whether you live in Palo Alto, Menlo Park, or elsewhere, winter floor care may not be top of mind. However, the steps you take today – before the whippy, woolly weather pounds San Francisco – can save you tens of thousands of dollars and dozens of headaches.

Here are 4 key tips:

1. Leaky roof? Get it fixed now!

Leaky roofs lead to warped, moldy, rotted out floors. It’s as simple as that. Sure, you can put buckets down and run around with mops and towels whenever it rains.  But why exhaust yourself?  If your floors are getting mildewy or wearing down faster than expected, check for and repair “roof issues” to staunch the problem at its source.

[Read also: Repairing Water Damaged Floors]

2. Housebreak your pets…and your kids and guests, too!

Establish winter weather rules to limit the debris, mud, and gook that get dragged in. For instance, you may want to lay down the “no shoes in the house” rule. Or you might want to just cordon off an area that receives the brunt of the extra wear and tear… and then clean that one area more frequently.

3. Measure and control temperature, humidity, etc.

Blasts of cold air, excessive dryness and static, and low humidity can all create indirect problems with your flooring that may not become visible for months. We all know that an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure. So invest in that “ounce” of prevention by measuring your home’s humidity levels, temperature gradients, etc, and making corrections as needed.

For instance, maybe you’ll discover a draft by a window that’s causing a weird pocket of humidity to build up: a perfect recipe for molding your floors. By sealing up that draft before winter comes, you will stop the issue, save money, and keep your home looking beautiful.

4. Avoid the “do-it-all-myself” repair mentality

To maximize your winter floor care, get in touch with the experienced, licensed, and critically-admired professionals here at Elegant Floors. Get a free evaluation today on hardwood flooring repair and San Jose hardwood floor installation.  We also proudly serve the whole SF peninsula.