Keeping a wood floor shiny and well maintained is often neglected among home owners. By taking a few simple steps you can preserve the life of your wood floors, be they laminate or hardwood.

A new floor doesn't require a great deal of maintenance but you should check your floors periodically, especially in well-worn traffic areas such as the kitchen, dining and living areas.

--Dirt and sand can scratch. Prevent those scratches by placing a mat or area rugs at all entrance ways.

--Use a broom with fine bristles to pick up dust and dirt. Never use ammonia to clean floors.

--Vacuum regularly. Use the special bare floor attachment that comes with the vacuum. --Dust or damp mop your floors. Use a neutral PH wood cleaner.

--While wood flooring are varnished and stained, you should mop up any water or chemical liquids that are spilled on the floor immediately. They can damage the finish and warp a hardwood floor.

--Never use harsh, abrasive cleaners or oil based soaps.

--Add felt pads to the bottom of your furniture that can scratch your floor.

--The areas near your living room picture window can get discolored by the UV rays of the sun. To prevent this, close your curtains and blinds. Add some sheer drapes.

--High heeled shoes can gouge and scratch. Keep them in good repair or change your shoes on coming into the house.

--Your pets can scratch your floor. Keep their nails trimmed. Clean their paws as they come in from outdoors. Groom and wash to rid them of pests.

Of course if your floors have become worn and old-looking, you'll need to take more drastic measures to restore the luster of a new floor. Unless you are experienced in flooring, do-it-yourself is generally not a good idea. It takes a professional eye to determine if your finish is worn down but the wood is intact. You may not see the gouges, stains, cracks and warping that may require replacement and repair before any polyurethane, floor polish or wax can be applied. Before you do any finishing, you should consider the kind of finish you have on your floor.

Nearly all floors installed today have surface finishes, mostly polyurethane. They look like a layer of clear plastic over the wood. All surface finishes are meant to protect your floor from the scratches of daily traffic.

You can find out if your finish is worn down by adding one to two tablespoons of water to a low to medium traffic area. If the water soaks in and leaves a dark spot, your floor needs a new coat. Waxing is one of the easiest ways to use to finish your floors, but you may have to remove an old coat before applying a new coat.

If you have a waxed floor, removing stains and cigarette burns is relatively easy provided the stain or burn is not serious. Use a No. 2 steel wood moistened with soap and water. Rewax the spot after you're finished.

Proper care increases the value of your home and makes it more livable.