One of the great satisfactions of installing new hardwood floors is being able to show them off to guests. It's very likely you've put a lot of time, effort and consideration into your choice of flooring and the installation process, so once the process has been completed you're probably going to want others to appreciate what you've accomplished.

How will you go about that? Instead of having business clients, family and friends over in a piecemeal fashion, why not throw a party and have everyone bask in the glory of your freshly implemented design idea all at once? Of course, if you do that, you'll definitely need to protect those new floors from the wear, tear and spills that can come along with hosting a large number of people.

Choosing the right flooring
The material you choose for your floors will play a major role in keeping them protected. Many people prefer the look and feel of traditional hardwood, but even with a stained surface most wood materials will soak up spills and take a beating from continued use.

One alternative option that has proven to stand up to the test of repeated heavy use is bamboo flooring. Bamboo strand, offering a higher density than traditional wood, bamboo floors are built to handle the most demanding home and commercial environments. It's one way to head off damage before it even sets foot in your home or office.

Staining your floors for protection and style
Bamboo floors can come pre-finsihed or unfinished. An Unfinished floor should always have a finished applied as part of the installation process. A pre-finished floor, comes with a factory finish, however a top coat could be applied for an added layer of protection.

Staining not only offers a layer of coating that will help prevent spills and scuffs from settling into your floors, it also can be part of the design of your home. There are many different colors available to choose from, and if you've opted for bamboo or hardwood floors, staining can really bring out the classic browns, oranges and yellows that make those such appealing options.

Removing stains and scars
No matter how effective you are in protecting your floors, it's inevitable that they will get damaged in some way. But you can at least mitigate that damage in a few easy steps.

- Gently sand the damaged area.
- Clean after sanding using products specifically designed for wood floors.
- Reapply the finish coat (if necessary, you will have to re-stain before applying the finish).