Hardwax oil floors are stunning. They have more maintenance than traditional polyurethane finished floors - but the UP SIDE is the maintenance can be done by the homeowners.

Maintenance includes PROPER cleaning products (DuChatuea Oil Cleaner is one such product....better purchase DIRECTLY from Du Chateau). And the proper MAINTENANCE OIL (again, purchased directly from the flooring company to be delivered WITH your flooring) and the COLOUR "patch" oil (sorry - don't know the name of the line).

So...you need your FLOORS, you need the THREE (3) different oil products and you need a snick of training on how to do these things. And proper scrubbies and mops and clean cotton rags, etc.

I've read many "commercial installation" instructions for factory finished hardwax oil floors (like Du Chateau) and these commercial installation instructions REQUIRE the clear maintenance oil be applied at the BEGINNING of the life of the floor. In other words the next day after the install is finished. Allow to dry for the required time (about 1 day) and then move in.

I'm a firm believer that this little "ounce of prevention" is worth a pound of cure. If it is required for commercial installs, then there is NO HARM in adding it at the very beginning of the life of the floor in a busy home (dog and kids = busy).

Now....depending on the COLOUR....the "wear out" of the colour can be upsetting. That's why you will need to keep some coloured oil ON HAND so that you can add it to the high-wear areas. This might only be needed every year. It might need it every 3 months. You won't know until you live with your floors.

The other "complaint" (personality trait complaint more than anything) is the hardwax oiled floors can look "dry" or lifeless. That's the INDICATOR that it is TIME to do your clear maintenance oil application. This application can be done "one room at a time". It can be spot applied (but the full room is better). It can be applied to high wear areas to give them a bit of life if you are planning a gathering, etc.

And SOME of these floors have issues with dog drool. Some colours will turn dark (stain on the wood) which is a GOOD indication that the floors are dry and need their maintenance oiling done. And some complaints about the COLOUR being disturbed by dog drool...which is another reason to have a pot of the colour oil on hand.

If you are DIY type of person, the floor maintenance is just going to be part of your YEARLY "spring" cleaning routine. If you plan on hiring these things out....you are going to find you are calling your floor guy several times per year (to correct the small things and the big things). And at $50/hour and a minimum charge of 4 hours per visit (going rate in my area)...this gets very expensive very quickly.