Preventative maintenance for your carpeting

There are several basic things that you can do.
One way is to use area rugs wherever carpeting meets a hard surface such tile, wood, laminate or vinyl.
The very nature of a hard surface product is to not allow dirt to accumulate on them.
The first several feet of the carpet is where the dirt will deposit itself causing the carpet to have a worn out appearance.
Dirt is an abrasive and will cut the carpet fibers causing an appearance change and pre-mature wear.
Make sure that you frequently clean these area rugs so that they can do their jobs…"keeping the dirt off of the wall to wall carpeting".
Also where ever possible, rearrange your furniture in order to change the traffic patterns that will eventually appear on your carpet.
The most common of these areas are tight traffic lanes between furniture and that favorite recliner where feet are always digging in.
Keep in mind that vacuuming never wore out a carpet…the dirt that is left because of not vacuuming is the culprit.
Carpeting is still the best value in flooring cost for cost.
With these and other basic easy care habits you and your family will enjoy the warmth, quiet and beauty for many years.

Cleaning Hard surface Flooring

One of the very first things that you should do is to consult the professional flooring store that you purchased your flooring from. There are many variations with today’s products that come under the same basic description as asked about above.
Most branded manufacturers of flooring have specific care and maintenance products for their particular flooring. In some cases, if these products are not used it may affect the warranty of the flooring.
The absolute worse thing that you can clean your flooring with is PLAIN WATER. All this will do is just move the dirt and oils around and not actually remove them.
Water will not break down the oils from the bottom of bare feet, cooking, pets or personal care products. Oils do one thing very well…they attract dirt which is an abrasive. This directly results in the dulling and scratching of your flooring.
Still don’t believe this?
Let’s do a little experiment.
Put your bare hand onto a mirror leaving your hand print. Now, take plain water and try to remove this so that the mirror is clear again.
It can’t be done!
But use a little Windex for instance or even household ammonia in some water and surprise…the mirror is clean.
Oil and the consequential dirt that it attracts is your floorings enemy. With just a little effort you can keep your floor nearly as beautiful as the day you fell in love with it.
Remember, your floor covering is an INVESTMENT that can be spread out over several years. Most of today’s flooring doesn’t WEAR OUT…they UGLY OUT.
So with the proper maintenance you can maintain your positive relationship with your flooring.

Other than what I like, is color important in other ways?

This may seem so obvious but yet never assume anything. Over the last 20 plus years there have been tremendous advances in technology in floor covering. Stainmaster was introduced in 1986 and was a revolution in a carpets ability to RESIST stains. Note the word…RESIST. No product is literally STAINPROOF. Always be very skeptical of all warranties. Read and understand them before giving them any weight.
This being said, the one thing that you can do for yourself at the time of purchase is this…Choose the color you desire but work with as DARK of a color as you can tolerate. People almost always pick a color that is much lighter than necessary because of one thing…they are afraid of choosing a floor that will be too dark. Because floor covering is considered a FIFTH WALL it can always handle a darker color without the room becoming a dungeon. As mentioned above, there have been great strides in technology, but a grape juice stain, mustard, wine or any one of a hundred stains can (and usually do) leave a residual stain. Now, if today’s floors allow 90-95% of a stain to come out that is fantastic. But, with a lighter color, this 5-10% left will still be noticeable. However with a darker color this residual stain should be less noticeable even though it is still there.
Other things to do so that you will be able to maintain your carpet’s appearance over its lifetime is choose a carpet that has some fleck or variation in toning. In addition you will benefit by looking at a carpet that has texture such as cut and loop or a tight twist which also gives a lot of texture.
Keeping these fundamental things in mind, you will significantly help camouflage problem areas such as stairways, center of hallways, traffic lanes as well as that area in front of that favorite chair.
To repeat a basic rule to never forget…today’s floors just don’t wear out…they UGLY OUT! Just because a floor changes its appearance doesn’t have anything to do with wearing out.
You are in charge of your purchase, choose wisely and you will be in love with your floor for years to come.

Dents, depressions, and Furniture Marks…OH MY!

First off, good for you! Rearranging your furniture if your space allows not only can completely change the feel of a room but can be very beneficial for the long term appearance of your flooring.
By changing the position of your furniture you can alter the traffic patterns in your room. This is very important because it will distribute the "wear" over areas that may get no use at all.
At one time when hardwood was very common and area rugs were the norm, a person would routinely "turn" their rug twice a year. You would do this once in the spring and again in the fall. This would balance the use over more of the rug increasing its life. But with "wall to wall" carpeting becoming the standard for many years this obviously isn’t practical.
Unfortunately when you move your furniture there are going to be "dents" left behind. The best way to remove these is to use a travel fabric steamer. You want the kind that you can safely make direct contact with the fabric. As always, test an inconspicuous area first. Using this directly on the "dent" will relax the backing and fibers.
You can then very gently use a round part of a spoon or spatula to "lift" the fibers up. Note that you want to brush the fibers in the same direction as the rest of the carpet. Yes, carpet has a direction much like wood has a grain. Brushing your hand one way will "lay" the fibers down the other way will "pop" the fibers up.
Using this technique will recover the dent significantly improving its appearance.
This will allow you to move your furniture without leaving its little "gift" behind.
Now, if you don’t have a steamer you can try to mist just enough water on the dent to saturate the fibers…not too wet now! You will then notice how soft the fibers become and it’s at this time that you use the same technique with the spoon as above. The only difference is that after the dent has recovered to your satisfaction you can put a fan on this area to speed up the drying time.
Remember, the smaller the "feet" of any piece of furniture the more it will distort the carpets backing. A small footprint in fact can and will compress the fiber and padding so completely that the backing of the carpet will permanently stretch out of shape.
By using larger furniture pads under these small legs the pressure will be distributed over a larger area. Using these techniques will assist you in creating that "new look" for your room and help your floor keep its appearance longer all at the same time.

"What the heck is the difference?" …signed, frustrated!

I hear this quite often. You go to several stores and you seem to be looking at similar products but they are called different things at different places! Lets get right to it shall we? I will try to answer this by staying with some basic information.
OK…starting off with Linoleum.
This product is the lone wolf of the pack. It is completely different in how it is manufactured, in its properties; how it’s installed…and the differences go on and on.
The vast majority of people, when they ask for "linoleum" actually mean "vinyl".
Linoleum is a very old product, but as promised above lets keep this basic shall we?
It’s made of ground limestone, powdered cork, linseed oil, pine resin and color pigments.
As you can tell this sounds like a very old combination and it is. It was invented in 1863 by Frederick Walton. It has a distinctive odor and it quickly changes color when exposed to light because of the natural ingredients oxidizing. It is now considered a retro style in America but in Europe it never fell out of favor. There are many other qualities to this unique floor that are to lengthy to address here so ask a lot of questions at your local professional flooring store.
Now, lets move on to Vinyl/ resilient or sheet vinyl.
Why did I include these within the same line?
Because all three of these names really refer to the same basic product.
Resilient is the most recent name that is being used. This is to give this product a more positive/updated view in the customer's mind so as to separate it from the old "my grandmother’s vinyl" image. The new resilient/vinyl products are light years ahead of the floors sold just ten years ago. These new products are amazing. They beautifully replicate stone, ceramic, slate and even wood. The dimensional visualizations because of the new technologies create a depth and texture that has to be seen and felt to be believed.
They are excellent in areas of topical moisture because they are hydrophobic. This means that if the little ones come in the front door with clumps of snow, the snow can lay on top indefinitely and have no affect unlike other products such as hardwood, laminate or even ceramic tile in which the grout can discolor.
This is also why they can be an excellent choice in bathrooms.
To sum all this up the "old" vinyl floor coverings of the past are nothing like you remember. It would be to your benefit to not dispel them as one of your choices for your flooring needs.
Please visit your local professional flooring store to ask questions and have a flooring specialist show you the newest styles, textures and explain the benefits available in these new/old products.
You will be surprised at what you see!

You spilled WHAT and when were You going to tell me!

Wow…that has never happened to you…right?
Actually, no matter who does the dirty deed of spilling, tracking, depositing (man or beast) any number of things that are inevitable in your home, the trick is to make this occurrence as less stressful as possible.
You and I both know that an accident (yes they are accidents not on purposes!) are going to happen no matter how careful we are.
I have found that the most stressful part of a spill/stain event is…now what do I do to remove it?
Of course the only time that you worry or think about this is, when it happens. This is not the easiest time to think clearly…is it?
What I do is tell people to prepare for this inevitability by having an emergency cleaning kit handy.
Let’s start with some basic contents of this kit.
One…Find a container to hold all of your items. This can be a small plastic bucket or a large plastic bag. Be creative depending on what you feel you need to have in it.
Two…Decide on a location for this kit. This is important so that you can train your family as to where it is and how to use it.
Three…The contents of this kit would be determined as to what type of flooring you want to address. Also the size of the home will determine if you need one, two or three of these kits.
Let’s use carpet for our example.
First, always have a full roll of pure white paper towel…NO pretty patterns or flowers here! The inks can possibly transfer to your carpet when using a cleaning solution.
Second, is a good all around cleaning solution that is easy and safe to use. A favorite of mine that has been used for over ten years is a product called "Tech".
Third, is having a cleaning resource guide handy that addresses different types of spots. These can be found on our website under Floor Care Tips.
You will find the information there extensive but don’t feel overwhelmed. You can print out what you feel would be the most relevant information to your situation and put this in your kit.
The technique used for properly cleaning a spot is important so please pay attention to the instructions on the bottle and from your cleaning resource guide that you have printed out.
That being said I have what I feel are the two most important things to remember…
One, clean the spill as quickly as possible.
Two, and probably the best advice…NEVER…NEVER…NEVER rub a spill on carpet!
Only gently blot repeatedly to "draw up" as much of the spill as possible.
This technique is what you would also do to "wick up" your cleaning solution as well.
Rubbing is guaranteed to alter the appearance of the carpet fiber and it WILL NOT be able to recover its original appearance.
You will find that modern floor covering has been vastly improved in its stain resistance compared to its older cousins, however please note that I used the term stain resistance not stain proof. NO floor covering is absolutely stain proof.
Hopefully this will assist you in being able to address those little "stress moments" in your home. Remember that your floor covering is an investment to be thought of over a period of time. Ultimately it is in your best interest to be pro-active when addressing the issues that we have discussed above.

Laminate Flooring Options

Laminate flooring is still a relatively new flooring option in the United States.
It has been used in Europe for over two decades.
Laminate does offer some unique properties as compared to other flooring options.
Let’s discuss some of the styles and their advantages (and disadvantages) that are now available in laminate.
Ceramic Tile look…Laminate used to be available only in a wood look style but with increased technology it is now available in several styles one of which is ceramic tile.
Laminate won’t "crack" as ceramic can when your house shifts or when the floor expands and contracts with heat and humidity changes. We do live in an area of extremes.
It has no "grout" to stain or "pop out" due to the same changes as mentioned above.
The other benefit is that it isn’t as cold as ceramic on those chilly winter mornings.
Hardwood look…This is the first style that laminate was offered in. The first products (and this is still true with today’s cheaper price point laminates) had a very flat appearance. The surface was predominately smooth with no texture or visual depth.
The better quality laminates today have an amazing ability to give a wood grained textured appearance. They are not as susceptible to moisture as real wood but keep in mind that they are not water proof either. Moisture left on the surface such as snow will cause the floor to swell at the seams.
Laminate overall is less expensive than hardwood or ceramic tile so it can be an attractive price point option. But keep in mind that it can not be refinished like a hardwood floor and it doesn’t offer the longevity or design options of a ceramic tile floor.
There are innovations constantly being made to this product as the technology continues to advance allowing designers to replicate different materials. As you can tell not every floor is perfect. Each floor has specific advantages and disadvantages. This is why it is so important that you convey your specific needs and concerns at a professional flooring store.

Padding Issues

Let’s start off by stating…Poor carpet padding. It never gets the respect that it deserves. When new carpet is being purchased everyone is thinking first about "what color"? Then with today’s choices the next thing is the texture then quality and so on. The last thing discussed is, by the way you will probably need some pad under that new carpet right? It’s at this time that the response usually is "Oh, that pad will do I guess". Well, once again let’s start with the basics concerning the fundamental choices in padding today.
Waffle Type Pad…This style of padding was very popular at one time. The content in the past was of a high quality rubber and it did hold up quite well. In recent years however there is more filler (binders) being used and it tends to break down and dry out over time causing it to lose its resiliency.
Foam Pad…This type of pad is usually made from urethane foam and is available in different densities and thickness. This pad is usually not recommended in areas of heavy traffic because all that air in the foam starts to compress and doesn’t recover.
Felt/Fiber Pad…This pad is excellent in areas of heavy use such as commercial installations. It significantly limits the carpets ability for vertical movement. This is not a luxurious feeling pad underfoot as it is usually very dense. Possible uses residentially would be under area rugs on stairways or even under berber carpet in a game room.
Rebond Pad…This pad has become the most popular type in use today. It is primarily made up of recycled high density foam used by various industries such as furniture.
It also comes in varying qualities, thicknesses and benefits. Some have finer chips and are of a singular color. Some have large chips and are multicolored. Higher qualities have a moisture barrier on the surface to help "resist" moisture penetration due to spills.
Rebond pad when properly specified to a particular need will easily last the lifetime of the carpet it is used under.
In conclusion… You can see padding is something that deserves more respect and thought than it gets.
Properly used in the correct manner it can increase the life of a carpet.
It can increase the feeling of luxury under a less expensive carpet. It will increase the insulation value ultimately making the space warmer (especially used in lower levels on concrete) which is so common in our area.
The sound deadening ability is significantly improved as well. This will be most noticeable in the noise from the kid’s bedrooms or in the lower level when there is traffic upstairs. I always compare padding to the shock absorbers on your car. We certainly understand the importance of the job that they do and the negative results when they wear out.
So as you can see this is not a product to take for granted and deserves a lot more attention and questions when talking to your local flooring professional.

An easy way to protect your investment

This cannot be stated often enough. Vacuuming never wore out a carpet (unless the vacuum being used is in horrible condition) but NOT vacuuming will cause your carpet to appear worn much faster. The flooring industry has stated for many years that the recommended frequency for vacuuming is 2 to 3 times a week for the average household. Obviously if there are more people as well as pets this needs to be more often.
Now keep in mind even with the advances in fiber technology used in today’s carpet, that doesn’t mean that you only have to vacuum once a month or less!
Also when you vacuum remember that a “quick once over” is fine in low or no use areas but in higher traffic areas such as hallways, stairways and in front of furniture several passes will be necessary.
Now let’s get into the vacuum cleaner itself as well as its maintenance.
What type of vaccum is best?…Comically this can be a touchy issue. You will get all kinds of opinions and reasons why this vacuum is better than that vacuum.
It is my opinion that when it comes to cleaning a carpet the best type of vacuum is an upright model with a rotating brush. Canister styles are handy for multitasking but the carpet cleaning heads do not have the weight necessary to do a proper job. Some of these heads are not even powered with a rotating brush. There is a vast selection of upright models to choose from so you would benefit by doing some online research.

How often should I change the dust bag?…I know we all want to get as much mileage from the dust bag as possible but this is very important. You need to replace the dust bag when it reaches the ½ full point. The reason for this is that the balance of the dust bag by then has been saturated with dust which reduces the suction significantly. Obviously the vacuum’s efficiency drops which means it is no longer removing the soil from the carpet.

How often should I replace the filters?...What? My vacuum has filters? You mean like my car? Yes it sure does! The newer ‘bagless” units have several filters. Even older vacuums have at least one filter. These need to be checked regularly. As with the dust bags if these are not maintained the efficiency of the vacuum will be greatly reduced.

How about the brushes? Are they important?…Good question!
If you have been using your vacuum as often as you should, in time those brushes do wear down. As the length of these is reduced by usage they will no longer make the contact they were designed to with the carpet. Once again this will compromise the ability of the vacuum to clean your carpet.

The conclusion is that your carpet is a major investment. On average your flooring is the 3rd largest purchase that you will make. Isn’t this worth a little effort to protect your investment? The reward is not just the years of use that you get but how much nicer your carpet will look over its lifetime. If you don’t feel that you are “that handy” maintaining your vacuum I strongly suggest that you contact a professional vacuum cleaner shop. This would not be your big box style stores but more likely a locally owned shop that not only sells but repairs and maintains your vacuum cleaner.

Many advantages

Most certainly! When it comes to added value and natural beauty the solid solution is hardwood flooring. Hardwood flooring has a projected life of 50 to 80 years.
National realtor surveys indicate that homes with hardwood have a higher resale value and sell faster than homes with other types of flooring.
This being said there are some things that need to be addressed when purchasing hardwood floors.
In essence hardwood flooring can last the lifetime of your home with proper care and maintenance. There are far too many details regarding hardwood to talk about here but let’s touch on some basics.
First, the choices may seem overwhelming as there are literally dozens of species to choose from. However the hardwood that you choose will most likely be based on your personal preference. Certainly there are certain species that are more regionally popular than others but keep in mind as stated above this is a long term investment. Just because you prefer a very light maple color with your present decor doesn’t mean that your tastes won’t change. Also keep in mind that sometime in the future you might want to sell your home and you will want your home to appeal to a large base of buyers.
Overall in this part of the country the first choice is Oak. This floor has a relatively high hardness rating and because of its light and dark graining it has the ability to hide the inevitable dents and scratches.
Lighter toned floors (if stained to a lighter color as well) such as Maple, Birch and Pine tend to show scratches more and something else that we might as well address now.
We live in an area of extremes. The humidity and temperature in the summer can be high and just the opposite happens in the winter.
Hardwood not unlike people have a certain comfort level. In the summer if the humidity is too high the floor can buckle. In the winter when the humidity tends to be low the floor can split and you will notice gaps where the joints meet.
Here is an example…think of a door in your house that sticks in the summer but works just fine in the winter.
It is important for you and your hardwood to maintain a comfortable temperature and humidity level year round.
A lighter floor such as Maple will show these “gaps” at the joints in the winter more than a darker floor with more graining such as Oak.
Another thing that you will have to decide is whether you want an engineered floor or a solid wood floor. Each has its advantages and disadvantages. It will be to your benefit to do some research on this.
Here is just one good example of the many differences…solid hardwood can be refinished many times as compared to engineered hardwood which is far more limited.
Engineered hardwood is usually limited to two or three times.
When you consider the longevity advantage of hardwood as stated above this is obviously something important to consider.
Technology has not left behind hardwoods as well. Many new floors have a factory applied finish and in addition some companies impregnate the finish with aluminum oxide which increases the hardness of the surface finish.

In conclusion it is my personal opinion that there is nothing more beautiful than a hardwood floor. When you open the door it greets you and your family with a warm, natural beauty that is incomparable because each board is unique and special. Yes it can dent and scratch but just as we age and gain character in our faces so does your floor.
Please take the time to consider hardwood. At first it seems more expensive than the other choices but when you balance out the price over the long term it’s usually less. Hardwood wants to keep its natural beauty over its entire lifetime. It just needs a little help from you.