Follow These Tips To Extend The Life Of Your New Carpet

1. Rotate furniture every 6 months to prevent permanent marks and dents to your carpet. Not only will this help prevent dents but will keep your home feeling new. Furniture slide pads can help make this task easier on you back. 
2. Vacuum frequently. But how often? That will depend on the type of traffic your carpet is experiencing. For high traffic areas it’s recommended to vacuum that section daily, and the entire area twice a week. For light traffic areas, vacuum the traffic area twice a week and the entire area once per week.For rooms with little to no use, it’s recommended to vacuum the area biweekly. 
3. Keep the dirt outside of your home. Adding an entry rug to capture dirt, and removing your footwear before entering your home, will result in less dirt in your carpet fibers. 
4. Professionally clean your carpet every 12 – 18 months. Hiring a professional carpet cleaning company can help to get rid of stains, change of color, odors, and grime that a regular vacuum cannot handle. 
5. Spot clean when necessary. When a spill or accident happens it’s best to tackle it right away to prevent the color and dye from foods, to permanently stain your carpet. Blotting and using soap and water may do the trick. You can also check with your carpet manufacturer for recommended carpet cleaning products.

Following these tips will help keep your carpet new for an extended period of time. Be sure to check your manufacturer’s warranty, to ensure that the cleaning solution being used is approved for your carpet type and will not void any warranty.

The Christmas tree is a symbol for hope, and togetherness and is a core part of the celebration and anticipation of the Christmas season. Families often look forward to picking out the right tree, and decorating in their homes during the Christmas holiday.

Whether your Christmas tree is a live pine, fir, spruce, cypress, cedar or an artificial tree, we have you covered. Here are some tips that will help prevent your floors from damages which can save you the hassle of floor repair costs during the holiday season.

Potential Issues and Damages

Sap Leakage and Stains

Sap leakage can occur from the trunk and branch of live trees. A newer cut tree will typically have more sap inside and thus be more prone to leakage.

Acidic stains can occur from fallen pine leaves also known as pine needles which can cause damage to your carpet and hardwood floors. Pine needles can also be a hazard to small children and pets.

Water leakage

Another potential issue which can be caused from over watering or not having the proper tree protection such as a Christmas tree mat. Carpet and under-pad staining is a potential risk factor.

Scratches

Improper use of or minimal floor protection with tree floor stands can cause damages to the surface of your hardwood floors.

Mild scratches can also occur from pine needles being left on your hardwood floor.

Proper Maintenance

Small children and pets should be always supervised while around a Christmas tree to prevent tipping. Barrier protection such as baby gates are a great option in ensuring the added safety of your pets and children.

Vacuuming and sweeping pine needles regularly, can prevent or reduce the risks of staining and scratches to your floors surface. 

Self adhesive felt pads should be placed on the legs of the christmas tree stands if you do not have a mat, this can prevent scratches and marks on your hardwood floors surface.

Watering your live Christmas tree frequently will prevent it from drying out which can turn your tree into a fire hazard. A Christmas tree stand is required.

Water guard Christmas tree mats are one of the the best options to protect your tree from leakage, and scratches. If you need something more decorative you can add a Christmas tree skirt, which can be found in a variety of colours. To play it even safer you can place a waterproof plastic garbage bag under the Christmas tree mat for that extra layer of water protection against your floors.  

Artificial trees might be most convenient alternative due to the minimal maintenance process involved. For those who want to lower the chances of  damages, leakage, and staining to their floors an artificial Christmas tree is recommend.

Hope you have a safe, and damage-free floor this Christmas holiday season. Merry Christmas.

Tile is considered to be easy to care for and requires very little maintenance when compared to other flooring options. By taking a few preventative measures and following simple routine cleaning tips, you can easily keep your tile floors looking pristine.

Ames Tile – Nepal Slate Random Sticks

Routine Care for Porcelain and Ceramic Tiles

• Vacuum and sweep regularly to remove dust and debris.
• Clean your floors weekly with a neutral PH cleaner that does not contain ammonia, acid, or bleach.
• Change mop water frequently while cleaning floors.
• Glazed ceramic backsplashes in bathrooms can be cleaned with multi-purpose bathroom cleaner as long as the cleaner is also suitable for grout.

Grout Sealing

• Cementitious grouts should be sealed after installation to prevent staining.
• Epoxy grout does not need to be sealed since it is already chemically cured.
• Neither sealing or using epoxy grout is a 100% perfect solution to prevent grout staining and discolouration.

Routine Grout Cleaning

• Use a grout compatible or neutral PH cleaner to clean the grout.
• Deep cleaning with professional strength grout cleaner is recommended every 6-12 months. More frequent cleaning is recommended for areas with heavy exposure to soap and grease.
• If deep cleaning does not remove grout stains, try an epoxy-based grout stain to return it to the original colour.

Natural Stone

Since natural stone products are porous and soak up liquids, they require more maintenance than ceramic or porcelain tiles. Following proper maintenance guidelines is necessary to keep your natural stone beautiful.

Ames Tile – Filed and Honed Travertine

Natural Stone Sealing

• Sealing is strongly recommended for all natural stones. Since fine grout particles can stain tiles, it is recommended to seal both before and after grouting.
• Sealers will not make your natural stone stain proof. They will provide a temporary barrier that allows you to clean the stone before stains can penetrate the stone.

Natural Stone Routine Maintenance

• Vacuum and sweep regularly to remove dust and debris.
• Only clean using a neutral PH cleaner designed for cleaning stone. Cleaning products that use acid, ammonia or bleach can etch or discolour natural stone.
• When trying out a new cleaner, it is highly recommended to do a test spot in an inconspicuous area such as under appliances.
• Clean up all spills immediately to prevent them from penetrating the stone’s surface

Vinyl flooring is considered to be one of the easiest to maintain flooring options on the market. There are a few tips and tricks to learn that will help you spend less time cleaning your floors. For a quick run-down, read our quick vinyl flooring maintenance tips below or watch this video from worldwide vinyl supplier Armstrong.

Maintenance tips

• Sweep your vinyl flooring regularly – at least once per week.
• Wipe up spills as soon as possible to prevent staining.
• When sweeping is not enough to get your floors clean, occasionally wash your floor using the manufacturer’s recommended cleaner. Do not use detergents, abrasive cleaners, mop and shine products, paste wax or solvent based polishes.
• Use a mop or cloth to clean your floor. We do not recommend using a vacuum beater bar or abrasive scrubbing tools as these can damage your floor.
• If your floor begins to dull over time, use the manufacturer recommended floor finish polish to restore the floor’s original shine. The gloss level of each vinyl floor varies, so it’s important to check what your manufacturer recommends.

Preventative maintenance

• Use a walk-off mat at outside entrances to prevent dirt, sand and grit from being tracked onto your vinyl floors. Rubber or latex backed mats can stain your floors. Instead choose a non-staining vinyl mat or a woven colourfast rug.
• When moving appliances or heavy items, put down a piece of plywood or hardboard runway to protect your floors from damage. A runway is always recommended, even when using a furniture dolly or items with wheels.

Misconceptions about hardwood floor cleaning are rampant on the internet. There are many people on Pinterest and home advice forums claiming vinegar and water are best for cleaning your hardwood floors or steam mops have made their hardwood floors look beautiful again. While these methods may appear to work for now, they can cause damage over time. We want to clear up these misconceptions and give you the facts from the long-term perspectives of flooring experts.

Myth 1: Vinegar and water should be used to clean hardwood floors

Fact: No. Vinegar and water seems like a great natural and easy floor cleaner since most people already have these products in their kitchen. But the vinegar can actually dull or damage your hardwood floor.  Instead use a product recommended by your manufacturer. Links to the hardwood care and maintenance sites for some common hardwood manufacturers can be found at the end of the post.

Myth 2: Damp mopping is the best way to clean wood floors

Fact: No. Water and wood do not mix. That soaking wet mop is putting too much water on the floors. Wet mopping can void your warranty and causes warping, de-lamination and joint-line separation. To prevent these problems, use a spray like the Bona hardwood floor cleaner spray to lightly mist the floor and then use a dry mop.

Myth 3: Steam cleaners can be used on my hardwood floors

Fact: No. The mantra “wood and water do not mix” holds true here too. We have all seen the hawkers at home shows and infomercials on TV claiming that steam cleaners are great for sanitizing and cleaning your wood floors. But many hardwood flooring manufacturers list steam cleaners as a don’t in their hardwood cleaning advice and will void the warranty if you use a steam cleaner. Repeatedly using a steam cleaner can result in peeling, whitening or cloudy finish. If you want to keep your manufacturers warranty and a pristine finish on your floor, keep that steam cleaner away from your hardwood floors.

Myth 4: Vacuums with a beater bar can be used for hardwood floor cleaning

Fact: No. Vacuuming is recommended by most hardwood floor manufacturers – WITHOUT a beater bar. The rough bristles of the beater bar can permanently scratch your floor. Get a hardwood floor attachment to make your vacuum safer for to use on your hardwood.

Myth 5: I can use any cleaner on my floor including ammonia or oil-based cleaners.

Fact: No. Ammonia is a basic cleaner with a PH of 11 and can ruin the colour of your floor. Oil-based cleaners can leave a milky-residue on the hardwood. Stick with manufacturer approved cleaners to avoid any these ingredients.

Hardwood Care and Maintenance Info from the Manufacturers

The best way to keep your floors looking good and under warranty is to follow the manufacturer’s instructions. All of our customers receive a copy of care and maintenance info in the mail after their job is completed.

Links to a few common manufacturers are below. If you don’t know the manufacturer of your floors, feel free to call us or use the National Wood Flooring Association’s advice.

National Wood Flooring Association Common Maintenance Questions

Shaw Floors Hardwood Flooring Care

Beaulieu Canada Hardwood Care & Maintenance

Armstrong Hardwood Care