Even though laminate and vinyl flooring is very durable and
retains its beauty well under a great deal of use, there is some maintenance
that must be performed. In order to retain the beautiful look of hardwood,
floor coverings of all types will need some type of care in order to prevent
damages and to retain their original condition.
The amount of maintenance
necessary can often be determined by the following factors:
·
the amount of traffic on the floor
·
the type of traffic that the flooring is exposed
to
·
the color of the flooring
·
the type of flooring
Even Top Quality Floor Materials Require Some Maintenance
Too often, homeowners believe that their top-of-the-line
flooring doesn’t need any particular care. For example, Engage floors and Konecto flooring
can be highly resistant to stains, wear and tear, and other damages, with a
little bit of preventative care and routine maintenance. A little maintenance
can help these high quality flooring brands can live up to their greatest
potential. Consider implementing the following protective, maintenance steps
into your routine.
1. Provide extra
attention to solid, light, or white colored flooring.
These colors typically show off any scuffs from normal wear
more easily than other colors or patterns. In the same manner, scratches, worn
areas, and stains will also show up more than on other flooring color
choices. As you approach the next steps
of preventative maintenance, remember to provide particular attention to
lighter-colored floors.
2. Protect your
flooring from furniture legs and buttons, etc.
Heavy couches, tables, and entertainment centers can leave
dents, scratches, or tears in your laminate or vinyl floor. In order to prevent
these damages, use flat, non-staining cups under the legs of furniture and any
appliances. Any rolling chairs should be fitted with casters. By distributing
the weight of the furniture and legs on a broader surface, you can prevent many
damages from destroying the beauty and strength of your floor.
3. Recognize the
harmful effects of dirt and tracked-in grit.
Imagine the damage that would happen to your floor if you
wore shoes with sandpaper on the soles. No homeowner would purposely harm their
floor this way, yet everyday people walk onto their floors with the same type
of grit stuck to the bottom of their shoes. It is easy enough to prevent the
wear and tear that occurs when you or your family walks into the home from
outside; placing floor mats at the entrances of your home will often allow you
to trap the grains of dirt and other grit before it can damage your floor. This
is a particularly good piece of advice for owners of QuickStep floors that look
like beautiful hardwoods.
4. Clean up spills
immediately.
Both of the floor systems previously mentioned will resist
stains very well. However, it is always good to develop the habit of cleaning
up spills immediately. As staining materials are left, there is a greater
potential for the color to soak into the floor, leaving a permanent stain.
Treat other dirt and debris with the same persistence. Daily sweeping and
regular mopping will go a long way toward keeping your floor looking its best.
When you have chosen a beautiful floor for your home, you
want to protect that high quality appearance. By providing routine maintenance,
you can enjoy the look of hardwood with the convenience of laminate or vinyl
for many years.
These are so true!! We learned Tip #4 first hand a few weeks ago! Something under our sink was pushed against the sink pipe and it started leaking.... I don't know how long it was like that, but one morning when we got up there was a small pool of water on the floor outside of the sink cabinet. Even after cleaning it up, our previously pretty wood laminate floor has bubbles. :(
ReplyDeleteI make sure to protect my hardwood floors from chair legs. I made the mistake once and let the floor get terribly scratched from not keeping it protected. I make sure now to always have my chair lets protected! Wood flooring is expensive to replace!
ReplyDeletevery informative. nice.
ReplyDeleteThanks. We have all hardwood flooring.It does take some work to keep them looking good.
ReplyDeleteWe sure do take it for granted. Thinking it will take care of itself. Like one of those futuristic thinking washing machines. But no, maintenance is always key. Prevention is better than cure as they say.
ReplyDeleteThanks for sharing your tips! I'll keep them in mind!