CARPET MAINTENANCE

For ideal carpet maintenance, you will need to vacuum your heavy traffic areas, such as hallways, stairs, and exterior entryways at least twice a week. Vacuum less heavily used areas weekly. For best results, use a vacuum cleaner with a beater bar or rotating brush and with a strong enough air flow to penetrate to the carpet backing.

CARPET CARE & CLEANING TIPS

No matter how often you vacuum, your carpet will still need heavy-duty cleaning from time to time. Professional carpet care and cleaning is required to maintain your Carpet. A trained carpet care professional should perform this service at least every 18-24 months to refresh the texture and rejuvenate the fibers in your carpet.† Have the cleaning professionals come to your home for a visual inspection, and obtain a written agreement before the work is started.

When you and your carpet cleaning professional choose a cleaning method, fiber content is the most important concern. Most carpet today is constructed with synthetic fibers such as nylon, polyester, or olefin and may be cleaned with most cleaning methods. Natural fibers such as wool, cotton, silk, and sisal may require specialized care. Use a cleaning method recommended by the carpet manufacturer to maintain their warranty,

HARDWOOD CARE & MAINTENANCE

Hardwood care and maintenance is important for preserving the beauty of your wood floors. Like any floor covering, real wood floors will show signs of wear over time, depending on the size and lifestyle of your family. But by observing a few precautions, and using the cleaning and hardwood floor maintenance program recommended by the manufacturer, you can expect years of beauty from your wood floor.

HARDWOOD CARE

Do not use any wax or cleaner that contain lemon oil, tung oil, or ammonia as this may damage your floor.

HARDWOOD MAINTENANCE

For hardwood floor maintenance, remove spills promptly using a soft cloth and cleaning products recommended by the manufacturer. Be sure to keep pet nails trimmed and paws clean and free of dirt, gravel, grease, oil, and stains. Place protective pads beneath furniture legs to reduce scratches and dents. Use a dolly and protective sheets of plywood when moving heavy objects, furniture, or appliances. Some objects may be too heavy to move across a hardwood floor under any circumstances.

CERAMIC TILE CARE & MAINTENANCE
Ceramic tile care and maintenance, for the most part, requires minimal attention. Glazed and unglazed tile, under normal residential situations, can be cleaned using clean water and a tile cleaner recommended by the manufacturer. Always follow up with a rinse of clean water to completely remove all the cleaning solution. Regular maintenance is recommended to avoid build-up of dirt, residue, grease, soap, detergents, or other external contaminants.

Improper care of ceramic tile using maintenance and improper cleaning products can result in a build-up on the surface, causing the tile to be slippery. Wax cleaners and oil-based detergents may decrease the slip resistance and are not recommended for use on your ceramic tile.

CERAMIC TILE CARE
For basic cleaning, the following procedures are recommended in ceramic tile care:

Sweep or vacuum surface
Mix water with tile and grout cleaner per manufacturer's instructions and apply to surface
Allow solution to sit for three to five minutes
Agitate with sponge or mop
Mop up solution
Rinse mop and change cleaning solution at least every 500 square feet
Rinse thoroughly with clean water
Dry mop floor to remove moisture or pick up residue with a wet-vac
Wipe the floor dry

CERAMIC TILE MAINTENANCE

For tile with coarse or abrasive type surfaces, ceramic tile maintenance will need to be performed more frequently. Agitation will need to be more vigorous and water changes more frequent. Proper cleaning of these types of tile is necessary for the slip resistance value to be maintained. Grease or water accumulation may create slippery conditions. Be careful to avoid introduction of grease from dirty mops to your floor surface while cleaning.

Because the grout on your ceramic tile needs time to thoroughly dry after installation, we recommend you do not scrub or wash your ceramic tile for five days after installation. We also recommend protecting your floor against abrasive dirt at entrances to buildings with dirt catching floor mats.

LAMINATE FLOOR CARE AND MAINTENANCE

Care of laminate flooring is relatively easy. It brings the beauty of a natural wood floor and the easy maintenance of a resilient floor together so you can have the style you want and the carefree maintenance you need. While laminate flooring is remarkably durable, there is of course no such thing as an indestructible flooring material. By observing the following laminate floor care & maintenance precautions, you can expect years of beauty from your laminate floor.

LAMINATE FLOOR CARE

For general cleaning, use a dust mop or wipe occasionally with a damp cotton or cloth mop. If heavier cleaning is needed, an occasional damp mopping with a mild cleaning product is suggested. Do not use soap or detergent-based cleaners, wax-based products, or any type of polish as they leave a dull, filmy residue. Do not flood your floor with water.

To help eliminate fine particles of dirt and grit that act like sandpaper and will scratch any floor, vacuum or sweep daily. The vacuum head must bea felt or brush type. Be certain that the wheels of the vacuum are clean and do not damage the finish. DO NOT USE A VACUUM WITH A BEATER BAR HEAD.

LAMINATE FLOOR MAINTENANCE
Remove spills promptly using a soft cloth and cleaning products recommended by the manufacturer. Be sure to keep pet nails trimmed and paws clean and free of dirt and gravel that may scratch your floor.

Place protective pads beneath furniture legs, tables, and other easily movable furniture to reduce scratches. Replace plastic casters on chairs with rubber wheels, and lift rather than slide heavy objects across the floor.

Remove shoes with spiked or damaged heels before walking on the floor. Spiked or stiletto high-heel shoes may cause damage to laminate floors due to the extremely high compressive force they generate. Such footwear can produce dynamic loads in excess of 1000 pounds per square inch, even when worn by someone of slight or average build.

As added protection, use dirt-trapping walk-off mats at all exterior doors to help keep sand, dirt, and grit off your laminate floor.

VINYL FLOOR CARE AND MAINTENANCE

Because vinyl floor care and maintenance is so easy with a resilient floor, there is no cause for concern when it comes to spots, spills, or scuffs left by shoes. By observing a few precautions, and with proper vinyl care and maintenance, you can ensure that your vinyl floor always looks its best.

VINYL FLOOR CARE

Because the adhesive under your floor needs time to thoroughly dry after installation, new vinyl floor care should be gentle. We recommend that you do not scrub or wash your floor for at least three days after it is installed.

For general vinyl floor care and cleaning, sweep your floor regularly (at least once a week) and be sure to wipe up spills promptly. Occasional mopping with the manufacturer's recommended cleaning solution may be needed when dirt builds up and sweeping alone is not sufficient. Please note that soap or detergent products are not recommended for resilient floors as they will leave a dulling film on the surface. The Flex Floor products, however, can be cleaned with a damp mop and mild detergent or soap.

Caution: Vinyl floors can be slippery when they become wet. Use extreme caution when walking on a wet floor.

VINYL FLOOR MAINTENANCE

A good vinyl floor maintenance program will help keep your floors in top condition. Use doormats outside each entrance to your home to prevent dirt, sand, grit, and other substances such as oil, asphalt, and driveway sealer from being tracked onto your floor. Use non-staining mats on your floor. Do not put rubber-backed, latex-backed, or coco fiber mats on your floor because they may stain or damage the surface. Close your curtains or blinds where extreme sunlight hits the floor. A combination of heat and sunlight causes most home furnishings, including vinyl floors, to fade or discolor. Protection is an important part of vinyl floor maintenance.

Support furniture with wide-bearing, non-staining floor protectors. Ideally, the protectors should be at least 1" in diameter, made of non-pigmented hard plastic, and rest flat on the floor.

Non-staining felt protectors are also acceptable. Casters with a minimum 3/4" flat surface width or greater are recommended for all moveable furniture. Make sure any floor protectors made of metal are rustproof. Replace your narrow dome furniture rests with wide-bearing ones.

CLEANING STAINS AND OTHER PROBLEMS

The overall stain resistance of vinyl is excellent and most spills will wipe off quickly and easily with a clean white cloth. Removing certain substances may take a little extra effort. Always use a clean, white cloth for wiping up stains and turn it frequently to avoid spreading the stain. Rinse with clean water and allow area to dry. Repeat if necessary.

Don't forget that while cost is important to consider in making your flooring decision, you are making a long term investment in your home. With that being the case, be careful about sacrificing what you want in order to meet your budget.

Whatever you choose is going to be there for years to come, so it's very important that you get exactly what you want, despite the price.

We are equipped to handle all phases of flooringinstallations to suit your every need in a professional and timely manner. If you can dream it, we can install it. Our mission is to serve you, the customer in the time honored tradition of craftsmanship with all ceramic, stone, tile, wood, carpet, laminate, installations that you will be proud to show off.

Palm Coast Tile & Stone Flooring Installations

FREDERICKS ARTISTIC TILE & MORE - Your premiere flooring company serving Flagler, St Johns & Volusia Counties

CLEANING STAINS AND OTHER PROBLEMS