Flooring - Vinyl & Laminate


How to Care for Vinyl and Laminate Flooring

Now that you have chosen to have vinyl or laminate flooring used in your home, you need to know a few guidelines to follow to keeping it looking beautiful. Vinyl and laminate flooring are two of the easiest floor coverings to take care of. Proper care will give you years of enjoyment out of your vinyl or laminate flooring.

You should begin to take proper care of your vinyl or laminate flooring as soon as it has been layed.

Care For Laminate Floor Coverings:

1. Do not put any heavy objects onto a new laminate floor for at least 3 full days.
2. Restrict traffic on a newly layed laminate floor for at least 2 days.
3. When returning the furnishings to a room with new laminate floors, be sure to use pads under any metal or pointed legs.
4. Always wipe up any spilled liquids immediately. Moisture can get between the tiles or planks and cause them to warp.
5. For everyday cleaning use a mild cleaner and soft cloth. You may choose to just use warm water.
6. Never use an abrasive detergent or cleaner on your laminate floor.
7. For harder to remove soilings, you may need to use rubbing alcohol.

Care For Vinyl Floor Coverings:

1. In order for the adhesive to work properly on your new vinyl floor, keep the temperature of the room abouve 68 degrees for a few days.
2. Do not walk on any areas that have sealed seams for at least two days.
3. Do not replace any heavy furnishings back onto the new floor for five days.
4. When replacing the rooms furnishings, check that all areas that will be touching the floor are not going to scratch or tear your vinyl flooring.
5. If using any type of rug or mat be sure that it is "color-fast". Dyes can sometimes stain your vinyl floor.
6. For everyday cleaning, just vacuum or sweep up the dirt and damp mop with warm water. No cleaner should be necessary.
7. If your vinyl floor should lose its shine, you may clean your floor with water and clear ammonia. If this does not bring back the shine, try a floor polish recommended by the manufacturer.
8. Never uses waxes or abrasive cleansers on you vinyl flooring.

Wallpapering
Wallpaper can enhance any decor
Wallpaper is appropriate in many types of settings, and is now becoming the more desired choice for home and office decor. There are many people who are deciding to throw away the old paint brush and are choosing the more sophisticated elegant look that wallpaper can offer. Deciding to wallpaper can often be a time consuming process because you want to make sure that you are choosing the right look for your home. You can make your decision easier by choosing your desired wallpaper sample and bringing it home to see if it fits your decorating vision. When you decide to put up wallpaper you will find that the textures and designs are limitless, you can create any look that you want. Wallpapering can be an easy task if you have the tools that you need to get started. To begin you will need to purchase a few items such as a smoother, cutter or yardstick, trim guide, seam roller, water tray or paste activator, and brush or roller paste. There are a few other things that you will need such as a bucket, sponges, and a step ladder. Most wallcoverings are washable which is an important consideration when you place wallpaper in the kitchen or bathroom areas. Most wallpaper now comes with an easy-to-install and easy-to-remove guarantee that makes this process so much easier for you, especially if you have never done a home improvement project before; however if this seems too complicated to do on your own, you may decide that you need the services of a professional. Deciding whether or not to pay a professional, or do it yourself can be a hard decision however if you decide to do it yourself you can get assistance from the great staff at any Home Depo or Lowes store.