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Tile & Stone Hardwood Carpet & Rugs Maintenance

Stone Floor Care and Maintenance

Stone flooring is easy to care for. They require less regular maintenance than many types of flooring, so you won't have to do much to make sure your stone floors look great! The key point to keep in mind when taking care of your stone floors is that all stone floors are different. That's why it's important to get exact instructions on how to properly care for the particular type of stone flooring you buy. That way you can prevent any problems before they happen! It's also recommended that you seal new stone floors with an impregnating sealer. Be careful what sealer you select, however, because some may alter the color of the stone.

Prevention and Maintenance

1. Place mats or area rugs at outside entrances to collect sand, dirt, and dust and prevent it from reaching your stone floor. Be sure to choose mats with non–slip surfaces and backings.

2. Get specific advice from the manufacturer or retailer on how to take care of your stone floor. Since some stones are more porous then others, most types of stone flooring have more specific cleaning instructions, especially highly polished stone floors.

3. If you're installing stone floors in a wet area like a bathroom, be sure to properly maintain the caulking in order to prevent potential damage to the floor or sub–floor.

4. Add protectors to the legs of furniture and tables.

5. When moving furniture or other heavy objects across stone flooring, lift them, rather than dragging them.

6. Depending on what kind of stone floor you choose, you will need to have a sealer applied. Consult the retailer or manufacturer to find out before you purchase.

Care and Cleaning

If you notice dirt accumulating, you can dust mop your stone floor using a clean, untreated dry dust mop or broom.

Damp mopping your stone flooring occasionally will keep it looking great. Consult the manufacturer or retailer on what stone floor cleaners they recommend. After mopping, thoroughly rinse the floor and dry it off with a clean, dry cloth. Be careful not to use too much cleaner, which may leave a film behind. Change the rinse water as needed while mopping.

Spills should be blotted up immediately. If spot cleaning is needed, use warm water and the manufacturer's recommended cleaner or a neutral pH detergent.

Don't use abrasive cleaners, dry or soft cleansers, ammonia–based products, grout cleaners, scouring powders, or bathroom tub and tile cleaners on your stone floor. These can all potentially dull your floor.

Avoid using cleaners that contain vinegar, lemon juice, or similar acids on limestone, marble, or travertine floors.

If you need to vacuum your stone floor, make sure you use a vacuum cleaner without a beater bar. Use your vacuum cleaner attachments to get into corners and other hard to reach spaces.

Keep mats and area rugs clean by frequently shaking them out outside

Hardwood Floor Care and Maintenance

Today's wood floor finishes are relatively easy to maintain. Enjoy your wood floor for many years by following the simple steps listed below.

Place walk-off rugs at entrances. This will help trap grit, which can scratch your floor. The rugs should be vacuumed and cleaned on a regular basis. These rugs should occasionally be moved to provide equal oxidation throughout the entire floor, allowing the floor to age at the same rate throughout. Avoid using the rugs until 2 weeks after the finish has been applied to allow the finish to fully cure.
Place mats near high spill areas (refrigerator & sinks). Do not allow soiled rugs to stay on the floor as they can trap moisture in the wood floor. Rugs should be cleaned on a regular basis.
Never apply water on your floor. Never wet-mop your floor. A damp/dry mop is fine as long as the moisture is limited to an amount that will evaporate almost immediately. Any additional water will seep through plank cracks causing the finish to break down and wood fibers to expand. A wet rag may be used for cleaning up spills. However, be sure to dry afterward to avoid leaving any moisture on the floor.
Vacuum your floor regularly to remove grit, dirt and rocks that can scratch your floor finish.
Always use the manufacturers recommended cleaning products on your floor. If you don't know the manufacturer, use a generic hardwood floor cleaner designed for the type of finish that is on your floor. A cleaner for surface finishes, such as urethane, is quite common and readily available. This is generally a water-based product similar to Windex. Do not use Windex, as it will leave a film. Do not use a solvent based (petroleum based products) cleaner on urethane-finished floors (surface coated). Solvents/petroleum's will soften and break down a surface finish. Solvent type maintenance products were originally created for waxed hardwood floors and are still important products for floors that are finished with penetrating oil or wax finish. Although not as common, there is still a demand for this traditional finish. Using a water-based cleaner as in the urethane finished floor cleaners will ruin a penetrating finish. It will turn it first a white color (like a ring from a glass on a coffee table) and eventually black as it rots the wood.
Put floor protector glides under your furniture legs. This will allow your furniture to move but not scratch the floor.
Shoe Heels can exert a tremendous amount of pressure pounds per square inch. They can dent even the hardest of floors. Baseball cleats or even a dog with unclipped toenails can also damage a floor.
Refrigerators and dishwashers with bottom motors should have appliance trays installed under them to protect the floor from heat. Heat can cause the floor to have varying degrees of dryness. This may cause uneven shrinkage and cracking. These cracks, while not obvious, will collect dirt causing them to become more visible over time.
If the floor is beginning to show significant wear it may be time to recoat the floor. By recoating the floor at the first signs of wear, you will be able to bring your floor back to new condition with just a recoating. If the floor is allowed to wear into the wood, it will require the floor to be resanded and then coated resulting in a much higher cost.

Porcelain Tile Care and Maintenance

The inherent technical characteristics of porcelain tiles ensures that they will be relatively easy to maintain and should provide years of enjoyment. Many general purpose cleaners that are readily available are acceptable for use on porcelain tiles. It is important that the cleaner has a non-oil, non-animal fat, non-soap base. These components can leave behind an invisible residue with can trap dirt. It is also important that the tile receive a thorough rinsing with clean water after the cleaning process has been completed.

The general cleaning steps for porcelain tile can be summarized as follows:

Remove all loose debris from the tile by sweeping with a soft bristle broom or vacuum.
Any spills should be wiped up as quickly as possible.
Apply the recommended amount and dilution of the appropriate cleaner to the tile. Allow the cleaner to remain on the tile for short period of time (at least 5 minutes).
For unpolished tile, scrub with a nylon pad or soft bristle brush. For more heavily soiled floors a floor machine equipped with a nylon pad or bristle brush may be used. For polished tile, wipe or mop with a nonabrasive mop or cloth.
Remove the dirty cleaning solution and water with a wet vacuum or mop. Thoroughly rinse the tile with clean water and remove with a wet vacuum, mop, or towel. It is absolutely essential for all detergent residues to be completely removed from the tile. Any remaining detergent residue can dry on the tile and form a coating which can trap dirt and be very difficult to remove. The tile should be rinsed several times if necessary to remove all detergent residue.