Installation
and Flooring Care
Carpet
Installation Tips:
Remove all breakables,
lamps, plants, knick-knacks, clear dresser tops and move in to areas
not to be carpeted.
Remove dishes or
crystal from cabinets or hutches into areas not to be carpeted.
Empty bottom of closets
up to at least three feet.
Strip bed linens,
including dust ruffles, in rooms to receive new tile.
Disconnect all electronics
– Buddy's cannot be held responsible for reconnecting stereos, VCRs,
computers, etc.
Entertainment centers,
modular furniture, waterbeds and canopy beds must be disassembled
prior to installation.
Sensitive electronic
devices such as computers should be out of the room.
Put bookcase contents
into boxes to make moving easier.
Our installers will
use care to minimize scratches to wood baseboards. However, some
scratching of paint on the baseboard and door jambs could occur.
Make sure to leave
ample room for installers to move out rest of furniture.
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Carpet
Care
Let's start by saying
that the most important thing you can do to prolong the life of
your new carpet or rug is to vacuum it. Regular vacuuming removes
those nasty dirt particles that leave it looking dingy over time
and abrade the fiber, which shortens its lifespan. Use a vacuum
that has a rotating brush or beater bar, which stimulates the carpet
tufts and loosens the dirt and soil. (Plus, schedule regular professional
cleanings to remove soil accumulation that your regular vacuum can't
reach.) If your area rug has a fringe, make sure it's sewn on well,
and use the vacuum carefully.
If you have a thick
carpet and want to remove any tracks the vacuum makes (it's called
shading), you might try vacuuming in one direction, and then smoothing
the carpet surface by hand.
You can help to reduce
wear in your carpet by occasionally alternating your furniture placement
to change the "traffic lanes" and allow the carpet to
wear more uniformly. Be sure to vacuum these specific areas more
often to reduce dirt particles, which can lead to matting too.
Carpet
First Aid
In case of spills
on your beautiful carpet, the best way to remove any liquid stains
is, generally, to first remove the excess liquid with several layers
of clean, dry paper towels. Then apply a diluted hand washing detergent
to a clean cloth and gently blot the stain until it's removed.
Vinyl
Installation Tips:
Pre-Installation
Tips
Remove all breakables,
lamps, plants, knick-knacks, clear dresser tops and move in to areas
where installation is not taking place.
Empty bottom of
closets up to at least three feet.
Disconnect all
electronics – Buddy's cannot be held responsible for reconnecting
stereos, VCRs, computers, etc.
Sensitive electronic
devices such as computers should be out of the room.
Our installers
will use care to minimize scratches to wood baseboards. However,
some scratching of paint on the baseboard and door jambs could
occur.
Make sure to leave
ample room for installers to move out rest of furniture.
Laminate
Care
Laminate floors will
give you years of sturdy life if you follow some regular maintenance
tips.
Start by vacuuming
your floor regularly using soft brush attachments. Wipe with a damp
cloth or damp mop when necessary.
Even though these
floors are extremely durable, they can be scratched, so you want
to protect the floor from grit and sharp objects at all times. And
always use felt pads or wide based casters underneath all chair
and furniture legs. When moving heavy objects across the floor,
use extra care and place walk off mats by all exterior doorways.
There are some "don'ts"
when it comes to laminate floors, too. They should not be polished
or waxed, and you should never use steel wool or harsh abrasive
cleaners on them.
And never, ever try
to refinish or sand a laminate floor.
Laminate
First Aid
Even though laminate
floors are extremely durable, they can be scratched if you're not
careful. For minor scratches there are special, color-coordinating
pencils that can be used to fill them in. For chips, deep scratches
and gouges, repairs can be made with colored burn-in sticks, which
are used with special electric knives.
Gaps between plank
seams can be touched up with manufacturer-recommended touch-up products.
If damage to a laminate
plank is too severe for these procedures, you can replace it without
destroying the rest of the floor. There are special tools, router
bits, and wood strips to make that chore easier, but, unless you're
especially handy, it's probably best to leave a job like that to
a professional installer.
Vinyl
Care
Caring for a vinyl
floor is fairly easy, but there are some general rules.
Vacuum regularly
to remove grit and sand, and wash your floor occasionally with the
manufacturer's recommended floor cleaner. (Never use abrasive cleaners,
soaps, paste waxes or solvents, though.) Also, to keep sand and
grit from being tracked onto the floor, non-staining walk-off mats
should be placed at every outside entry to the room.
Dull-looking vinyl
floors can be restored to their original gloss with the manufacturer's
recommended floor polish - but first, try cleaning to make sure
a film on the floor isn't causing the dullness. With inexpensive
PVC floors, you should consider using 2-3 coats of polish - any
vinyl floor with a PVC wearlayer (that's a fancy name for surface)
shows scuffs, scratches, and other marks very easily and by adding
those coats of polish you'll make the floor easier to maintain.
When moving heavy
objects across a vinyl floor, place plywood sheets down first and
move the object over them.
Vinyl
First Aid
If your Vinyl floor
gets a cut or gouge in it, or if you have a seam open, cover the
areas and call a floor covering professional immediately to come
and repair them.
Wipe up any spills
immediately. Most spills wipe up easily with a clean rag or paper
towel. If needed, clean them with the manufacturer's recommended
cleaner or luke warm water and clear ammonia. Don't use soap because
it will leave a film that will make the floor appear dull.
Pre-Installation
Tips
Remove all breakables,
lamps, plants, knick-knacks, clear dresser tops and move in to areas
where installation is not taking place.
Remove dishes or
crystal from cabinets or hutches into areas not to be tiled.
Empty bottom of
closets up to at least three feet.
Strip bed linens,
including dust ruffles, in rooms to receive new tile.
Disconnect all
electronics – Buddy's cannot be held responsible for reconnecting
stereos, VCRs, computers, etc.
Entertainment centers,
modular furniture, waterbeds and canopy beds must be disassembled
prior to installation.
Sensitive electronic
devices such as computers should be out of the room.
Put bookcase contents
into boxes to make moving easier.
Our installers
will use care to minimize scratches to wood baseboards. However,
the tile are abrasive and some scratching of paint on the baseboard
and door jambs could occur.
Make sure to leave
ample room for installers to move out rest of furniture.
All
About Ceramic Tile
Ceramic tiles are
made from a mixture of clays that are pressed into shape and fired
at high temperatures to give the tile its hardness.
Ceramic tiles are
then either glazed or not. Glazed tiles are the most common style
today in floor and wall tiles as well as for residential and commercial
applications. Glazing is done by applying liquid glass to the body
of the tile, and firing it at high temperatures so the glazing becomes
hard and non-porous. Shiny glazes are softer, can be scratched easier,
and can be more slippery than satin or rustic finishes.
Unglazed tiles, on
the other hand, are very durable and don't show the effects of heavy
traffic. The most common unglazed tiles are red quarry tiles or
the granite-looking porcelain ceramic tiles that are used in heavy
commercial areas.
The color of the
body of the tile (as opposed to the surface) is determined by the
color of the clay available in the manufacturer's area.
Ceramic tiles can
be manufactured in one of two ways, called: - Bicottura ("double
fired") - the clay body is fired on the first pass through
the kiln, and then the glaze is applied and fired on the second
pass through. - Monocottura ("single fired") - the tile
passes through the firing process one time at a temperature of 2200
degrees. Monocottura tiles have denser bodies and harder glazes
than Bicottura tiles.
As the weight or
density of the tile increases, the stronger it becomes, but the
less moisture it can absorb. Which is something you should keep
in mind, depending on where you plan to use them. They're graded,
from "Non-Vitreous Tiles," which can absorb the most moisture,
through "Semi-Vitreous" and "Vitreous," to "Impervious
Tiles," which absorb less than .5% moisture.
Area
Rug Care
Let's start by saying
that the most important thing you can do to prolong the life of
your new carpet or rug is to vacuum it. Regular vacuuming removes
those nasty dirt particles that leave it looking dingy over time
and abrade the fiber, which shortens its lifespan. Use a vacuum
that has a rotating brush or beater bar, which stimulates the carpet
tufts and loosens the dirt and soil. (Plus, schedule regular professional
cleanings to remove soil accumulation that your regular vacuum can't
reach.) If your area rug has a fringe, make sure it's sewn on well,
and use the vacuum carefully.
If you have a thick
carpet and want to remove any tracks the vacuum makes (it's called
shading), you might try vacuuming in one direction, and then smoothing
the carpet surface by hand.
You can help to reduce
wear in your carpet by occasionally alternating your furniture placement
to change the "traffic lanes" and allow the carpet to
wear more uniformly. Be sure to vacuum these specific areas more
often to reduce dirt particles, which can lead to matting too.
Area
Rug First Aid
Just in case of spills
on your beautiful carpet, the best way to remove any liquid stains
is, generally, to first remove the excess liquid with several layers
of clean, dry paper towels. Then apply a diluted hand washing detergent
to a clean cloth and gently blot the stain until it's removed.
Hardwood
Installation Tips:
Pre-Installation
Tips
Remove all breakables,
lamps, plants, knick-knacks, clear dresser tops and move in to areas
where installation is not taking place.
Remove dishes or
crystal from cabinets or hutches into areas where installation
is not taking place.
Empty bottom of
closets up to at least three feet.
Strip bed linens,
including dust ruffles, in rooms to receive new hardwood floor.
Disconnect all
electronics – Buddy's cannot be held responsible for reconnecting
stereos, VCRs, computers, etc.
Entertainment centers,
modular furniture, waterbeds and canopy beds must be disassembled
prior to installation.
Sensitive electronic
devices such as computers should be out of the room.
Put bookcase contents
into boxes to make moving easier.
Our installers
will use care to minimize scratches to wood baseboards. However,
the backings of carpeting are as abrasive as sandpaper and some
scratching of paint on the baseboard and door jambs could occur.
Make sure to leave
ample room for installers to move out rest of furniture.
Back
to Top
Hardwood
Care
To keep your hardwood
floor looking beautiful, there are some simple procedures you should
follow.
Vacuum regularly
and use non-staining mats at exterior entrances to keep sand, dirt,
grease, and oil outside.
To protect your floor's
finish, use pads underneath furniture legs to help prevent scratching,
and, while we're on the subject, keep all your pets nails trimmed,
too. Along that same line, when moving any heavy objects (like furniture
or appliances, for instance), use a dolly and protective sheets
of plywood on the floor.
When cleaning the
floor, always use the manufacturer's recommended cleaning procedures.
Avoid getting water on the floor, too, as it may cause the wood
grain to rise, or the boards to cup.
And be careful about
exposure to the sun, because UV rays do the same thing to wood that
they do to skin: accelerate the aging, which causes the wood stain
to change color.
