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Product Care
Cabinet Care
 | Wood Cabs |
Countertop Care
| Laminate |
|
Solid Surface (Corian) |
| Granite |
Flooring Care
| Ceramic |
| Stone |
| Laminate |
| Wood |
| Carpet |
| Vinyl |
Cabinets
Diamond by Masterbrand
Countertops
Laminate
Formica
1-800-367-6422
Wilsonart 1-800-433-3222
Nevamar 1-800-638-4380
Pionite 1-800-746-6483
Solid Surface
Avonite
Corian 1-800-4-Corian
LG Hi-Macs
Formica brand
Solid Surface 1-800-Formica
Wilsonart Gibraltar & Earthstone 1-800-433-3222
Hanex Top Stone
1-609-655-0711
Quartz
Zodiaq
1-800-426-2476
Caeserstone 1-877-978-2789
Stone
Granite
Marble
Caring for
your Stone Installation (from the Marble Institute)
Caring
for stone UGM
Do's and Don'ts form Mont
Granite
Marble & Granite care from
Marble Care
Ceramic Tile
Although glazed ceramic tiles require less floor care than most of the other flooring types, there are things you need to do to maintain the beauty of the ceramic tile floor.
| Wash Regularly - Wash the floor regularly to remove any dirt or grit. Use a mild, diluted detergent solution, such as Mr. Clean or Spic & Span, or ammonia and water. Many customers also like to use Armstrong's Once-N-Done ammoniated cleaner. If in doubt, call us to get the tile manufacturer's cleaning recommendations. |
| Vacuum Regularly - Sweep, or vacuum your glazed tile regularly. |
| Never Wax a Tile - The glazed ceramic finish should never be waxed. |
| Wipe Spills Immediately - Liquids spills may be wiped up with an all-purpose cleaners, such as Fantastic, or Top Job. This will also help the grout joints from becoming discolored from spilled liquids. |
| Grout Sealers - Non-epoxy grout joints should be treated with a silicone grout sealer to help preserve the grout color and to prevent discoloration from spilled liquids. |
Armstrong
Custom Building: Tile & Stone Care Products & Setting Materials
Laminate Flooring
Laminate floors will give years of performance if you follow some regular maintenance procedures. Even though these floors are extremely durable they can be scratched so protect your floor from grit and sharp objects.
| Use felt pads, or wide based casters underneath all chair and furniture legs. |
| When moving heavy objects across the floor always use extra care and place walk off mats by all exterior doorways. |
| Vacuum your floor regularly using soft brush attachments and wipe with a damp cloth or mop when needed. |
| Do not polish or wax these floors. |
| Never use too much water on laminate floors, just a damp mop to remove dust and soil. |
| Never try to refinish or sand a laminate floor. |
| Do not use steel wool or any harsh abrasive cleaners on the floor. |
| For additional care procedures always refer to the manufacturer's care and maintenance instructions and recommendations. |
| Laminate floors will give years of performance if you follow some regular maintenance procedures. Even though these floors are extremely durable they can be scratched so protect your floor from grit and sharp objects |
Wilsonart 1-800-433-3222
Wood
General Recommendations- Sweep or Vacuum your floor
regularly. Wipe up spills with a MILD non-abrasive standard household
cleaner. Remember that wood and water do not mix!
NEVER wash your wood
floor with water, and do not leave water
or any other liquid to dry on your hardwood floor. Wipe up spots and spills
immediately. Do not use any "top coats" other than the factory
recommended products. Do NOT use "oil soaps", they leave the floor
sticky, collect dust and track on to your other floors and can become a
maintenance nightmare. Use felt pads under furniture and
chairs.
 | Don't Damp Mop - Water and hardwood floors don't mix! Use only the manufacturer's recommended cleaning products on your hardwood floor. |
|
| Vacuum Regularly - Small stones, mud and gritty dirt tracked in from outside can scratch the finish of your wood floor's finish. To help combat this use long bristle welcome mats placed at all outside entrances for people to wipe their feet on before entering onto the floors. Also, vacuum using a soft bristle brush attachment. |
|
| Use the Proper Chair Glides - Narrow wheels, sharp wooden legs or metal furniture legs can scratch and dent hardwood floors. Any furniture that rests directly on top of a hardwood floor should have felt protectors, or furniture coasters under all it's feet. For extremely heavy objects such as a piano, use wide, non-staining rubber cups. Purchasing floor protectors is cheap insurance for protecting your hardwood floor investment. |
|
| Don't Use Oil Soaps - There are many over the counter oil-based soaps and wax based cleaning products that may damage or dull the finish of your wood floor. The best suggestion is to only use the manufacturers recommended cleaning products on your hardwood flooring. |
|
| Never Wax a Urethane Floor - If your hardwood floor has a polyurethane finish never use a paste wax on the floor's surface. A paste wax may form a sticky film on your floor and allow tracked in dirt to stick to your wood finish. Polyurethane finishes will not adhere to any wax and adding a fresh coat of polyurethane to your floor will be very difficult. |
|
| Wipe Spills Immediately - when accidents happen and some liquid gets spilled on your hardwood floor, you should use a slightly damp white cloth, or paper towel to immediately clean up and dry the effected area. For more difficult spots, follow the manufacturer's recommended cleaning procedures. |
National Wood Flooring Association - Wood Floor Maintenance
Robbins
Bruce
(Urethane)
Bruce (old
wax finish)
Hartco
including Pattern-Plus Acrylic
Preverco Solid
Hardwood
Carpet
Carpet Stain Removal - Treatment of the
affected area should begin immediately upon discovery. The more time that
elapses before treatment, the more difficult a stain will be to remove. First
scrape the food spill gently with a spoon or dull knife, removing as much as
possible. Always work from outer edge of the stain towards the center to
avoid spreading. Blot , do not rub or scrub, as the carpet may fuzz.
When using a mild detergent, use a clear, non-bleach laundry detergent. Do not
use cloudy detergents as they can leave a sticky residue. Use only 1/4
teaspoon of detergent to 32 ounces of water. Follow detergent cleaning with
clear water rinsing and then blot dry as much as possible. For any stain
removal, use a white cloth or paper towel for cleanup. * Find further
advice on stain emergencies go to 3M's
Carpet Stain Removal Guide
, or
Invista's Stainmaster Carpet Stain Removal Guide .
Vacuum Regularly- Most dirt, and even dust, takes the form of hard particles. When left in the carpet these gritty, sharp particles abrade the pile of the carpet. Regular vacuuming not only prolongs the life of the carpet, but will enhance its appearance as well. Most soiling in carpet is of the dry, particle type which can be removed with a vacuum cleaner. Vacuum high traffic lanes daily, medium to high traffic areas twice weekly, and the entire house at least once a week. Use a vacuum with a rotating brush or beater bar. Change the bags often and check the beater bars for burs and gouges so as not to damage the surface of the carpet. Some thick loop pile carpets will fuzz if a rotating brush vacuum is used. In this case we recommend a suction vacuum only.
Preventative Maintenance for Carpet- The use of mats or runners at all home entrances and on uncarpeted areas adjacent to carpet will reduce soil and moisture in traffic areas. Clean mats and any other rugs placed over carpet regularly. The use of furniture coasters to distribute the weight of heavy items is also recommended, especially for furniture with wheels. Take care when moving furniture with wheels by putting a protective barrier between the wheels and the carpet. To extend the beauty of your carpeting, close drapes or blinds during hours of direct sunlight. Exercise extreme caution with all bleaches, tile cleaners, mildew removers, oven cleaners, drain openers and plant food. They are strong chemicals that can permanently discolor or dissolve carpet fibers.
Carpet Cleaning Recommendations - Even with regular vacuuming, soil particles and oily dirt will cling to the carpet fibers. With foot traffic these particles and oily dirt are driven deep into the carpet. We recommend professional hot water extraction every 18 to 24 months. Periodic cleaning, using the hot water extraction method performed by a professional cleaner, will refresh carpet appearance. The most used areas, such as entrances, doorways, traffic lanes, and in front of chairs will collect dirt faster than other areas. Clean these areas as they begin to show soil. This will stop dirt from spreading, and will extend the time between professional cleaning.
We carry the manufacturer's maintenance products so you can be sure when shopping with us to get the right floor care product for your new floor. So why not stop in and let our friendly, knowledgeable sales staff help you protect your flooring investment.
Links to Carpet Care Web Sites
| Carpet & Rug Institute |
| 3M's Scotchgard: STAIN EMERGENCY! |
| Mohawk Carpet Care |
| DuPont Antron® ( Common Carpet Stains ) |
| Shaw Carpet Care |
| Wear Dated Stain Removal Guide for Carpets |
Mohawk Carpets
Capture Brand Dry Carpet Cleaner
Stain-Master
Soluta
Wear-Dated 1-800-633-3208
Caring for your Stone Installation
Custom Building: Tile & Stone Care Products & Setting Materials
Vinyl Tile and Sheet goods
The new vinyl floors are extremely durable and
long lasting, but like any floor covering they still need regular maintain to
stay looking like new. Follow these general guideline for vinyl flooring. For
more detailed information always refer to the manufacturer's written floor
care procedures.
|
| For the first 24 hours after your new floor is installed protect all the seamed areas and don't walk on the seam sealer. |
|
| Keep the room at 68* F or greater for at least a 2 days after installation to allow the adhesives to setup properly. |
|
| Do not roll heavy objects directly on to a newly installed vinyl floor for at least 5 days. This can cause the vinyl and adhesive to become compressed, once the adhesive sets up any compressed marks will become permanent. Always lay plywood or underlayment to disperse the weight of a heavy objects being moved across your vinyl floor. |
|
| Allow 5 days before thoroughly washing your floor. This will give time for the adhesive to cure. |
|
| Before placing chairs or furniture on your new vinyl floor check the condition of all casters or rollers before setting them on your floor. Replace any worn casters or roller |
|
| Vacuum regularly to remove grit and sand. Wash your floor occasionally with the manufacturer's recommended floor cleaner, such as Armstrong's Once 'n Done No Rinse Cleaner, or Mannington's Award Cleaner. |
|
| Wipe up spills immediately. If needed clean with the manufacturer's recommended cleaner. You can also clean with luke warm water and clear ammonia. |
|
| If you floor becomes dull looking you may need to add the manufacturer's recommended floor polish to restore the orginal gloss level. First, try cleaning with luke warm water and clear ammonia to see if there is a film on your floor causing the dullness. |
|
| Never use abrasive cleaners, soaps, paste waxes, or solvents on your vinyl floor. |
|
| Place non-staining, walk-off mats at every outside entry to your room. This will help keep sand and grit from being tracked on to your fl |
|
| If your floor gets a cut or gouge in it, cover the area immediately and call us, your professional floor covering store. A professional installer can repair the area, but if the cut is filled with dirt it may be difficult to repair correctly. |
|
| If you purchase an inexpensive PVC vinyl floor you should consider placing 2-3 coats of the recommended floor polish on the floor immediately. Any vinyl floor with a PVC wear layer will show scuffs, scratches, and other marks very easily, by adding the coats of floor polish you will make the floor easier to maintain. |
|
| If you have a seam open, cover it immediately, do not wash that area, and call us, your covering professional, to come and repair the seam. |
|
| When moving heavy objects across your floor place plywood, or under
layment sheets down first and move the object over the plywood sheets. Armstrong Sheet Vinyl and vinyl Tiles 1-800-223-2833 |