Care and Maintenance
Let Floormart Help You Care for and Maintain Your Flooring
At Floormart we don’t just supply you with great quality flooring but want to help you ensure it remains looking as good as the day it was laid for as long as possible.
We have pulled together the following useful tips to help you maintain your flooring and cope with the stresses placed on it by everyday life.
Carpet Maintenance and Care
Routine Care
- Vacuuming removes dirt that dulls appearance of your carpet
- Select a vacuum with good suction and strong beater bars, which brush the carpet and loosen dirt
- Change vacuum bags and filters regularly
- Please be advised that the use of upright vacuum cleaners can damage loop or berber type carpets
- Pile shading or flattening of carpet is a natural occurrence and is not covered by any manufacturer’s guarantee
- We recommend the use of keyhole mats under caster chairs to prolong the life of any flooring
Professional Cleaning
- Get your carpets professionally cleaned at least every 12 months, even if you clean them yourself in between
- Lighter shade carpet may require cleaning more often
- Professional cleaning methods include steam cleaning (known as hot water extraction), absorbent pad or bonnet cleaning, rotary shampoo, and dry foam powder
Long-term Care
- Treat your carpet well, and it will provide you with years of comfort and beauty
- Here are some strategies for minimizing the rough and tumble wear and tear of everyday living
Spot Treatment
- Clean up spills promptly
- Take care of stains with our comprehensive Stain Removal Guide
Vinyl Flooring Maintenance and Care
Simple and efficient
Vinyl floors have a strong protective finish which makes cleaning and maintenance easy.
General Care
- Remove dust and grit regularly – dry dust wiping is a quick and easy way to remove loose soil
- Protect against scratching from furniture feet by using felt pads (or furniture cups under heavier items of furniture)
- Prevent dirt and grit from reaching your vinly floor by using appropriate mats at exterior doorways
- Remove stains quickly
- Use protective coasters under items of pottery as unglazed bases can cause staining
Regular cleaning
Regular removal of dust and stains is normally carried out quickly and easily.
- Remove loose soil with a dust wiper, soft brush or vacuum
- Remove spots with a damp mop or cloth
Periodic cleaning
- Remove loose dust as above
- Clean the floor with vinyl floor cleaner and a mop
- Allow floor to dry
Occasional maintenance
- When required, the appearance of your floor can be restored using vinyl flooring cleaning products
- Scrub the floor with marmoleum cleaner
- Rinse thoroughly with clean water
- Allow floor to dry
Hardwood Floor Maintenance and Care
Your hardwood floor is a natural product, which will give many years of service. As with any product it must however, be properly cared for. Your new floor’s appearance will mellow and improve with age. The purpose of this section is to provide you with the helpful instructions for looking after your floor.
Like any form of floor covering, a wooden floor must be regularly cleaned and maintained in accordance with certain basic recommendations. It is a natural product and therefore can be vulnerable to misuse, but will always reward regular care and attention. The most important thing to remember is to avoid excessive moisture.
Gravel, dirt and grit and sharp objects are the enemy of any hardwood floor. All manufacturers recommend an effective doormat both outside and inside your front door, to stop trafficking in dirt and grit. Customers’ habits alter on purchasing a wooden floor, people tend not to walk on their new floor in “outside” shoes for the above reasons. Although the floor finish is tough and durable, to minimise scratches it is recommended that shoes that may have grit and dirt embedded in the soles are exchanged for indoor shoes or slippers, and boisterous behavior by dogs with uncut claws is discouraged. Stiletto heels will damage wood if rubber heel pads are worn or missing.
Seasonal variations in room temperature and humidity may cause natural wooden flooring to shrink or move slightly during the course of its long life. Most of such movement will occur within the first few months after installation as the pre-conditioned timber adjusts to your own room’s temperatures and humidity. This helps create the traditional appearance characteristic of hardwood flooring.
Carpet Characteristics
Tracking
Generally regarded as a temporary crushed pile effect seen when the carpet is walked on, or maybe vacuum cleaner stripes, more specific to longer cut pile carpets. Is often seen in polyester, soft touch SDN or Triexta fibre. The carpet pile is flattened and the light reflects off the side of the pile. It is not regarded as a fault of the carpet
Snagging in Carpet
This occurs when a small thread is pulled and comes loose. Usually happens in a loop pile carpet by either sharp objects or animals. This must be attended to immediately on noticing. If the snag is less than 2cm long the best option is to snip with a pair of scissors. A small dab of seam sealer carpet glue will hold it in place. If however it is longer you may require a professional carpet repairer. Check with your insurance company
Carpet Zipper
Zippering occurs in loop pile carpets in which tufts are pulled from the backing resulting in long length-wise pulls out of the carpet. This usually occurs from dogs or cats pulling at the carpet or damaged furniture caps on the bottom of chair legs. Some carpets do have anti zippering technology to avoid this problem, ask your Floormart rep for more information
Carpet Restretching
Carpet is like a very thick fabric and over time due to extended wear it will move and stretch. It shows up as waves or wrinkles across the carpet usually seen in busy household intersections and large rooms. This loosening of the carpet needs quick attention as damage to the carpet will occur. Its also important it is restretched as soon as it is noticed to avoid delamination. It can be remedied quickly and usually without having to move furniture
Usually caused by:
- Temperature a higher humidity
- Heavy traffic flow including wheelchairs bikes etc
- Sliding heavy furniture around creating carpet bubbles
- Poor underlay
Shading
This is regarded as a normal characteristic seen in “cut pile” carpets, especially more so in the so called “plush” or “velvet” carpets and the “saxony” type. Often seen in hallways, around objects in front of favourite chairs etc. It appears as a pile “change in direction” or reversal. The light catches or reflects off the pattern as either a darker or lighter colour depending on the direction from which it is seen. It maybe not desirable in appearance but is not regarded as a carpet defect, but it is usually irreversible
Pilling and Shedding
Pilling generally occurs on loop pile wool or wool mix carpets. It occurs when the top fibres of the wool carpet tear or break leaving a fluffy or fuzzy appearance over the surface of the carpet. It can be caused by using incorrect vacuum head, which may be damaged, which in turn causes damage to the carpet fibres. On the rare occasion this occurs, there is equipment whereby this can be removed. Further, shedding often occurs in new wool carpets where excess wool is rubbed into balls. Often occurs if you rub your feet backwards and forwards on the carpet. This is not permanent and will diminish over the first few months.
Carpet Delamination
This is a condition where the secondary backing of the carpet separates from the primary backing, normally only seen in latex tufted carpets due to the failure of the binding agent. It rarely occurs in new carpet, as manufacturers quality controls identify this prior to it leaving the factory. It usually shows up as a bubbling effect on the surface of the carpet.
Other causes could include:
- The carpet remains wet or damp for an extended period.
- Where carpet has been cleaned and too much water has been used in the cleaning process
- Solvents and spot cleaning solutions not adequately removed
- Animal urine can also cause this
- Extreme foot traffic
- Wheelchairs especially motorised models
Peaking
This is generally a temporary issue and is caused by the stretching of the carpet during the installation process. The backing of the carpet will be attached to the joining or seam tape, and the stretching at points where the tape is attached tight enough to cause the top section of the carpet to peak upwards. This effect will settle as the homeowner walks over it. It generally disappears after a short while.
Other Options
Door Trims and accessories
To leave a beautiful finish to your flooring job it is important to select suitable door trims or bars to hide the raw edge of the carpet, vinyl, laminate flooring etc. There is a wide range of door trims available. The most used colour is “champagne” but there are many several colour options available. Please discuss this with your Floormart advisor, they will be very willing to help.
Seams and Joins
Carpet pile should run in the same direction throughout the house, sweeping towards the main entrance. Seams and joins should be positioned carefully that do not spoil the appearance of the carpet. Carpet is either 3.66m wide or 4m wide, so there must be seams somewhere in your home. Where is the important factor. All seams should be avoided in high traffic areas, away from areas of direct sun, and where light falling across the seam does not show the seam up. However please discuss this aspect with your floormart rep and he will advise on the best placement of seams and joins
FAQ
Normally 1-2 days
Only if pre-arranged
See our chart
10 mins + 30 mins