Six Maintenance Tips for Your New Flooring

Updated flooring is essential to almost any home renovation project. Now that you’re thinking about having new flooring installed in your house, you need to know the best ways to treat the flooring, even before it is installed. Tile and hardwood flooring are both a big investment that adds considerable value to your home.

Have Your New Flooring Professionally Installed

Don’t try to install new flooring yourself. Even though you can watch videos on the Internet or get instruction from a big-box home supply store, you’ll only know the flooring has been properly fitted and installed when a professional does the work. In the end, you’ll know the hardwood or tile has been measured properly so they fit properly within the walls of your home.

Vacuum Your New Floor Weekly

As you walk into and out of your house, you track in dirt and fine grit on your shoes. These both act like sandpaper, which, over time will destroy your floor’s beautiful finish. Use a brush attachment and vacuum your floors weekly, even if they look “clean.” If your vacuum is an upright, the beater bar and its rotating brushes can put fine scratches into the finish. Buy a microfiber sweeper or a dust mop and clean the floors this way before mopping.

Use the Right Cleaning Agent for a New Tile Floor

Just as you vacuum weekly, you should mop once a week. Don’t assume that every cleaner on the market is safe for either hardwood or tile flooring. Avoid acid or bleach-based cleaners, which will destroy the finish of both tile and hardwood. If you’re looking at a cleaner that’s wax-based, put that one down too. Instead, buy a cleaner that is specially made for tile or hardwood floors. Avoid detergent-or soap-based cleaners as well. If a spill happens on your hardwood floor, wipe it up immediately. Next, use a no-wax wood cleaner. Be sure that the products you use are safe for the type of flooring you get.

Keep Water From Your New Hardwood Floor

If there is rain in the forecast, be sure to think about the inside of your home as well. Close the windows so you can prevent water damage from staining your floors. If you have plants sitting on the floor, place deep trays under the plants. Wipe up any water spills you see when you water your plants.

Rinse Your Tile Floor After Mopping

Rinse every square inch of your tile floors after you finish mopping. Over time, the residue from the cleaning solution you use will build up and discolor the tiles. If you are rinsing regularly, you won’t run into problems any time soon.

Put an Extra-Long Door Mat In Front of Your Front Door

As you come into your house and walk over your new floor, the finish gets worn out over weeks and months. Visit the store and buy a long floor mat, then put it on the floor just in front of your front door. The length enables you to clean some of the dirt from your shoes first.

New flooring adds a new look to your home. By caring for your new floor properly, you can keep it looking new and polished for years to come.

Informational credit to Certified Flooring Installation, Inc.