Here’s an easy way to protect hardwood floors during home remodeling and construction. Recycle used wall-to-wall carpet pieces by turning them upside down on your hardwood floors. Secure the carpet pieces in place with strips of duct tape. The inverted carpet will protect your floors from scratches, gouges, and heavy traffic during remodeling projects.
Properly maintained, hardwood floors can last a lifetime. The key to preserving your investment is assuring that the finish on your floor is still doing its job. You can test this by going to a high-traffic area where the finish is likely to be most worn, pour a tablespoon or two of water onto the floor. Does the water:
Bead up so that you can wipe it up without a trace? Congratulations! Your floor’s finish is doing its job!
Soak into the wood after a few minutes, darkening the floor only slightly? Don’t panic, your floor’s finish is only partially worn. Immediate refinishing probably isn’t necessary, but keep a close eye on the floor.
Immediately disappear into the wood leaving a dark spot? If so your floor’s finish is seriously worn and it’s probably time to recoat or refinish.
Here’s how to protect precious woodwork during home remodeling and construction. Recycle used carpet pads removed with wall-to-wall carpet. The pieces are soft and flexible enough to wrap around banisters and other delicate woodwork. Secure the pads in place with strips of duct tape. This way, your wood will be safe from scratches, gouges, and heavy traffic during remodeling.
The first step in keeping your hardwood floors in top shape is to keep grit off them. Use dirt-trapping, walk-off mats at all exterior doors to help prevent dirt, grit and sand from getting inside the building. Throw rugs or small sections of carpet just inside the entrances are also recommended. Dirt and grit are any flooring’s worst enemy, and that includes carpets and vinyls as well as hardwoods. Keep door mats clean. In kitchens, use area rugs at high spill locations and at work stations-stove, sink, refrigerator. Cotton is generally the best fabric since it is easily washed. Mats with a smooth backing, i.e. rubber or vinyl, may trap water beneath.
When comparing bids from contractors, be sure that the amounts allotted for flooring and lighting are realistic.
Floor finishes and certain chemicals in wood oxidize and are affected by ultra violet light sources. This may cause the wood and finish to change color and develop a patina or aged appearance. To avoid uneven appearance, move area rugs occasionally and drape or shade large windows.
If you plan to replace your floor covering and throw out the old rug you may decide to leave it down as long as it doesn’t make it impossible to paint the floor trim. In most cases you will want to use drop cloths and tape them down over the floor covering using removable masking tape.
Ceramic tile is a natural material, and some types of tile are made from recycled glass (including the products listed below). When buying tile (especially imported tile), just be careful not to buy tiles with lead-based or radioactive (often cobalt blue or burnt orange) glazes. Also, use non-toxic adhesives, mortars, and grouts for installing the tile.
When installing new carpet, be sure to open your doors and windows. Increasing the amount of fresh air In the home will reduce exposure to most chemicals released from carpet. During and after installation, use window fans and room air conditioners to exhaust fumes to the outdoors. If you have a ventilation system, be sure it is in proper working order. Operate it during installation, and keep it running for 48 to 72 hours after the new carpet is installed.
For certain types of rooms and some aesthetic tastes, exposed concrete flooring is a nice option. You can get concrete with a pigment color integrated into the material, you can paint the concrete, or you can simply use a clear (non-toxic) sealer for a more modern or industrial look
