Posts Tagged ‘flooring’
One thing that people never get tired of doing is improving their homes. It makes sense since people spend their quality and rest time in their houses with their beloved ones.And due to that fact, people get tired of their environment in their houses and want to change it.Some people remdoel their houses completely. Others do minor changes but can still provide a different look to their houses. One of those things is changing out your flooring. This has a big effect in beautifying your homes.
My advice to most people I have gained running a San Diego tile business is to do your flooring.Especially if they don’t have enough money.In other words, they don’t have enough budget for a complete remodeling of their houses.You can get the most out of your money in doing this. The reason for this is maybe because flooring runs through your whole house so its very noticeable. It can really change the look of your house by just changing your tiles or hardwood flooring.You can transform a boring and plain-looking room into a lively one just by changing the design of the flooring.
But most people right now, especially during recession times, don’t have the means to change their whole flooring.If they can’t afford it, I just tell them to regularly maintain their flooring by keeping it clean and taking care of it.If their house is carpeted then they should have it cleaned regularly. If they are really on a budget I suggest they buy some carpet cleaning supplies and do it themselves. But I always tell them that they must make sure to buy top of the line cleaning products so that the cleaning will be noticeable.
But of course the best way is to change your carpets or tile. This really provides the changed look people are looking for. It will be cheaper and can still give that new look to your houses as compared to a complete remodeling of your houses. So when people come into my carpet San Diego business I give them that choice of carpet cleaning or replacing the flooring.If they can afford it, I always tell and suggest to them that they change or upgrade their floors. But if money is tight cleaning the flooring will do for now.
For quite a long time now Epoxy paints have been on the scene. Their characteristics of being oil and grease-resistant coupled with hardness and long life makes their use ideal for industrial floors. But, of late homeowners too have been using them.
Homeowners use epoxy paints for garage floors and basement floors.These paints can cover dull, gray concrete and provide you with easy to clean surfaces.Some of the advantages associated with the use of epoxy floor paints are: Durability, freedom from rusting, waterproofing and resistance to heat, salt and acid.One major factor prompting its use for the householders is its low price. Keeping the technicalities’ in mind, you should not use concrete floor paint in case your floor has seepage or moisture, as such paints don’t last long under humid conditions.
Primarily epoxies are available in three different types: 100% solids, solvent-based and water-based. The strongest ones being the 100% solids and are the most expensive that need to be handled by experts only.For industrial applications solved based epoxies are the most common. They comprise of 40-60% solids. Ventilation is of prime importance if you decide to use epoxy paints for your garage or basement floor.
They are easily available at any store that deals with industrial goods.The cheapest type is the water-based epoxies. Because of their strength they are recommended for being used for residences. Most of the home improvement stores offer these epoxies.You can have them in many colors.
You can even have a computerized toning.
Most of the brands in the market claim that epoxies are good for exterior purpose only. The claims hold good for some of the stronger coatings. For some, living in unkind weather it may be worthwhile to explore the possibility of using acid based or acrylic concrete stains before zeroing in on the use of epoxy concrete paint.
The first step before you apply epoxy paint on your garage floor, is to prepare the floor.Most of the epoxy coating failures i have witnessed are as a result of wrong or little surface preparation. At the outset you have to clean the floor with a hard bristled brush and subsequently clear the debris created. Next, you should use a mild acid for scrubbing of floor for a thorough cleaning.These are usually referred to as acid etching.
Next, you need to scrub the floor with a solution of warm water and soap and clearing that away. Your floor may still continue to have some water soluble impurities and you are required to scrub a de-greaser on the surface of the floor and finally wash it off. The grease and oil on a garage floor can’t be removed by mild acid treatment. You should ensure that water used for rinsing does not remain stuck on the floor, but if it does, you have to repeat the process once again.
After doing these, the garage floor should then be left overnight to dry.During epoxy concrete paint application, It is important to ensure a consistent application. You should also make sure that the humidity is at the accepted levels to prevent the coating from blistering and discoloring. Generally, two to three coats of paint deliver the required results.
A proper installation ensures years of service and a regular maintenance further enhances is life.
To improve upon the looks of your concrete floor, concrete staining is the most convenient and economical way and is a very interesting DIY project.The alternatives, like epoxy, tearing out existing concrete and replacing with new or decorative overlays, are not recommended for do-it-yourselfers and can be very expensive. However, before you get started with a staining project, here are a few things you should keep in mind.
Concrete staining is of two types: acid floor stains and acrylic stains. Acid stains are caused by the chemical reaction with free lime on the surface and give a translucent floor with natural looks. Acid staining gives spotted, multicolored and multi-hued coloring. Because every concrete reacts differently to acids, the outcome is exclusive in the sense that no two floors can have same type of acid stains. Acrylic stains on the other hand are water borne pigments that seep thru the pores and adhere to the surface of the floor, thus producing a more consistent semi translucent color as if obtained from a dye. A very positive aspect of acrylic stains is that they help to conceal some of the defects or discoloration, but acid stains on the contrary, tend to highlight such limitations.
Acid and acrylic stains work equally good on many of the floors and you have to choose one, depending on the kind of looks you wish to have.
Nevertheless, under certain conditions one may deliver better results than the other. For instance, exterior concrete older than ten to fifteen years may not be to hold acid stains as it has already lost most of the free lime on its surface. Under such circumstances acrylic stains will work very well because of its increased porosity over time. You can’t get this with epoxy garage paints. Acid stains work well with newer concrete because of the availability of free lime. A good feature of acrylic stains is that it will be able to conceal minor repairs like patches and scaling on an old floor. Any patching materials will stand out with acid stains. For smooth trowel led interior surfaces with less porosity, acid stains are usually better because they don’t require as much penetration to color the concrete.
Polished Concrete Floors are already a preferred choice for a lot of consumers ,be they from industrial or business sector, and now these are beginning to be patronized by homeowners also. Spectacular looks apart, it is perhaps one of the most long-lasting materials realized in recent times.
A polished granite floor is a finished floor and needs to be treated like one. They offer low resistance to chipping and scratching, and may get stained if not treated with one of the present day polishes.
The use of walk off mats at the entrance of such a floor is almost mandatory because these floors need to be kept very clean. The use of walk off mats proves highly effective in the long run by keeping maintenance to the minimum, as salts and dust are kept away from the floor.
Daily cleaning by a dust mop, preferably a micro-fiber mop, is very helpful to having continually beautiful floors for a long time. If circumstances demand the use of a damp mop, it should be moistened with a neutral cleaner that may be procured from a home improvement or a janitor supply store and one doesn’t really need anything beyond that for cleaning of a polished concrete floor. The use of improper cleaning agents can actually diminish the gloss of your floor.
The floors of a large warehouse or an industrial unit can be effectively cleaned by making use of an large floor buffers that saves time. Now we have many manufacturing companies offering buffing pads with a range of different grits ingrained in them. That enables the floor owner to have shining floors once again in minimum time with least effort.
A very positive feature of floor scrubbers is that they are very easy to operate and not too heavy to be carried on back. They are very simple to operate and can be pushed around easily, hardly needing any maintenance: simply fill that with water, add chemicals and empty the contents after use.
During normal cleaning only white pads should be used on the auto scrubber or buffer.
The carpets is one of the most used things in our house.Everyday we walk, step, stomp on it.Our children and even us play on it.And if we have pets they also lie on it everyday. But one thing people don’t realize is you can make your carpets last.Caring for it would make it last longer just like everything else. So here are some tips to making your carpets last.
First thing you want to do is have them cleaned regularly. They are just like other things which are used every day.They also need to be maintained regularly.Just like with your clothes, would you use them without cleaning them first. Same thing with carpets. You can hire a company to do it like my San Diego carpet cleaners company.Or you can opt to do it yourself.
If you choose to do it yourself.Make sure that you have knowledge in what you are doing. Because not knowing what you are doing will just ruin it. So if you do know how to clean your carpets right make sure you use good carpet cleaners supplies. Using cheaper brands will not do your carpets any good. This will make you pay in the long run.So you must make sure that you know what you are doing.Then be sure to buy the right products.
Finally, not wearing shoes inside the house is one way to make your carpets last long.That is an Asian tradition but it is effective. Because I run a flooring San Diego business and the flooring that lasts longest are Asian homes.They believe shoes are just meant to be used outdoors.That is the reason why they don’t wear shoes inside the house.
Following the tips mentioned above will make your carpets last longer and make them clean all the time.It is an essential part of your house that is why you should always keep it clean. The last thing you want is a major part of your home looking ugly.