- LAMINATE FLOORING QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS
- What are laminate floors and how are they made?
- What types of laminate are there?
- What is the difference between the 8mm and 12.3mm laminate?
- How do I repair minor scratches?
- What are moldings?
- Is laminate flooring durable with pets?
- RESIDENTIAL CARPET QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS
- What is Berber Carpet?
- What is Plush Carpet?
- What is installed under the carpet?
- What type of carpet would be best for my household?
- COMMERCIAL CARPET QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS
- How to Maintain Your Commercial Carpet?
- LAMINATE FLOORING QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS
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What are laminate floors and how are they made?
Laminate flooring is a versatile, durable, the appearance of a hardwood floor. But there is no solid wood used in its construction. Laminate floors are made up of several materials bonded together under high pressure. Most laminate flooring consists of a moisture resistant layer under a layer of HDF (high density fiberboard). This is topped with a high resolution photographic image of natural wood flooring. It is then finished with an extremely hard, clear coating made from special resin-coated cellulose to protect the laminate flooring. Laminate flooring is perfect for anyone wanting a durable floor for a fraction of the price and installation time of a hardwood floor, but with the attractiveness of real hardwood.
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What types of laminate are there?
We carry laminate from 8mm to 12.3mm.
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What is the difference between the 8mm and 12.3mm laminate?
12.3mm Laminate flooring usually has the grooves in between making it look more like hardwood
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How do I repair minor scratches?
Small scratches can be repaired with laminate floor repair paste. This can be purchased in most retail flooring stores.
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What are moldings?
Moulding or molding (North America) is a strip of material with various profiles used to cover transitions between surfaces or for decoration.
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Is laminate flooring durable with pets
Laminate flooring is very durable. Unlike hardwood laminate flooring is hard to scratch.
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- RESIDENTIAL CARPET QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS
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What is Berber Carpet?
Berber carpets are a modern style of carpet, distinguished by a loop pile construction type, and usually contain small flecks of dark color on lighter shades of background colors. They are typically in a plain color mix with no pattern, and are relatively cheap and durable.
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What is Plush Carpet?
Plush carpet is a cut pile and berber carpet is a loop pile. Plush Carpets are cut straight like a lawn.
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What is installed under the carpet?
A high density underlay is installed under the carpet.
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What type of carpet would be best for my household?
If your home has high traffic, then you would benefit from the berber carpet.
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- COMMERCIAL CARPET QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS
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How to Maintain Your Commercial Carpet
Regular carpet maintenance can enhance your indoor air quality and prevent your carpet’s appearance from deteriorating prematurely.
Because preventative maintenance is less expensive and more effective than infrequent restorative cleaning, Kraus Carpet Mills recommends that you:
- Vacuum and spot clean your carpet daily.
- Implement a preventive maintenance program.
- Use hot water extraction to restore heavily soiled carpet.
- Vacuum and spot clean your carpet daily.
Accelerated carpet wear occurs when traffic grinds imbedded soil into the carpet fiber. You can extend your carpet’s life by placing walk-off mats at exterior entrances, and vacuuming traffic areas thoroughly every day.
Only about 20% of carpet soil is soluble in water or solvent. You can remove much of the remaining 80% (fibers and particles) by vacuuming thoroughly every day, emphasizing heavy-soil areas like entrances (refer to the maintenance plan on the back for more guidance). Your vacuum should have a powered brush and strong suction.
To ensure spots are removed promptly, give your daily cleaning staff a carpet first aid kit containing:
- Dry cleaning solvent (e.g. perchlorethylene)
- Detergent solution (a teaspoon of non-bleach powder in a cup of water)
- Ammonia solution to neutralize acid stains (a tablespoon of ammonia in a cup of water)
- Vinegar (of citric acid) solution to neutralize alkaline stains (1/3 white vinegar, 2/3 water)
- White absorbent clothes or paper towels.
Spot Removal Guide
Beer |
A |
Excrement |
B |
Ketchup |
B |
Tar |
A |
Blood |
F |
Fruit |
D |
Mascara |
A |
Tea |
D |
Butter |
A |
Furniture Polish |
A |
Mayonnaise |
B |
Toothpaste |
B |
Chewing Gum |
G |
Garden Soil |
B |
Milk |
B |
Type Ribbon |
A |
Cheese |
B |
Glue, White |
B |
Nail Polish |
A |
Urine, Fresh |
H |
Chocolate |
B |
Grease |
A |
Paint, latex |
A |
Urine, Dry |
C |
Cocktails |
D |
Hair Spray |
A |
Rust |
D |
Vomit |
E |
Coffee |
D |
Ice Cream |
B |
Shoe Polish |
A |
Wax, Candle |
G |
Crayon |
A |
Ink, Point/Felt |
A |
Soft Drinks |
D |
Wax, Paste |
A |
Egg |
B |
Ink, Permanent |
E |
Soya Sauce |
B |
Wine |
D |
A - solvent, blot, detergent, blot, water, blot
B - detergent, blot, ammonia, blot, detergent, blot, water, blot
C - detergent, blot, vinegar, blot, ammonia, blot, detergent, blot, water, blot
D - detergent, blot, vinegar, blot, detergent, blot, water, blot
E - detergent, blot, ammonia, blot, vinegar, blot, water, blot
F - use cold ingredients: water, blot, detergent, blot, ammonia, blot, detergent, blot, water, blot
G - freeze with ice cubes, shatter with blunt object, vacuum, solvent, wait, blot, repeat if needed
H - blot, water, blot, ammonia, blot, detergent, blot, water, blot
Back
- Implement a preventive maintenance program.
An effective carpet maintenance program keeps soil below the threshold of visibility. If the program is working satisfactorily, the carpet should never look soiled.
Cleaning frequency and cleaner expertise are more important than the particular cleaning procedures selected. To assess a cleaner’s professionalism, inquire about his or her references, training, and certification. Test-evaporate sample chemicals (particularly final rinse additives) in a pan, to ensure they dry to a powder, rather than leaving a greasy residue. When you have confidence in a professional cleaner, ask him or her to help you devise a maintenance plan that suits your particular site.
The chart below shows a hypothetical maintenance plan for a multi-color, medium shade, patterned, loop carpet installed throughout a typical office building. This plan is nothing more than a starting point, to be modified based on site conditions and periodic visual inspections. Your carpet requires more frequent and intensive cleanings (such as hot water extraction) if it is a light, dark or solid color, or if your site includes:
- Heavier traffic (e.g. frequent visitor such as retail customers)
- Interior soil sources (e.g. industrial processes)
- Neighborhood soil (e.g. winter conditions, construction)
Hypothetical Carpet Maintenance Program |
All Areas |
√ remove spots |
daily; inspect monthly |
Exterior Entrances |
√ change or clean walk off mats |
weekly - monthly |
Wipe Off Areas
e.g. first 10 steps from interior and exterior soil sources, elevators |
√ vacuum
√ power pile lift
√ hot water extract |
15 passes daily
monthly
quarterly |
Main Traffic Lanes
e.g. lobby, corridors |
√ vacuum
√ power pile lift
√ hot water extract |
6 passes daily
quaterly
semi-annually |
Moderate Traffic Lanes
e.g. aisles and work areas |
√ vacuum
√ power pile lift
√ hot water extract |
4 passes daily
semi-annually
annually |
Other Areas |
√ vacuum |
2 passes daily |
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- Use hot water extraction to restore heavily soiled carpet.
While various cleaning procedures can help prevent visible soil accumulation, your carpet must be deep cleaned once heavy soil appears. Hot water extraction usually cleans deeper and removes more soil than other methods. Select a cleaner carefully, because improper cleaning can cause accelerated resoiling. Over-wetting, particularly over cushion, will cause decreased lamination strength.
For best results in heavily soiled areas, follow these guidelines:
- Power pile lift and vacuum before wet extraction to remove insoluble soil (80% of total soil).
- Before extraction, remove spots and treat soiled areas with an alkaline emulsifier (pH not to exceed 9.5).
- Hot water extract thoroughly, emphasizing heavy soil areas. Caution: Do not over-wet.
- Use pure hot water (with only an additive to neutralize pH) in the final rinse.
- Touch the carpet after extraction. If water beads on your hand, extract more thoroughly.
- Carpet must be thoroughly dry before any traffic use.
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