FloorTalk – for all the latest flooring fashions

Question:

We installed laminate floor in our home and have never mopped it, however I have damp clothed it w/a solution of the following:  in a 12 oz bottle I put in water and a cap of white vinegar – is this considered acceptable?

Answer:

For day to day maintenance an occasional damp mop, quick sweeping or light vacuuming with the hard floor attachments are usually all it takes to keep your laminate floor clean. Do not use soaps, detergents, or cleaners with wax because they may leave a film, dulling the floor. You can mix 1 gallon of water with 1 cup vinegar or ½ cup of ammonia per gallon of water. Laminate floors must never be waxed, polished, sanded or refinished and never use a wet or jet mop when cleaning.

For more information on laminate maintenance: http://www.wfca.org/laminate/care.aspx

Question:

I have several area rugs in my home over different types of floors. I am wondering if I need rug padding under every rug? If so, what kind and why?

Answer:

Rug pad is a very important part of the placement of area rugs for the following reasons:

• Rug pad keeps the rugs from slipping on hard surface floors
• It protects the finish of hardwood floors from the friction of the backing of some rugs as well as color transfer and staining
• Rug pad also reduces wrinkling of the area rugs
• Rug pad provides a cushioned feeling when walking on the rugs
• It can extend the life of your area rugs by preventing wear
• It allows you to vacuum your rug more easily

There are different types of rug pads for hard surfaces such as ceramic or hardwood and different types for carpet. There are premium pads for more cushion and there is a separate type of cushion for outdoor rugs. Some companies offer different rug pad for oriental carpets. There are also some types of tape that are designed to hold area rugs in place. A full padding works best as provides more of the assets listed above.

When purchasing area rug pad, you don’t want to buy or order the rug pad in the exact same size as your rug. You want at least a 1/2″ on all sides less than the size of the area rug. Pre-packaged rug pads already take this into account so you don’t have to do any trimming.

Another tip: Be sure and read the instructions to make sure you are putting the rug pad down in the correct fashion. Some rug pads have different textures on each side in order to either grip to the rug or provide slip resistance to the floor.

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Question:

I am writing to find out what kind of wood I should use on a floor in a house that has extreme temperature changes.    It is a vacation house in northern Maine that I visit for short times at any time of year. I do not leave the heat on when I am not there so the floor will go from 10 degrees or lower to 75 degrees or higher rather quickly.

What do you suggest?

Answer:

I would not use any type of hardwood flooring in a house with extreme temperature changes because of the rate that the floor will expand and contract. There is really no flooring type other than porcelain or natural stone (wood, laminate, vinyl or carpet) that can withstand temperatures lower than 55 degrees.

Reader Question:

I have a cake decorating business and I need a soft, I suppose rubber type, floor.  Right now, I have the puzzle piece rubber mats, but some do not fit together properly and stuff gets down in the cracks.

I was at an expo in 2008 and a couple of the booths had a rubber flooring that looked like a wooden floor.  It was so pretty.  One gal was supposed to find out where they had gotten it, but she never contacted me later and I don’t know what I did with her phone number.

Do you have anything like this?  I’d like it to be pretty thick, I have some feet problems (heel & arch), so I need something with some cushion.  I do spend a lot of time on my feet. Please write to me and let me know if you can help me, or what you might recommend for my cake room.

Answer:

This response is provided by Mark from Rubber Flooring, Inc.

What I can tell you is that interlocking tiles are manufactured in a variety of ways.  There are some that are waterjet cut for extreme precision.  These kinds of tiles will often appear virtually seamless and will have a very tight fit so that nothing can get down in the cracks.  They also tend to be a little more expensive.

There are other kinds of tiles as well that are molded and others that are punched out of sheets.  These usually do not fit as tightly together.  We have all 3 kinds on our site so I definitely understand your frustration with the tiles that don’t fit together as well.

As far as ones that look like wood flooring, I know of two options as of right now, foam mats with a wood like veneer.  We are actually going to add these too our site but have not done so yet.  You can find them here:

http://www.alessco.com/products/

The other kind I have seen is a more expensive two layer rubber and urethane overcoat system.  An example of that can be found here:

http://www.mondousa.com/mondousa_v02/index.cfm?action=advance&impostalingua=en

Also just a tip, there are options out there that are pretty thick but extra thickness does not always mean more cushion to be honest.  Many times with rubber flooring, extra thickness just means more durability which is important to say commercial gyms.  To compare cushion between brands effectively, I would recommend asking for the specifications of each brand and looking at compression ratio tests.  The more it compresses, the more cushion it has normally.  Also I would ask for samples.  Feeling the product in your hands is often the best way to check it out.  If you want, we can send you some samples of ours as well free of charge if you let me know your mailing address. I am also attaching our rubber flooring spec sheet so you can see an example of that as well.

One last Idea, have you thought about going to a harder surface in the kitchen like tile or even vinyl and then used kitchen mats over the top of that where you walk or stand?  That might be a decent solution and many times kitchen mats have more cushion and anti fatigue capabilities than many rubber flooring products.

Question: I just moved into a condo that appears to have very good quality laminate floors. I noticed that there are a couple of marks on the floors that I want to get rid of. It actually looks like the previous owner had a piece of furniture in the room that left sorme sort of dye on the floor. I have no idea how to remove the stain. I have never had laminate flooring and do not know what to use to clean marks left on the floor.

Answer: Good for you for checking to see what to do before putting multiple cleaners on the floor! Multiple cleaners can leave build up and films that are difficult to remove. If you know who the manufacturer is, I would use the cleaner that they recommend. Otherwise, I would use a cleaner that is specifically made for laminate floors. The dye could be from water that found its way onto the base of the furniture. Follow the instructions provided on the bottle of laminate cleaner and some elbow grease should be all you need!