How To Clean Laminate ,Cleaning Floors its FUN.

How To Clean Laminate Floors  Cleaning Laminate Floors is FUN.

Cleaning laminate floors is so quick and simple you’ll be laughing! Here’s a fun guide to teach you how to clean laminate floors quickly and painlessly, so you have more time to enjoy the rest of the day. Read to the end and you’ll even discover how to make this boring chore “fun”.

Kit Up!

You’re going to need a few basic things before you start your laminate flooring maintenance. Don’t worry about purchasing any special cleaning fluid, it really isn’t necessary and will drain your pockets! Caring for laminate flooring requires the following:

• • Vacuum Cleaner or Fiber Dust Mop
• • Mop
• • Bucket of Hot Water

For the regular quick “once over” all you’ll need is either a vacuum with a soft brush attachment or a fiber dust mop (these are mops you can clip-on a replaceable microfiber cloth that attracts dust like George Clooney attracts women). See example photo to the right. You can pick up one of these bad boys from your local supermarket.

• Use a soft brush attachment on the vacuum or use a fiber dust mop for picking up dirt and hair. It’s best to sweep or vacuum in the direction that the floor is laid to collect all the dirt between the grooves instead of trapping it. If your laminate floor is a mimic of hardwood with bevels and grooves between each plank then dirt will be much easier to stick, so pay special attention to this if it is!

• If you want to go one step further and do a full wash, add a few squirts of mild washing up liquid to a bucket of hot water, or even just the plain hot water will do the trick! Then you can use a mop to go over the floor. For laminate floor it’s best not to use a dripping wet mop, so give it a good wring out first. And that’s it!

Secret Recipe

Here’s an excellent tried and tested recipe that works a treat for cleaning high gloss laminate floor leaving it completely streak free:

• • 1/3 cup of vinegar
• • 2 squirts of liquid dish detergent
• • Bucketful of warm water (about a gallon)

This wonderful recipe will save you from ever needing to buy an expensive branded cleaner!

Tips and Things to Avoid

Here are a few more tips and things to avoid doing when caring for laminate flooring:

• • Make sure the mop or damp cloth you use to clean the floor isn’t too soggy and if you can, dry the floor afterwards with a soft cloth.
• • Blot up spills or water with a sponge, dry cloth or paper towel. Do not allow puddles to remain on the surface of your laminate floor for too long because they could cause warping.
• • Do not use bleach or abrasive cleaners for laminate flooring maintenance. In fact, it’s best to avoid anything with chemicals in that promotes a clean and shine.
• • Never use steel wool or scouring pads because they are renown for scratching surfaces.
• • Remember, laminate floor is not real wood, so you should never wax or polish your laminate flooring.

Any nasty exotic stains you don’t know how to deal with?

• • Blood Stains: Give the stain a spray of window cleaner and wipe with a warm watered damp cloth.
• • Chewing gum: A plastic knife is best to get under the gum and avoid scratching the floor. Once you’ve prized it all off rub the residue with a soft cloth dampened with mineral spirits.
• • Coca Cola or Red Wine: Wipe with a warm watered damp cloth.
• • Crayon marks: Apply mineral spirits to a damp cloth and rub away.
• • Grease: Freeze it with an ice pack or a package of frozen vegetables until the grease hardens, then you can scrape it off with a plastic utensil kitchen utensil. Wipe away the remaining residue with a squirt of window cleaner and a damp cloth.
• • Heel Marks and Scuffs: Rub the marks with a pencil eraser. It’s just like correcting a grammar mistake. Simple.
• • Ink: Wipe with a warm watered damp cloth. Add a little detergent to it if the stain is stubborn, otherwise a commercial ink remover will do the job but be sure to wipe up with a damp cloth once you’re done.
• • Nail polish: You guessed it, the answer is – nail polish remover. Wipe up with a warm watered damp cloth once your done.

So that’s it. Now you should be one savvy laminate maintenance expert. If you’d like to know how to clean laminate floors the fun way, then here’s my little secret on how to make cleaning laminate floors fun:

source laminateflooringmanufacturers

Hardwood Or Laminate Floors And Pets

Hardwood Or Laminate Floors And Pets
Determining which hardwood or laminate floor type is best suited for your pet can be tricky. While a
number of laminate floors are strong enough to handle pet wear (e.g. High pressure laminate) others
are weaker and may warp or crack upon exposure to pet traffic or accidents.
Finding the right type of hardwood flooring for your pets can also be difficult. Those who have large
dogs would be better off with hardwood that has a high Janka Hardness rating. Janka Hardness
ratings are given depending on the hardness of a particular wood, and are based on a scale of 0 to
4000 (4000 being the hardest and 0 being the softest). Hardwood floors that are most likely to endure
pet wear and tear without damage tend to be higher up on the scale (e.g. Brazilian Teak; Brazilian
Walnut).
Keep in mind that both hardwood and laminate flooring do not take well to pet accidents. The acidity
of urine can cause damage that may be impossible to repair. A benefit to purchasing solid hardwood
flooring is that it can often be refinished a few times during its lifecycle. Refinishing is the process of
sanding and staining your floors so they look close to, or as good, as they did when you first
purchased them. Refinishing can help remove unsightly scratches from pet nails and surface dings.
While some laminate floor types may look like solid hardwood, they are actually just a translucent
wear layer atop a picture (decorative layer) of the wood that it's made to resemble. Laminate flooring
cannot be refinished; often times the only way to repair damage is to replace them. Save yourself
time and money for laminate repairs by wiping up pet accidents and water bowl spills immediately
after they happen. Most stains can be removed with a cleaning solution that's recommended by the
manufacturer.
When shopping for laminate floors for your pet, consider purchasing the stronger laminate floor types
that can handle a high level of wear without damaging. This includes high pressure laminate (HPL)
and laminate that has an AC rating of AC3, AC4 or AC5. AC stands for Abrasion Class, and is a
rating system that determines the strength of a particular laminate type and which household areas its
best suited for based on those results. Laminate floors that have an AC3 rating are recommended for
most residential and some commercial areas; while AC5 includes laminate that's strong enough to
handle high commercial foot traffic (e.g. Department stores).
Keep in mind that stronger hardwood and laminate floors often mean a higher price tag. While it may
seem like a lot now, in the long run it could end up saving you hundreds to thousands of dollars in
floor repairs.
Basketball rug

how to install Remaining Rows

1. Begin the second row of planks with the piece cut from the last piece in the first row. If the piece is shorter that 8″ cut a
new plank in half, and use it to begin the second row. Whenever practical, use
the piece cut from the preceding row to start the next row. End joints of all
boards should be staggered 8″ or more and grout lines on planks with tile visuals
must be aligned.
2. Install the long end of the first board at an angle to the board in the previous
row. Keep this board at its natural angle slightly raised off the subfloor. Use a
scrap piece of laminate to support the row if needed.
3. Continue installing full boards in the second row by angling the short end of
the next board in the row to lock into the previous board. Position the board
so that the long side of the board is close to boards in the previous row and
overlapping the groove of the boards in the previous row.
4. Angle up and push forward until the boards lock together.
5. Continue installing full boards in the second
and subsequent rows until you reach the wall on your right.
6. Mark the last piece, cut and install.
After all boards in the row are installed, press or walk all boards
flat to the subfloor to begin the next row.
7. Use a pull bar when necessary to ensure joints are tight.

Major repairs in Center of house

Major repairs - In Center of Room (Repair is Permanent)
1. Check replacement board for damage, size and fit.
2. Mark damaged board 1-1/2″ from ends and sides. Drill 3/16″ holes in corners
and at relief cuts.
3. Set saw depth to board thickness. Cut along lines and remove center section.
Make relief cuts using drilled holes as visible stop.
4. Carefully lift and pull center length cut first, then work into corners to
remove end pieces last.
5. If the floor was installed with Armstrong Laminate Glue, clean factory edges
using a sharp chisel. Remove glue from top of groove using a tongue and
groove cleaner tool or a small piece of laminate with tongue edge.
6. Prepare replacement board by removing bottom of groove on end and side.
7. Carefully remove tongue from end of board with sharp utility knife.
8. Clean area thoroughly and test fit. Check for high edges and adjust fit using
120-grit sandpaper.
9. Apply Armstrong Laminate Glue to top of tongue and bottom of groove.
10. Carefully place the new piece into the opening. Press firmly.
11. Remove all residual glue on the surface with a clean, damp cloth.
12. Make sure all edges are even on either side of the joints. Apply heavy
pressure for at least 24 hours. Use heavy weights.
13. Make sure that the weight is evenly distributed across the new piece.

How to lock laminate planks

Always check each board for damage before installing.
1. Avoid narrow pieces at the finish wall. Measure the distance between the
starting wall and the finish wall.
2. Divide this number by the width of the board.
3. If the remainder is less than 2-1/2″ (6.35 cm), cut off 2-1/2″ (6.35 cm) from the
width of the first row or to balance the
room add the difference to the plank
width and divide by two.
4. Roll out Armstrong Two-in-One Advanced
Hard-Surface Flooring Underpayment or
Moisture Barrier Sheeting along the starting
wall, and cut to length. Kitchen and bathroom
installations require folding the
underpayment up the wall 2″. Place additional
sections with butt seams as the installation progresses.
5. To minimize pattern repeats in the floor, always pull from at least three
cartons of flooring while installing.