Knowing which wood floor cleaners to use on your wood floors will make a big difference on preserving the life of your wood. There are two specific types of wood floor cleaners, with or without urethane coating.

A wood floor cleaner without urethane coating requires a low speed buffing with the cleaning product. You should use proper dust mop treatments. White wood products will require special handling instructions and you should remember to never use water or petroleum based cleaners on the wood. This can give the wood dark stains that you will never be able to remove. Light sanding might be required in addition to the application of wood floor cleaners without urethane.

Wood floor finish with urethane includes conversion varnish, oil- modified products, moisture-cured urethane, and water based urethane products. If you are unaware of the manufacturer of your wood, then you should use a generic wood floor cleaner. If you do know, then follow the complete cleaning instructions provided by the manufacturer. It is important to remember never to use a wax based product over a surface finish wood floor.

In addition to wood floor cleaners, there are preventative maintenance steps you should take to preserving the life of your wood floors. When applying wood floor cleaners, you should never use wet mops. Never use wood floor cleaners with ammonia. Do not use dust cleaners and always clean track dirt immediately. Never wax a urethane finish type of wood.

Steps you can take are placing protective pads under furniture legs so they don’t scratch the floor. Use mats and area rugs in high traffic places. Be sure the area stays dry and the rugs are cleaned underneath often. Sweep and vacuum with a soft brush attachment or a dust mop to remove dirt and grit often. Try not to walk on your wood floors with high heeled shoes and if you must, make sure that the heel is not scratching the floor. Also, make sure your pet’s nails are trimmed.

It is important to know the two types of wood floor cleaners and other things you should do to keep your wood floors looking their best.

Carpet prices vary depending on the type of carpet you are looking to install in your room and the size of the room that you are considering carpeting. There are different types of carpet that you can choose from. Several of the different types of carpet include printed carpet, commercial carpet, indoor/outdoor carpet, Berber, sculptured, textured, and frieze carpet.

If you want to carpet a large space for the cheapest amount possible, then you might want to go with the indoor/outdoor carpet, if you don’t care about the look of the carpet. This carpet is good for heavy traffic and you can use it indoors and outdoors. This type of carpet is best if you are not looking for top quality carpeting but the lowest prices.

If you want a top of the line carpet with prints and designs on the carpet, this is the most expensive kind of carpet. The price can run you around $15 per square yard because of the different colors and the design. Many of the printed carpets might also come in a more expensive fiber also.

Carpet prices for commercial carpets run slightly expensive also. However, the commercial carpets last for many years and they are the most durable for the most traffic. The commercial carpet prices are well worth the cost of the carpet because they are specifically designed for many people walking on the carpets. You will find commercial carpets used in most businesses with heavy traffic, churches, and schools most commonly. Commercial carpet prices can run around $12 per square yard.

Berber carpet prices are reasonable for homes because Berber carpets include a cushion in the carpet that makes the floor comfortable to walk on. Frieze carpet prices are slightly higher than the Berber. This is because the frieze carpet is Berber carpeting with stain guard added to the carpet.

Carpet prices depend on the type of carpet you select and the size of the room or area that you would like to carpet. They also might depend on the quality of the carpet, if it is stain resistant, or made from wool fibers or a cheaper fabric.

Many people often use wood floor polish without understanding the basics of their wood floor and the different types of polish. Polishes can create waxy layers on your floor, soak in and create stains that you cannot remove. Knowing the finish type of your floor can assist you in properly choosing a wood floor polish. The different finish types in wood floors consist of tung oil, shellac, polyurethane, and waxed.

Wood floor polish like Mop and Glo contain water based acrylic waxes. These types of wood floor polish can give a floor a dirty and patchy look once they begin to wear off. They might make the floor look good at first, but when they wear, it looks bad. If you have a waxed floor, these polishes are good for a waxed wood finish. However, before applying new wood floor polish, you will need to strip the wax and apply a new coat of high quality wax. Stripping the wax doesn’t always remove all of the wax. If you apply wax to a floor that is not waxed, you should continue to apply the wax because you will never really get all of the wax out.

A floor refinisher can be used as wood floor wax and will only need to use a couple of times a year if your floor has never had wax laid on it.

Prior to the use of wood floor polish, your wood floors should be tested for soundness. This can be done by applying drops of water on the wood floor. If the water remains as beads on top of the wood, then you have sound wood. If the water soaks into the wood and creates a dark stain in the wood, then the hard wood is not sound. This will determine the type of wood floor finish you would consider using on your wood floor also. Because if your floor stains with water, then you do not want to use a wood floor finish that is water based. This will stain your wood floors and cause problems.

Wood reacts differently to different types of wood floor polish. The type of wood must be considered and the type of wood floor polishes.

When we decided to build our dream home, my husband and I knew we wanted to install carpet throughout but we also knew that we didn’t want to blow our entire decorating budget on it. We had heard about Stone Mountain carpet and the Stone Mountain flooring outlet so we decided to check it out.

We were very glad that we did! Our Stone Mountain carpet is beautiful, durable and we bought it at a very low price. We saved a ton of money! Furthermore, the experienced staff helped us select the perfect Stone Mountain carpet to meet our specific needs. We felt very confident with our choice.

Five years later, we are still thrilled with our Stone Mountain Carpet. It has survived our children, pets and active lifestyle beautifully. Because we are such a busy family, we went with a nylon Stone Mountain carpet due to its supreme wear and stain resistance. And the neutral color makes our space look huge!

Because our home and lifestyle is very casual, we went with a Berber Stone Mountain carpet but there are plenty of other varieties in stock at any given time from which to choose.

As with most carpets, our Stone Mountain carpet does look best when it is regularly vacuumed and we followed the salesperson’s recommendation of having it professionally cleaned once a year to keep our carpet looking brand new.

Small steps like this as well as treating any spills or stains as quickly as possible will help your Stone Mountain carpet last for many years.

If you are interested in purchasing your own Stone Mountain carpet, there are outlets all across the country. The only caution is that if you find a Stone Mountain carpet you love, don’t wait. The outlet inventory changes quickly. And you don’t want to miss out on the perfect Stone Mountain carpet for your home.

Homeowners love the look of Berber carpeting. It is timeless, classic and universally appealing. Installing wall-to-wall Berber can be quite expensive but Berber carpet tiles offer an excellent alternative that even a novice can install.

Part of the beauty of Berber carpet tiles is the versatility. They tiles can be mixed and matched to create a number of patterns and designs for a look that is distinctly your own or they can be used to create the illusion of wall-to-wall carpeting for something more uniform in appearance.

Because they are peel and stick, Berber carpet tiles are easy to install—and remove. They are the perfect choice for family rooms, children’s room, playrooms—any room where you have high-traffic. If one becomes torn or dirty, pick it up and replace it. If one area of your carpet is becoming too worn, alternate the squares to keep them looking fresh. Or if you are someone who has commitment issues, peel up your Berber carpet tiles and replace them with all new ones.

Most Berber carpet tiles are mold and mildew resistant which is especially helpful if someone in your home is an allergy sufferer. And, as far as cleaning goes, the tiles are easy to vacuum and most any stain will disappear with a damp sponge or cloth. If it doesn’t - yank up the Berber carpet tile and replace it! Doesn’t get any easier than that!

Berber carpet tiles are available at many retailers and come in a myriad of colors, patterns and price points. They are the ideal way to create a high-maintenance look using a low-maintenance product.

When you go into a store or office building you tend to run into those generic looking floors that have no style whatsoever. On the occasion that you stumble in to one that has lovely carpeting you take note and subconsciously render that establishment a little higher on the quality scale. Chances are the businesses that you remember are using commercial carpet tiles. They can look just as good as wall to wall carpet but are a better choice for business establishments for a number of reasons.

First, commercial carpet tiles are designed with the businessperson in mind. There are different colors, patterns, thicknesses and more designed to stand up to extreme high traffic areas, keep noise levels pleasingly low and even meet the needs of the handicapped or allergy sufferers.

Although commercial carpet tiles are subject to more scrutiny than residential carpet, they still should be visually pleasing. That is why most are easily cleaned and many contain a matting that keeps dirt and moisture under control.

Sure commercial carpet tiles are not the plush carpeting found in most homes but they do have some advantages. For instance, you can combine different colors of commercial carpet tiles to create a design or carry out a color theme. And, if one or two become dingy or worn looking, you can simply replace them as opposed to having to take up and entire carpet. In the same vein, you can switch commercial carpet tiles around to keep them looking fresh and prevent one area from getting too much wear and tear.

Commercial carpet tiles can also save you big bucks in labor, as they are much easier to install than wall-to-wall carpeting.

Just because business have to adhere to stricter codes than homeowners doesn’t mean they have to sacrifice style and versatility. Select the commercial carpet tiles that meet your specific safety and other regulation needs and then get creative. Commercial carpet tiles can be a lot of fun.

We’ve all heard the expression, “If these walls could talk,” but how about your floors? If you use antique wood flooring you might be surprised at what your floors would say.

Antique wood flooring is usually made from the recycled wood from old buildings, barns, farmhouses and similar structures that have been abandoned or demolished. The wood retains much of the character from its original purpose complete with distress marks from the elements.

Once recovered, the wood is treated and dried before being reincarnated as beautiful antique flooring that is as at home in a modern mansion as it is in a log cabin.

Because the sources for antique wood flooring are limited, these are not the floors to choose if you want to cut costs. But they are the floors to choose if you are looking for something that adds character and warmth to your home and you are willing to make an investment that will last a lifetime.

As for durability, you have to imagine that if the wood could withstand a century of rain, sun, snow, hail etc., it can stand up to anything you could put it through.

With antique wood flooring, it is not just the appearance of the wood that gives it its unique character; it is the story behind it. Imagine the conversations when guests find out that your antique wood flooring came from an 18^th century farmhouse. Or what if your antique wood floors came from a building used to house the Underground Railroad. Maybe yours came from one of the first factories built in America or a saloon from the Old West. Who knows?

With antique wood flooring you can never be sure where your floors have been. But you can bet that if it could talk, your antique wood flooring would put the walls to shame.

A carpet calculator will help you determine how much carpet you need to buy for a specific room.

A carpet calculator isn’t really a calculator. It’s a formula that’s used for determining how much carpet you need for a room. It’s extremely important that you order enough carpet to cover your room. You can cut your carpet if it’s too big for the room, but you can’t do anything about having carpet that’s too small for the room. Also, it’s extremely labor intensive and expensive to lay carpet only to find out that it doesn’t fit the room. Then you have to rip it up, order new carpet and lay it down again. This is not cheap so use a carpet calculator and get it right on the first try!

Most carpeting manufacturer’s Web sites have “carpet calculators,” or a system to estimate your carpet needs. Companies put this on-line because they want to help their customers place their order. If you order your carpet in the store rather on-line, the store clerk will be able to tell you how much carpet you need. However, they won’t be able to make an accurate estimate if you don’t give them correct room dimensions.

Getting the Right Carpet Dimensions

You need to get out a tape measure and measure the length and width of the room you want to carpet. If you want to carpet more than one room, measure each room individually. This is the all the information you’ll need for a carpet calculator. You put this into the calculator and then it figures out how much carpet you need.

If you’re going to be your own carpet calculator, multiple the two dimensions (length and width) together. This will give you the floor’s square footage. Any fractions should be rounded up to the next foot. It’s OK to have a little extra carpet, but it’s not OK to have too little carpet.

Now, this formula works quite well for a square or rectangular room, but what about those funky spaces? Oddly shaped spaced, such as stairs, can also be measured using a modified formula. If the stairs are different sizes, measure each one separately using the carpet calculator. Remember if you want the carpet to totally cover the stairs, you’re going to need to measure the back of the stairs as well. If your stairs are the same size, you’ll only need one measurement.

If you don’t feel comfortable measuring your own space, have a professional come to your home. They’ll measure each room and do the calculations for you.

Why Choose Carpet?

Carpet is a great decorating tool. It’s also a good insulator. Carpet helps trap cool air in the summer and warm air in the winter. It’s also very pleasant to walk on. Some people don’t like the feel of wood floors and other coarser surfaces.

If you like the feel, look and benefits of carpet, get out your calculator and start measuring! Once the carpet calculator figures out the dimensions of your carpet, you can make your purchase.

Trying to decide on the right flooring for your home can be a daunting task. We’re here to help. We’re putting together a site dedicated to flooring and to helping you choose what’s right for you. You’ll start seeing new content show up in the next week or so. Stay tuned!