Friday, April 7, 2017

5 Facts About Laminate Floors


Laminate has a reputation for being a pair of brown shoes in a room full of tuxedo materials like hardwood, luxury vinyl tile, porcelain tile and natural stone. Does laminate flooring deserve this second-class reputation? It’s affordable, but is that a knock against installing it? Here are five facts about laminate flooring that might change your impression.

The Facts About Laminate Floors

Consider these laminate flooring facts before you make the floor choice for your home.

1. Laminate isn’t Solid Wood

Laminate is often made to look like wood with a photographic applique of the real thing, and some of the layers are wood composite, but this flooring is very unlike solid hardwood. If you’re looking for a 50-year floor, then this fact is a laminate flooring disadvantage. However, if you want new, attractive floors for far less money, floors you’re not stuck with for the rest of your life, then these are advantages. It’s all about perspective.

2. Laminate Flooring Offers Value

If you sell your home in the next decade, you won’t recoup the cost of hardwood flooring, luxury vinyl tile or porcelain tile. Their return on investment is low compared with affordable laminate that looks fabulous at a fraction of the cost. In short, the less you spend on good-looking floors, and laminate is attractive, the more value you receive from it at sale.

3. Laminate is Easy to Install and Uninstall

Wood flooring must be nailed down. Sheet vinyl is glued down. Tile, with its thinnest mortar beneath and grout all around, is the worst. On the other hand, laminate is a floating floor with planks that lock together, and unlock just as easily, like pieces of a puzzle with straight-line connections. Installation is a snap, literally and figuratively. This significantly reduces the cost of installation, repairs and removal.

4. Laminate Flooring isn’t Particular about Subfloor

Installation and/or preparation of the subfloor contributes greatly to the time, labor and expense of total flooring installation for many materials. The good news about laminate is that, since it is a floating floor, it installs over just about anything in good condition. This includes traditional plywood or OSB subfloor, concrete, hardwood or sheet vinyl. That translates to less cost and less hassle.

5. Laminate is Great for Allergies

Allergens like dust, pet dander and pollen are harbored by carpeting and are thrown into the air when the flooring is walked on, but allergens have nowhere to hide on the smooth surface of laminate flooring. A slightly damp mop or a hard-surface vacuum with a HEPA filter is all it takes to remove allergens from this flooring’s surface and keep them out of the air you breathe.

Laminate doesn’t always get the respect it deserves, but flooring experts and savvy homeowners understand the advantages this attractive, long-lasting material brings to any home.

3 Easy Methods to Remove Coffee Stain from Carpet Flooring



Spills happen, including on your lovely carpet. Unfortunately, liquids you spill are not always water. If you have spilled coffee and gotten a stain on your carpet, it looks terrible and probably has you feeling alarmed and upset. Accidents like these happen, and you can’t always foresee them happening. Fortunately, there are a few easy methods for removing a coffee stain from a carpet.

Use Dish Soap

Dish soap is typically mild and effective at removing stains. That makes it a good cleanser for carpet that is marred with a coffee stain.

For the dish soap method, you will need the soap, water in a spray bottle, a cleaning brush and a towel.

Pour the soap and water directly onto the stain and make sure a lather develops. Use the cleaning brush to scrub the area, allowing the soap and water to completely cover the stain and extend beyond it. Keep scrubbing until you see the brown color beginning to fade. Then, use the towel to pat away the water and soap. The stain should further disappear while you do that.

Let the carpet air dry. This should completely eliminate the coffee stain.

Use Baking Soda and Vinegar

Baking soda is effective as a cleaner when you have a set coffee stain. It is extremely absorbent and can be paired with vinegar, which is excellent for cleaning when mixed with water.

For this method, you will need baking soda, vinegar, water, paper towels and a towel.

First, use paper towels to blot away as much of the coffee as possible. Continue doing this until the paper towels no longer absorb the coffee. Then, sprinkle baking soda across the entirety of the stain and let it sit for around half an hour.

Mix a combination of equal amounts of vinegar and water and pour it on top of the baking soda cover the stain. Rub and pat it dry with a towel until the stain vanishes. Avoid rubbing too hard because it can cause damage to the carpet fibers. Use a vacuum to remove any remaining traces of the stain or baking soda.

Use Peroxide and Dish Soap

Hydrogen peroxide is good for lightening and eliminating stains and is very absorbent. For this method, you will need a tablespoon of peroxide, a tablespoon of dish soap and paper towels.

Create a mixture of the hydrogen peroxide and dish soap. Pour it over the coffee stain liberally to neutralize the stain. Next, use paper towels to blot away at the stain and solution. Continue doing so until you no longer see the coffee.

Keep in mind that if the coffee stain you’re tackling is old and dry, you will want to wet the area first. Use salt if you have a particularly stubborn stain. However, all of these methods should work well at removing a coffee stain from your carpet.
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