Month: July 2016

The warmer weather is here, and with it comes conditions that could cause damage to your hardwood or laminate flooring. But we have the tips and tricks to help you keep your floors bright and beautiful!

Humidity

Most hardwood and laminate flooring comes with a humidity clause in its warranty. These clauses typically include a recommended humidity range for your home. For example, TORLYS’ humidity range is 30%-60% for all of their floors.

Why is it important to control the humidity? If the air in your home has too much moisture in it, it could cause laminate and hardwood to expand. The wood will absorb the extra water in the air and begin to swell. This leads to cupping and warping.

Even just a few days of high humidity can ruin hardwood and laminate. Running a de-humidifier will keep humidity levels low. You may want to consider purchasing a combination humidifier/de-humidifier if winter is extremely cold in your area. Dry air can damage hardwood and laminate flooring too.

Dirt

The sun is out, which means the kids are outside playing. And when they come in, so does the dirt. Mud, sand and other debris can act like sandpaper on your hardwood or laminate—scratching it, ruining its finishing and wearing it down.

If you don’t already have a mat at the front door—and if you have kids, you probably have two or three in place—put one down that is non-skid and made from cotton. Rubber or fibre-backed mats may stain or scratch floor finishes. Also, make sure everyone removes their shoes at the front door.

When it comes to cleaning hardwood or laminate, avoid wax and oil based floor cleaners. Premium floor companies will provide you with high-quality cleaners, including floor dressing to help protect the original finish and floor stripper to remove and reapply floor dressing.

Never use a wet mop on your floor or a treated mop that has been used to clean other floors (e.g., bathroom tile) or furniture in your house. A non-treated, clean dust mop is ideal to remove soil and dust. Wipe up spills immediately with cloths or sponges. If a sticky substance such as gum gets on your floor, freeze it first with an ice cube and use a plastic scraper (e.g., a credit card) to gently remove it.

UV

Light is the biggest influencer of your hardwood’s colour, and in the summer, damaging ultra-violet rays are at their strongest. UV rays not only have the ability to burn your skin, but your flooring as well. They can cause fading, bleaching and even darkening.

You should protect your floor from sunlight all year long, but especially in the summer. Use curtains and blinds to block out the sun. If you have horizontal blinds, you don’t need to close them fully, just angle them upwards. Consider replacing your windows with Low-E glass to block out more UV rays and save on energy costs. You should also use rugs to protect your floor. Finally, think of your floor’s finish and/or dressing as sun screen—apply more when needed.

Dogs are our beloved, and often energetic, fur babies. They run to the door to greet us. They run to the door to go out. They run to the door to go for a walk. And all this running can cause unrepairable damage to flooring, if your floor is not suitable for pets. Below, we’ve rated the most popular flooring choices on their pet-friendliness so you can make the right decision for your pet-friendly home.

Hardwood

Hardwood is one of the most beautiful and popular flooring choices on the market today. However, it’s not the best choice if you have pets. “Accidents” can stain wood and soak into the planks, even if you clean them up quickly. If you have a TORLYS hardwood floor, you can replace stained sections with the TORLYS patented Bulldog™ Tool. If it’s not TORLYS hardwood, you may have to strip, sand and refinish your floors, however, stains may reappear because salt crystals found in pet urine tend to seep deeply into the floor.

Spills from water bowls and sharp nails can also ruin hardwood even if your flooring is coated with a high quality urethane. In fact, pets can actually do more damage to hardwood than children. Pets are just too hard on hardwood.

Rating: 2 paws

Laminate

Laminate is more durable than hardwood, making it a much better choice for pets. It won’t show scratches, stands up to house training and is easy to clean. Plus, laminate flooring is now trendier than ever thanks to advances in engineering and design. Premium laminate looks just as good as hardwood, and outperforms it.

Laminate does have some downfalls though. Pets, especially dogs may slip and slide on its surface. Embossed or textured laminate may help prevent accidents. You can also put down non-slip rugs for everyone’s comfort.

Rating: 4 paws

Cork

Surprisingly, cork is a good choice for pets. Cork’s antimicrobial properties reduce the growth of mold and other allergens. Low-allergen flooring will also help family members with pet allergies.

Cork is moisture resistant, when treated properly with layers of durable finish. Accidents and other spills wipe up easily and won’t leave a stain or an odor when cleaned up quickly. It is also scratch resistant, comfortable and quiet—Fido’s pawsteps will not be as loud on a cork floor.

Rating: 4 paws

Tile

Tile is a good choice for pets, in terms of wear and tear. It is tough and won’t scratch easily. Urine will not damage its integrity or seep into it. However, all the qualities that make tile ideal—durability and imperviousness—make it uncomfortable for pets and their people. Tile is extremely hard and often cold. Rugs can help, but make sure they are non-slip to prevent falls.

Rating: 3 paws

Vinyl

Luxury vinyl flooring is an excellent solution for home owners who love pets and sophistication. Coming in a wide range of styles and hues, luxury vinyl is scratch and stain resistant as well as easy to clean and maintain.

Like cork, vinyl is also low-allergen and quiet to walk on. It’s also considerably more comfortable than stone or tile. Pet friendly, kid friendly and fashion forward, vinyl is purrrfect.

Rating: 5 paws

Carpet

Some experts claim that carpet is the worst flooring choice for pets for two reasons. First, it’s easily damaged. Nails and rough paws can destroy fibres, especially if the carpet is looped or berber. Second, it’s harder to clean than other type of flooring. Accidents soak in easily and quickly. Dust and dander will embed into it.

Carpet does have some benefits though. It’s soft and comfortable. It also absorbs sounds, muffling the pitter-patter of little paws and feet.

Rating: 1 paw

When it comes to choosing the best floor for your pet friendly home, take your time and consider a more expensive option. Higher priced flooring is more durable, and in the long run, the best bet for your pet. You may need to replace a lesser quality floor, or the wrong type of flooring, after a year or even a few months.