Great Tips for Flawless Carpet

You've just spent your hard earned money on a beautiful new carpet, so now what?   Here are some great tips from the experts at Carpet Wagon for keeping your carpet looking flawless for years to come.

Even though vacuuming can remove most of the dry soil, it is also necessary to clean your carpet on a regular basis to remove the oily, sticky soil that builds up in the pile as a result of cooking vapors, air pollution, and tracked in dirt.  The particles of oily soil deposited on carpet fibers can cause gradual but significant dulling of delicate pastel colors; the color isn’t lost, but is hidden under the film.

If this type of soil is allowed to accumulate, it begins to attract and hold the dry soil.  This is the reason cleaning is so important when dulling of the color is first noticed; if allowed to remain too long it becomes gummy and difficult to remove.

If carpet is cleaned before it becomes too unsightly, the cleaning chore will be easier and more successful.  It is a myth that cleaning the carpet before it is absolutely necessary will cause it to get dirty faster.  Carpet in a typical household should be cleaned every 12 to 18 months depending upon the number of residents and amount and type of activity.

Choice of the proper cleaning system is important.  Some systems may leave residues with promote re-soiling and defeat the whole purpose of cleaning.  The recommendations below represent the best current knowledge and should help prolong the time between cleanings.

Call Carpet Wagon at 1 (877) 57-WAGON to set up a free "Shop at Home" consultation.

How Do I Keep My Carpet Looking Great After A Spill? #expertadvice

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Question:

A friend of mine spilled on my carpet.  I cleaned it with my regular carpet spray, which removed the stain, but now it's flat in that spot!  Any advice?

 

Answer:

This is more common problem than you'd think.  Luckily there is an easy solution.  Simply spray Scotch Guard onto the affected area to restore body and stiffness.  Follow the instructions on the Scotch Guard can.   Another option: if you know the manufacturer of your carpet you can call their technical department for recommendations of products you can purchase for spot cleaning that can help you avoid this problem in the future.

Choosing the Perfect Floor Rug pt. 1

Shopping for a new rug can be daunting.  With so many sizes, looks, designs, and textures, the process can be overwhelming.  Here at Carpet Wagon we want to help you choose the perfect rug for your home.  Below are some key terms to know when you go rug shopping. 

Call Carpet Wagon at 1(800) 57-WAGON today to schedule a free consultation at home or visit our showrooms to see all the great rug products we have for you.

Key terms and phrases about rugs:

Arbrash: An effect created by varying colors of yarn giving the rug a washed appearance.   Machine made area rug manufacturers use this to create the look of fine, hand-made carpets.

Aubusson: A French influenced design, usually with a center medallion and pastel colors.

Border: The design which forms the outside edge of a rug and surrounds, or frames, the field.

Bordered Rug: A rug with a solid or patterned border surrounded by a solid field. 

Contemporary: Designs that are characterized by stark contrasts, bold use of color, and geometric or free form style elements.  Contemporary patterns are often architectural or modern, but also include retro designs as well.

[Photo by L. Richard Martin, Jr.]

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Eventually, we all have to deal with a spill or a spot on our lovely new carpet.   But there is no need to panic.  Here are some tips from the experts at Carpet Wagon for dealing with the occasional spill on your floor. 

- Prompt attention to spots and spills is essential.  No carpet is stain proof, although many are stain resistant, which allows time to act.
- Remove as much of food spills as possible by scraping gently with a spoon or dull knife.
- Absorb wet spills as quickly as possible by blotting repeatedly with white paper or cloth towels.
- Always blot; never rub or scrub abrasively, as a fuzzy area may result.  When blotting, work from the outer edge in toward the  center of teh spot to avoid spreading the spill.
- Always follow up with water to remove detergent residue that may become sticky and cause rapid re-soiling.
- Draw out any remaining moisture by placing several layers of white towels over the spot and weigh them down with a heavy object that will not transfer color, such as a plastic jug of water.

8 Things You Might Not Know About Tile for Your #Home

Here are 8 interesting facts and tips about tiling in your home:

1. Tiles can be made from ceramic, porcelain, glass, metal, and stone.
2. Tiles can be as small as ¼ inch or as large as 65 inches. The size is up to you!
3. The phrase “Big rooms need big tiles” is not always true. Analyze your room as a whole, understand what it needs and find the freedom in your array of options.
4. Lengthen a small room by embedding mosaic-tile paths in your high traffic areas. Allow the color of your path to contrast the solid colors on your floor.
5. Tiles are available in unique shapes like basket weave, herringbone, oval and wedge shapes? Make your floors unique by incorporating these different styles.
6. Advantages of tile: design versatility, environmentally-friendly, durability, and ease of maintenance
7. Tile calls to the artist in us: create a unique look by inserting hand-painted medallion pieces into your floor pattern.
8. Tile can bring history into your home. The romantic styling of the Victorian (or even Renaissance) age can be incorporated into your room by flooring with small mosaic tiles.

[ image by tandemracer ]

A Closer Look at Tile: 2 Basic Types

There are two basic types of tile, ceramic and porcelain. They’re actually cousins with very different attributes.  Ceramic tile is defined broadly as a formed and baked clay product, usually finished with a decorative glass glazed surface. The technique has been in use for thousands of years. Porcelain tiles are a modernized version, typically made from different, denser clay materials and baked at very high temperatures and lower water absorption rates than traditional ceramic tile, making them tougher and generally frost resistant, though not always. There also are some non-porcelain tiles that can be used in freeze-thaw environments. There are both glazed and unglazed porcelain tiles. Some people favor glazed versions, stating that they are a tad easier to clean. Others say porcelain tiles may be more slip resistant.

Much of today’s ceramic and porcelain tile offerings are designed with the look and feel of natural stone in mind, and along with that color and textures which further expand your design-ability with tile. As you explore “your look,” check the tile to see what the shade variation is. It can be a consistent color yet with shade and texture variations from low to very high.

If you're looking for green options...tile can fit the bill, and in the way YOU define it. First, most ceramic tile is made of natural materials, like clay and silica for the glass glazing. It is easy to clean and keep healthy, making tile a longstanding choice in medical facilities. And top name manufacturers are adding increasing amounts of recycled content to their ceramic and glass tile products.

Excerpted from Fabulous Floors Magazine, Winter 2011.

[image by dlkinney]

Flooring Q & A: Best Flooring Choices for a New Home

Question:

I am having a house built, and trying to find out what is more economical and durable, carpet, tile or wood flooring?  Do you recommend any brand over another?

Answer:

There are many great brands and types of flooring.  If you are going strictly for price – then carpet is probably your best choice, as it tends to be the most economical.  However, you’ll get more durability from tile and hardwood flooring.

You say you’re building a new home… you may want to consider a combination of at least two or three different types of flooring, depending upon the floor plan and the functions of the rooms.  We’ve all heard the phrase “Wall-to-Wall Carpeting”, but in reality – do you really want carpet in your bathrooms or entryway where the constant moisture or heavy traffic can permanently damage carpet?   As a general rule, carpet is more desirable in bedrooms, and often family rooms as well, while tile, stone or hardwoods do better in heavily used areas such as the kitchen, dining and entryway areas.   Also something to consider: the more formal the room the more you may want to consider the timeless elegance of hardwood flooring.

Some of the best brands to look for in flooring are Mohawk, Mannington, Bruce, Armstrong, Pergo, Milliken, and just to name a few.  Carpet Wagon carries all these brands plus many more.

[photo by Nancy Hugo]

Expert Advice: How to Remove Glue from Your Floor

Question:
How do I remove glue from vinyl flooring? I have recently had new vinyl linoleum flooring put down in my kitchen. They secured the flooring using glue, but I’m not sure what type of glue.  Unfortunately, some of the glue has been walked onto the flooring. We have been advised not to use chemicals or abrasives on the flooring. We have tried normal soap and water to no avail.   Any suggestions would be very much appreciated.

Answer:
Good question!  Glue on the floor is really annoying, but there are lots of things you can try to remove the glue.

To remove adhesive from your vinyl flooring, you may want to try simple cooking oil.  This is the same concept as removing chewing gum from a little one’s hair using peanut butter.  Bar Keepers Friend is also worth a try.  It’s non abrasive, but make sure you try it in a small corner area with a soft cloth.   As a last resort you could try mineral spirits (used in turpentine and paint thinner).  However, please make sure you don’t pour this directly onto your vinyl floor.   Simply pour a bit on a cloth and test in small area as well. I’ve seen installers remove excess adhesive from hardwood with mineral spirits without damaging the floor at all.

[photo by LittleRedCera]

Let Your Creativity Play with an Area Rug #Home#Wardrobe

A gorgeous area rug provides a new and do-it-yourself makeovers, instantly! Area rugs are as diverse as they are versatile: knotted, woven, hooked or braided, machine-made or hand-tufted, synthetic or natural fibers, with looks and designs running from traditional to contemporary to modern, Oriental to abstract to floral and subtle to bold.

As with today’s rule that things don’t have to match, neither do rugs. Rugs let you be creative, personally contemporary, by mixing elements of your décor and the elements of the rug and thus create custom, individual looks.

Or even better, you can think of rugs as part of your home’s “wardrobe.”  Some can be changed seasonally. Some rolled out for special occasions or switched to other rooms. Others can be keepsakes to share with the family and to hand down.  What’s important to remember about rugs, new or old, using your creativity always presents a new opportunity for your rug to play a new role as you begin your home makeover.

Excerpted from Fabulous Floors Magazine, Winter 2011.

[image by psyberartist]

Flooring Q & A: Old Floors, New Solutions

Question:
I own a house that was built in 1912 and it still has the original hardwood floors in it.  We often throw parties and have lots of children over to play with our kids, and in the last few years I’ve noticed that the clear finish has flaked off in quite a few places.  What would be the best way to clean this old floor?   Another thing: I’ve got pets, so I’m concerned about finding a floor cleaner that is non toxic and safe for animals and humans. 

Answer:
It sounds like you’ve got a couple of issues to going on here.  First, finding a quality and non-toxic cleaning solution for your hard worn floors, and second, dealing with your worn finishes.

One cleaning agent I recommend is “Bona Hardwood Floor Cleaner”.  Bona is an excellent choice as it is non toxic and inexpensive.   A simple vinegar and water solution also remains a good option.  Simply mix half a cup of white vinegar to one gallon of warm water.    Make sure never to saturate the wood floor with water, a slightly damp mop is all that is needed.

The other issue is that of your worn finish.   To be honest, having original floors built in 1912, you're not likely to see a significant improvement in the appearance even with vigorous cleaning.   I would recommend that you look into getting your floor refinished.  You can hire a professional or do it yourself.   Refinishing requires sanding down all the remaining varnish and the worn out top top layer of wood, and re-staining or varnishing the wood.  It’s a messy job, but can be done with the right equipment and enough time.

Feel free to contact us at Carpet Wagon for further tips and recommendations for refinishing floors!

[photo by: A.K. Photography]

Carpet Wagon Loves Tec4Youth!

Team Carpet Wagon celebrated with our friends from Tec4Youth this past Thursday at their Ribbon Cutting event.  We believe so much in their mission to help young people that we donated the flooring for their new dance floor!

Check out the new dance floor! Here's part of the team from Tec4Youth with Avo, President of Carpet Wagon.

Learn more about Tec4Youth here: http://tec4youth.org/

Expert Advice: How Carpet Affects the Resale Value of Your Home

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Question:
The carpet in our current house is not great, but not terrible either.  We’ve had it professionally cleaned, but is worn with some imperfections around vents, banister, hallways, etc.  Our plan is that we are hoping to put our house on the market within the next 12 months.  If we replace the carpet now will we be very likely to recoup that money in resale value in a year?

Answer:
There are many different things to consider here: on the one hand the smell and look of new carpet will definitely show your house better and eliminate another reminder that folks aren't looking at a new house.  However, some buyers may have their own remodeling plans, or they may think they will tear out the carpet and replace it with wood or tile.   The best rule of thumb is that in a tough housing market the issue is not so much recovering your money, but rather, making any kind of sale.  Anything you can do to make your house show will is critical.  Cheap carpet will show as cheap carpet, sort of like new tires on a used car.  It’s a quick fix, and may make people wonder if you’re hiding something.

I’d recommend that if your carpet is worn out enough to warrant replacement that you go with middle-range quality carpet, not the cheap stuff.    Another thing to consider is the color.  Most real estate agents recommend lighter, neutral colors for carpeting.   Cream color, light taupe, and soft brown are popular colors for resale homes.   If your current carpet is too bold or dark a color you may also benefit from carpet replacement.

Contact Carpet Wagon to schedule a personalized appointment in your home.  We’d love to help you with all your flooring questions and needs.

A Closer Look at Hardwoods

Today we're going to highlight many different kinds of hardwood available for professionally installed wood floors.  We'll start with the most traditionally used domestic (native to North America) woods.

Oak and Maple are two of the most common domestic woods used in flooring today.  Maple Heartwood is creamy white to light reddish brown. It is strong, dense and durable and often used in high traffic areas such as hallways and kitchens.  Maple wood is not meant to be stained, but is often kept in its natural finish.

 

Oak is usually divided into White and Red Oak based on the color.  White oak is the standard by which all other woods are measured.   Oak has a naturally acidity that helps protect it from insects and fungus.   Oak wood is a great wood to stain, as it takes stain evenly and uniformly.

 

Walnut wood is also a very popular choice for domestic woods.   It ranges in color from dark reddish brown to almost a purplish black.  Dark woods can lean towards a very traditional decorating scheme.  Walnut wood is moderately dense and very strong.  However, because of its natural dark color it is recommended to keep the walnut in its original finish, and not try to stain it.

 

In future posts, perhaps we’ll explore exotic woods sourced from around the world in flooring.  What would you like to learn about exotic flooring (non-native to North America)?

[Image by Joost J. Bakker IJmuiden ]