The floor of your garage is often a place that is subject to the most amount of dirt and grime. When you consider all of the materials that get spilled on it every single day it is a wonder that you can actually see the floor through the grime. There are many things that you can do to get the garage floor looking clean again.
Not everyone will be able to paint their garage floors and have it look great when they are done. There are some things that can be done in place of paint that will give your garage floor a fresh look in no time. You should be careful of the products that you use so that you can make sure that you get a great looking floor when you are finished.
The preparation of your floor is as important as the product that you use to seal and coat it. It will be necessary for you to take a look at the floor and determine what kind of preparation it will need to receive the coat of floor paint or epoxy.
You can go ahead with the paints or sealers if you have a floor that has never been painted before. You will still have to clean the floor completely before you start painting. There absolutely cannot be any oil or dirt on the floor when you begin with these products or it will show through.
You can use a standard cleaning product if all you have is dirt on the floor. But if you have oil and gas on the floor you will need a special product that will clean this up off of your garage floor. You should remove the oil stains before you begin cleaning the floor.
When you have painted and sealed the floor, you will have to wait seven days for it to cure before you are able to drive on it.
For floors that are filled with holes and marks there are products that you can use to fill the holes. If there are too many to fill in with one of these products, you should consider resurfacing the whole floor.
There is a lot of work involved in cleaning and making your garage door look good again. You might find that it is easier if you buy a mat and cover the floor instead. There are many types of flooring mats that you can put on your floor and get a great look for your garage. Check out the different designs that you can use on your garage floor. You’ll still have to clean the floor before you use one of these mats for your floor. Get the oil stains up and scrub it till it is clean.
Source: http://beautifulhomegarden.blogspot.com/2008/09/easy-way-to-make-your-garage-floor.html
Foremost, you a lot of houses made use of laminate flooring in days past. However, at the moment hardwood types of floors {dominate|control|have control of|have dominance in} the {marketplace|market} as a result of, permanence, and far reaching quality.
When you want to know more about hardwood, it is recommended that you have an idea also about “hardwood floor refinishing estimates ”, “refinish hardwood floors ”, or “cleaning wood floors”. This will surely enhances your skills on home improvement particularly for hardwood flooring installation.
If you want to have additional resources for hardwood installation, the Internet is a huge data bank which you can use for additional inputs. All you need to do is to type keywords like “hardwood floor refinishing equipment, refinish a pine hardwood floor, or cleaning waxed wood floors on the search engine. With that, you will be prompted with lots of websites which are ranked based on relevance to your query.
Below are some facts you may want to know:
Hardwood floors can obviously get dented by liquid, note that your hardwood kind of floor cleaner ought to have a neutral PH; More over certify you do not use oil-based soaps to clean them. The asking price of the engineered wood floor is one reward of hardwood kinds of floors as this exact kind doesn’t cost as expensively as general hardwood floors. So, it does not matter whether you do not have a lot of cash or not. Several the people I know can afford this kind of hardwood floors.
If you choose to do your research for hardwood flooring on the Internet, it is useful to realize that there will certainly be several Internet companies trying to sell off their products; take time to select those that you’re certain of. Laminate type of floors are attaining more and more acceptance each day and this is clearly because they look very much hardwood floors; and they are trouble-free to fix in the home.
Source: http://mentorman.com/home-theater/hardwood-floor-shine-cleaning-pre-finished-hardwood-floors.html
Hardwood floors can create a feeling of warmth and elegance in a home or business. However, hardwood floors can also be a nightmare for your cleaning company to keep looking good. Knowing what to do and when to do it will help you to keep hardwood floors in prime condition.
Before beginning a maintenance program on a hardwood floor it’s a good idea to ask questions about the background of the floor (finish used, when it was last sanded, etc.). If that information isn’t available, then you’ll need to assess the floor to determine the condition of the floor. Some basic observations of the wood and the finish will help to determine what type of cleaning or refinishing is needed.
Begin by evaluating the condition of the wood. If the floor has extensive damage, warped boards and a lot of wear, the entire floor may need to be replaced. But that is the worst case scenario. Inspect the entire floor, including the edges, and look for differences in the level of the floor. Following are categories you can assign to the floor:
A. Overall very good condition. The hardwood floor looks good or may even be new. The floor may just need a good cleaning to get its luster back.
B. Slight scuffed. The floor is in fairly good condition, however, has a few scuffs and scratches, especially in high traffic areas.
C. Heavy wear. The floor has quite a few scratches, scrapes and dents and looks worn in places. It may even have a few expansion cracks.
D. Warped appearance. The boards in the floor have some minor warping, uneven boards, and many scratches and scrapes.
Next decide the condition of the finish. The condition of the finish may be related to the condition of the wood. For instance if there are deep cuts, scratches or chips in the finish they may go through the finish and into the wood itself. Look at the finish decide what categories are applicable:
A. The floor has a finish, but it looks dirty. The floor most likely just needs a good cleaning to get back that glossy luster.
B. The finish has light scratches, dings and chips and is worn (or is dull) in heavy traffic areas.
C. The finish is chipped in many places. Although the floor definitely has a finish, there are light scrapes, scratches and dings throughout the finish.
D. Finish is worn. There is little or no finish on the floor. The finish may appear to have deep gouges from dragging furniture across it.
E. No finish. The finish is gone or chipped and has a poor appearance.
If the wood and the finish are in good or reasonably good condition, a good cleaning and starting up a routine maintenance program is the next step. If the wood (category C, D or E) or finish (C, D or E) is in bad shape, you may need to do more research or consult a professional on the best way to proceed.
Properly maintaining hardwood floors is important to keep them looking good and extend their lifespan. It is extremely important to remove all the dirt, dropped food, grit and other debris that can end up on and ground into hardwood floors. Dirt that is not removed quickly can be “camouflaged” in the pattern or color of the wood making it not only difficult to see, but easy to ignore. There are several tools that you can use to remove dirt:
1. Brooms- make sure to use a broom that has “exploded” ends that can sweep up dust and fine grit.
2. Vacuums – Any type except an upright vacuum with a beater bar and brushes. These can cause damage to the floor.
3. Dust mop. Dust mopping and vacuuming are the most effective methods of removing debris from floors. If using a dust mop, buy a high quality mop with an eighteen inch head. Treat the mop with a dust mop treatment so it grabs the dirt and doesn’t just push it around.
Sweeping, vacuuming or dust mopping regularly is great for getting rid of the dirt, but you will still need to clean the floor. The best method to use is to mop the floor. Use a neutral cleaner (pH of 7) that is for use on hardwood floors and follow the product’s directions. Following are a few tips that will help to protect any hardwood floors that you care for:
Good matting is the best way to keep damaging soil and grit from getting onto and ground into the floor. Mats on the outside entryway will help to remove some soils. Make sure any mat(s) used inside (and on the floor) is a good quality rug that does not have a rubber coating. Plasticizers used on some rugs can “migrate” or move from the rug and into the finish of the wood floor.
High heels can cause permanent damage to hardwood floors. The spikes on heels can create dimples in hardwood floors. In a business it may not be possible to keep high heels off the hardwood floors, but if you are cleaning a residential floor, you can let the homeowner know of the problems associated with high heels.
Dragging furniture across the floor. This can cause scratches and dents in the floor. Anytime furniture needs to be moved it should be lifted and carried. Furniture legs need to be in good shape. A loose leg on a chair can dig into the floor’s finish anytime someone sits down in the chair.
Spills (food, cleaners, alcohol, oils) can damage the finish and the wood. Clean up spills as soon as possible.
Bright sunlight can bleach, darken or dry out wood. It may be necessary to cover windows with drapes or blinds to keep the ultraviolet rays off the wood.
Source: http://guide-hardwood.blogspot.com/2008/09/how-to-evaluate-and-care-for-hard-wood.html
Question: My hardwood floor was given a water-based polyurethane finish about two years ago, but now has a number of fine scratches. Can we eliminate the scratches without sanding?
Answer: You should be able to restore a smooth finish by using a no-sanding process developed by Varathane. This process will eliminate fine scratches that don’t penetrate into the wood. The manufacturer says it will work on previously finished hardwood floors and some factory-finished floors and laminates.
The process will not improve deep scratches in the wood and will not work if the finish has worn off to bare wood or if the finish is flaking or peeling. It will also not work on floors that have a wax finish or have been waxed to make them shine. You can check for wax by rubbing the floor with your thumb in an inconspicuous area; if the finish smudges, it is waxed.
If your floor qualifies, look for a Varathane Renewal Floor Refinishing Kit at a home center or buy one online. Renewing the floor is a three-step process that includes cleaning with a No-Sanding Cleaner supplied in the kit. The cleaner chemically abrades the old finish to eliminate the scratches and improve adhesion of the final finish. Rinsing with soap and water is the next step, followed by applying a fast-drying, water-based finish. Two coats of finish are recommended. For more information, visit www.varathane.com.
Source: http://www.lansingstatejournal.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20080919/LIFE01/809190307/1080/LIFE01
Laminate floors are a great flooring option when you want the classic look of wood without the high cost of actual, solid wood floors.
Laminate floors can look great for years to come and, as a testament to this, manufacturers willingly give warranties of 10 to 25 years for laminate floors against fading, stains and wears. Laminate floors are really built to last and can stand up to quite a lot of wear and tear. Likewise, cleaning laminate floors is a breeze. A good vacuuming can keep a laminate floor clean and clear. For difficult stains, a damp towel and a dry mop afterwards can serve quite well.
However, as time goes by, laminate floors can really show their age. Also, laminate floor cleaners from commercial suppliers can be quite expensive. If you want to keep your laminate floor clean and shiny, you have another option open to you without losing your budget for the month. You can use homemade laminate floor cleaner formulas.
There are several formulas for a good homemade laminate floor cleaner. Most of them work quite well and cost very little. In fact, the ingredients used are usually easily available from your home cleaning supplies closet and your kitchen. Here are a few solutions that you could look into.
Baby Shampoo
Some laminate floor owners have discovered that some baby shampoo formulas can work quite well as laminate floor cleaners. For your baby shampoo laminate floor cleaner, mix one to two tablespoons of baby shampoo to a gallon of water. Use this mix to clean your floors with a mop. Of course, don’t let the water stand or it will seep into your laminates.
Window Cleaners
Window cleaners can also be good for a homemade laminate floor cleaner formula. You will have to dilute it, however. For your window cleaner formula homemade laminate floor cleaner, mix equal parts of window cleaner and hot water.
Not only for laminate floors
This cleaning solution works well not only with laminate floors but also for other cleaning needs as well. For this solution, you will need to mix the following.
- 1/4 cup dish soap
- 1 cup lemon juice
- 1 to 2 cups of water
- 2 cups vinegar
The resulting solution is a great laminate floor clear which does not need any rinsing.
These are great solutions for a homemade laminate floor cleaner. However, if you want to keep your laminate floor looking good, it is best if you prevent any scratching on the surface of your laminate floor. Scratches are usually caused by pieces of sand or rock, moving furniture and others. Scratches can be difficult to repair and can make your laminate floors more weathered than it actually is.
Therefore, it is important to clean and vacuum laminate floors regularly to keep dirt that can cause scratches off the floor. Also, do not use abrasive cleaners such as scouring powder or steel wool to clean your laminate floors. Also, it is good practice to never leave any standing fluids on your laminate floor. This can seep saturate the laminate floor and damage it. Wipe wet areas immediately.
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Source: http://www.wood-floor-guide.com/wood-floor-care/homemade-laminate-floor-cleaner/