Nobody plans for accidents on carpet, but in an active household with kids or pets, it's bound to happen.  With the lifeguard backing in Shaw's Pet Perfect Plus carpets, you can have the comfort, warmth, and softness of carpet without the stress from the messes that happen in your busy home.  

Many times our cute companions (pets or kids) will leave us a not-so-cute mess to clean on our carpet.  Whether its spilled milk or a urine spot, choosing carpet with a lifeguard backing will protect your home from having those liquids live in your carpet pad or subfloor.  You can topically clean carpets without this backing time and time again, but if it gets below the backing, there is just no way to get that smell out without a costly carpet replacement.  It's not just liquids to worry about, though.  As professional installers, a common thing we find is that dander and dirt also often make their way through a carpet backing.  This is why sometimes, despite frequent vacuuming, all you smell is FIDO.  

The lifeguard blue backing not only keeps soils topical so they can be cleaned, it also

• resists wrinkles or buckles over time with the softbac technology 
• has lower VOC's than latex backed carpets 
• has memory foam built into it for extra comfort
• Resists microbes and odors
• Uses crush-resistant ANSO fibers
• Free of PFAs and PFC
• Easily releases pet hairs
• Resists environmental factors like sunlight 
• has inherent soil resistance
• Has extreme resistance to bleach and harsh chemicals
• Has excellent sustainability due to longer life of the carpet!

So what are you waiting for?  Come look at samples today!

Do you have carpet in your home?  Let's talk about the most important maintenance item- your vacuum!  We are constantly cleaning our carpeting to keep it looking and smelling good, so it's important to know if your vacuum is good for carpet or not. 

How will you know if your vacuum is good for your new carpet?  
1.  Is it height adjustable? (it must have a knob or indicator showing multiple heights)
2. Does it have a switch to turn the beater bar on and off? 
3. Does it have large enough wheels to glide easily across your carpet?

Treatment of the stain should begin immediately upon discovery, as stain removal becomes more difficult with time. ​
​When shampooing your carpet do not use a Rug Doctor® or any kind of rental unit. Only hire a professional carpet cleaner.

To start, locate your stain on the common stains chart below and follow these steps:

• lift out as much solid material as possible
• Blot, don't scrub or use a brush
• Work on the outside first to the middle to prevent spreading
• Blot up liquid spills with a white towel or paper towel

For best results, try to remove the remaining stain with warm water only.

Procedure A (For water based, special water based and greasy, oil based stains)

• Mix a solution of 1/4 teaspoon of clear hand washing detergent with 1 cup of water.
• Apply directly to a white cloth and wipe on damped carpet. Avoid saturating the carpet by using small amounts and blotting frequently.
• Use warm water to rinse.
• Cover the spot with an absorbent white towel and apply pressure.
• Repeat all the rinsing and blotting with towel until all the detergent is removed.

If stain remains, Preform Procedure B (Procedure C is for coffee, tea, or urine)

Procedure B (Do NOT use on coffee, tea, or urine)

• Mix 2 tablespoons of non bleaching, non sudsing, household ammonia with 1 cup of lukewarm water.
• Apply, rinse and blot as outlined in procedure A.
• Do not dry with towels, but follow procedure C to neutralize the ammonia solution.

Procedure C (For coffee, tea, or urine)

• Mix 1/2 cup of white vinegar with 1 cup of lukewarm water.
• Apply, rinse and blot as outlined in procedure A.

Common Stains Chart

Most Common Water Based stains
For these stains, start with Procedure A. If stain remains, complete Procedure B and C.
Alcohol - Baby formula - Beer - Blood
Candy - Chocolate milk - Clay - Cola
Cologne - Cranberry juice - Feces
Felt-tip marker - Food stains (general)
Fruit juice - Fruit punch - Furniture
polish (water-based) - Grape juice 
Graphite - Ice cream - Jelly Ketchup
Latex paint - Liquor - Milk -  Soft drinks
Soil spots - Syrup - Tomato juice - Vomit
Water colors - Watermelon - Whiskey Wine 

Special Water-Based Stains​
For these stains, start with Procedure A. If stain remains, complete Procedure C. Omit Procedure B. 
Coffee - Tea - Urine

Greasy, Oil-Based Stains
For these stains, use Goo Gone®. Follow directions on package, then complete Procedures A, Band C.
Butter - Chocolate - Cooking oil - Cosmetics
Crayon - Furniture dye - Furniture polish (oil-based)
Glue* - Gravy - Grease (black) - Gum*
Hand cream - Ink - Lipstick - Margarine
Mascara - Mayonnaise - Nail polish - Oil
Oil paint - Ointment - Peanut butter - Rouge
Salad dressing - Spaghetti - Varnish - Wax* 
*Freeze and remove solid materials before using cleaning fluid.
​Important: Do not use any cleaner with a pH of 10 or higher. Before using, always test cleaners on a small, non-visible area for any discoloration of the pile. Abnormally large or excessive stains may require hot water extraction method. Professional cleaning is recommended. 

Watch these videos and look at the pamphlets to see all the flooring options that will give your home beauty while being gentle on the planet.  From Mohawk's plastic bank initiatives that remove plastic water bottles from landfills and waterways making their way into your home carpeting and puretech LVP flooring to the beautiful Mohawk laminate flooring that is carbon negative.  You have many options!  Wood flooring can also be a great option when looking for an ECO friendly and beautiful flooring option.

Hi everyone! Today I'm talking about waterproof flooring and what are the things you should consider when is comes to choosing hard surface flooring.

Is any one floor more waterproof than another?
The short answer for home use is, no. We tested RPC (Recycled polymer core), SPC (luxury vinyl Solid Polymer Core) and Pergo waterproof laminate by pouring water over the locking system in the wood planks, and true to their design, no water was able to penetrate through. 

The most important thing to consider is not which one is more waterproof than the other, because the flooring types are all equally waterproof. In your house, you are worried about topical moisture- water penetrating through the seams and getting to your subfloor which can create undesirable problems such as mold. All three of these products have Mohawk's WetProtect warranty for surface and subfloor water. 

The bigger considerations involve your lifestyle 

• SPC luxury vinyl will have a coating that is more scratchable than the alternatives. Do you have kids, pets, walkers, or things that are going to easily scratch your floor? This floor WILL scratch. The wear layer is going to determine how many scratches it will be able to take before it reaches the decorative paper.

• RPC is made out of recycled materials has 3 times the scratch resistance of SPC.  See our Puretech video blog for more information.

• Waterproof laminate, the tried and true. We have a Pergo laminate featured in our test and you can see that Pergo is not a sub-par product and RevWood is right with it. With the laminate you will get more enhanced texturing, a thicker product, and it will have an actual hardness rating, AC rating*. So it is the most scratch and dent resistant out of all of these flooring materials. So if you have a lifestyle that is going to be hard on your floor, this might be the choice for you. 

​Consult a professional if:

1. There is known moisture or alkali problems in a concrete slab,
2. The sub floor is not flat
3. subfloor moves or squeaks.

Prep:

1. Remove any existing flooring and underlayment.
2. Check for depressions in your subfloor and fill them in with a floor leveling compound for a flat and even surface.
3. Clean the subfloor of dust or debris. 
4. Acclimate your new flooring by placing it in the room for 24 – 48 hours. (Pro tip- longer acclimation periods of 3-7 days are optimal)
5. For planks without a pad attached, we recommend a premium pad. For pad attached planks on concrete, you will need to use a 6 mil poly or a roll on moisture and vapor mitigation system i.e. Bostik Roll-Cote. 
6. Test for moisture. The moisture level of your subfloor should be no more than 12%.

  Installation:

1. Concrete subfloors require the installation of a vapor barrier with overlapping seams of 8 inches or more.

 

1. Measure the short dimension of the room and divide by the width of the planks plan ahead to be sure the first and last rows will be at least half the width of the planks

 

1. Next measure the long dimension of the room and divide by the length of the planks to ensure the first and final planks in each row measure at least eight inches long. Keep in mind that cut planks should never measure less than eight inches.

 

1. Install the flooring using planks from several cartons to ensure a more natural blend of colors throughout the floor and be sure to inspect each plank loosely before laying it.

 

1. Lay the planks in a block or brick pattern. Make sure to follow your installation guidelines for complete ease of installation. Assemble the first two rows away from the long wall then slide them into place.

 

1. If your starting walls are straight and square, remove the tongue on the long slide and the short end of the first plank for uneven walls. Trace the Contour of the walls on the tongue sides of the plank and cut to fit.

 

1. Lay the first plank cut sides towards the walls. Then begin the second row by using a cut plank. Remember it should be at least eight inches long. Insert the tongue into the groove and rotate down until it locks in place.

 

1. Next lay the second plank of row one. Remove only the long side tongue and at a slight angle insert the short tongue into the groove of the first plank, and rotate downward to click the joint together.

 

1. Join the first two planks in the second row at the short end, then raise the outside edge of the planks up an inch or so, pushing the long tongues against the grooves of the first row and rotate down until the joints click together.

 

1. Continue the process until you reach the opposite wall, tapping the groove ends with a tapping block or pull bar to ensure tight joints.

 

1.  Cut the last plank to fit, again leaving a 3 8 inch space for expansion.

 

1.  Slide the first two rows into place. Remember to use spacers to ensure proper expansion space.

 

1. Repeat this process to complete the remaining rows, always maintaining a 3/8 inch space for expansion wherever the flooring meets a wall or other fixed object.

 

1. The pieces at the beginning and end of each row must measure at least eight inches long and joints should be offset by at least 12 inches between rows.

 

1. For door casings, slide the plank under the pre-cut casing and tap the long side joint closed first, then tap the end joint closed.

 

1. On the final row, trace the wall contour if necessary and cut the planks along the long groove edge to fit.

 

1. Once all the planks are in place remove the spacers.

 

1. For products without a Wet Protect warranty, you’ll want to install moldings. Be careful to avoid gaps between the molding and flooring. A word of caution, don't install moldings too tight to the flooring to allow for natural expansion and contraction.

 

1. If your flooring has wet protect technology and warranty coverage, you must seal the entire perimeter of the installation.

 

1.  First you'll need to fill all expansion spaces along the perimeter. The waterproof quarter round offers faster installation and easier cleanup. Install and then apply 100% silicone sealant in any place the flooring meets door frames or other fixed objects where you can't use the quarter round. It's important that you do not use acrylic sealant. If you choose to use the PE foam backer rod instead, insert the 3/8 inch compressible PE foam backer rod to fill the expansion gaps and cover with 100% silicone sealant.

 

1. Ensure there are no gaps, then cover with a standard quarter round. To finish the look apply silicone sealant anywhere the flooring meets door frames or other fixed objects. Once the silicone cures your new floor is ready to use

 
 
 

Hard Floor Cleaning Recommendations.
For everyday cleaning we recommend using a microfiber dusting pad, a vacuum with the beater bar turned off, or a soft bristle broom.  Many floor covering manufacturers recommend using water only on a damp microfiber mop for routine cleaning, and highly discourage use of all chemical mop solutions, especially mop and shine products. For periodic deep cleans of your hard surface flooring, dilute ¼ cup of cleaning vinegar with 1 gallon of water and apply the solution using a wrung-out rag and immediately towel dry, being careful to remove excess water from washing the floor.  Allow your floor to dry completely before replacing interior mats.
 Many manufacturers have specified that Swiffer sweepers, wet mop pads, and spray and mop products are not suitable for LVP/LVT and laminate flooring due to the chemical build ups they leave behind. 
Another key to keeping your floors in the best condition is to keep the floor free from dirt as much as possible and to wipe up spills as soon as they happen- no matter if it’s resilient vinyl, laminate, or wood.  Dirt and sand will abrade and scratch the floor when allowed to remain and move across the finish, so keeping a sweeper handy is a huge help. 
Do not use wet mops, steams mops, mop and polish products, oil-based cleaners or soaps, waxes, polishes, and straight or diluted ammonia or alkaline products. These may leave a residue which can attract dirt and dull your floor’s finish. Avoid cleaners that contain abrasives or solvents which may permanently damage your floor. Don’t use abrasive pads and cleaners including nylon scouring pads, steel wool, Comet TM, Soft Scrub TM, etc. Do not use detergent or soap based, non-PH neutral, or abrasive floor cleaning products. 
Preventative Care
Use protective mats at exterior entrances and in heavy traffic areas and felt protectors or approved nylon pads under furniture and replace all hard plastic or metal rollers on furniture with soft rubber rollers.  If you have a rolling office chair on your floor, I highly recommend using a glass or rubber chair mat to prevent transfer of the rolling load weight to your floor.  Chairs can break locking mechanisms or break the cores of resilient vinyl products if left unprotected.
Avoid tracking-in tar or asphalt from driveways, as well as high heel shoes on your floor as they can cause permanent indentations. Protect your floors against burns, avoid exposure to direct sunlight for prolonged periods, as this can cause discoloration, and do not flood floor or subject it to standing water.
Prevent indentations and scratches by the use of non-staining floor protectors on the legs of chairs, appliances and all heavy furniture. Never push, pull or drag furniture, appliances or other items across the floor. When moving furniture or heavy items, always lift and carry the items. Place hardboards between the flooring and object to move. Moveable appliances and furniture should be equipped with easily swiveling casters. Do not use ball-shaped casters.   
Heat-producing appliances such as a refrigerator or range, or hot air registers emitting a direct flow of heat in excess of 120° F, even intermittently, can scorch, burn, discolor or fade your floor.
 
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