 | Patrick Goebel has been involved in the home improvement industry for over 10 years and is currently director of retail flooring of the Flooring & Decorating Division of Star Lumber & Supply Co., Inc. You may contact Patrick by email at pgoebel@starlumber.com or by phone at (316) 942-2221. |
Carpet, Tile & Floor Covering
2004-04-01 08:49:00
The carpet forum (continued)
: Should I vacuum my new carpet? How often?
ANSWER: Yes. Vacuuming of your new carpet is strongly recommended, and this routine should commence the very moment the carpet is laid. A build-up of soiling in your carpet can occur quite quickly, and can cause premature deterioration of the yarn affecting the good appearance of your carpet. Most manufacturers also require professional steam cleaning every 12-18 months to keep the texture warranty valid as well. Most dirt, and even dust, takes the form of hard particles. When left in the carpet, these gritty sharp particles abrade the pile of the carpet. Regular vacuuming not only prolongs the life of the carpet but will enhance its appearance as well. Most soiling in carpet is of the dry particulate type that can be removed with a vacuum cleaner. It is best to vacuum high traffic areas daily, medium to high traffic areas twice weekly, and the entire house at least once a week. Use a vacuum with a rotating brush or beater bar. Change the bags often and check the beater bars for burrs or gouges so as not to damage the surface of the carpet. Some thick loop pile carpets will fuzz if a rotating brush vacuum is used. In this case we recommend a suction vacuum only. QUESTION: Can I avoid seeing seams? ANSWER: Carpet either comes 12', 13'6 or 15 foot wide and today's homes have large spacious rooms making seams unavoidable. The type of carpet, lighting in the room, seam placement and quality of installation can all have an effect on the visibility of the seam. Obviously, a thick plush textured carpet is less likely to show seams than a berber. The sources of lighting can have a significant impact on the visibility of a seam. If the light from a window casts a shadow over the seam it will be more visible during the day, we suggest having the room laid out as to have seams running perpendicular to the light source whenever possible. It is also crucial to place seams in the lowest trafficked areas, avoid placing T-seams in doorways or having more than three fills in any one room. A fill is created when a room is wider than the carpet and to keep the carpet going in the same direction it is necessary to fill in the remaining space with multiple pieces. While it is impossible to guarantee that a seam will not be visible proper installation can have a huge impact on how noticeable the seam is and how it will wear over time. A professional installer should seal the edges and use the proper seam tape and equipment while making a seam. QUESTION: What is the best way to remove stains? ANSWER: For any stain removal, use a white cloth or paper towels for cleanup. Treatment of the affected area should begin immediately upon discovery. The more time that elapses before treatment, the more difficult a stain will be to remove. Always work from the outer edge of the stain towards the center to avoid spreading. Blot, do not rub or scrub, as the carpet may fuzz. Avoid using any cleaner that strips the stain protector from the carpet. While it may make clean up easier it will cause the area to dirty quickly making it appear that the stain has returned. Stainmaster makes a cleaner called Z-Lex that is a very effective cleaner that actually puts the Teflon protectant back on the carpet.
