A. Marreed & D. Prestman
'Distressed' Red Pine Floor Care
An A. Marreed & D. Prestman
'Distressed' Pine Floor
is a Heritage Floor —
a 'carefree' floor that requires only Common-Sense Preventative Care and
Cleaning Maintenance ...
1 Refrain from using alcohol- and
ammonia-based or other corrosive liquid cleaners or "scratch" pads
... do not use products such as "Varsol", paint thinner or nail-polish remover
to clean "stains" or black rubber "heel" scuff marks...
doing so will remove the sheen on the finished floor and cause "dullness".
Should you spill liquid on your floor, such as red wine, simply use a damp
cloth (or a paper towel) to wipe up the spill then dry with a fresh
cloth. To remove black rubber "heel" scuff marks, use a damp cloth and
"rub" in the direction of the grain of the wood to "wear-off" any obvious marks.
With all due respect ... Carpet Riding is for magicians ... LIFT
everything.
2
Do not roll or drag
or "carpet ride" or "dolly
ride" or "twist" any appliance
such as a fridge, stove, washer or dryer along the floor for any reason ... not
even to pull them out to clean ... UNLESS you first lay down a 3' X 4' sheet of hardboard or 1/4" plywood to protect the floor from being
damaged by
the heavy appliance.
Procedure: Before pulling a
large appliance* out... lift (using a crow bar on
top of a protective wood block, if necessary)... screw UP the Levelling Feet
on the appliance. Then, push back the appliance to the wall... place the hardboard
or plywood sheet in front of the appliance wheels/casters or
base feet... lift and pull the appliance forward onto the
hardboard/plywood
sheet.
Leave the appliance on the protective sheet while you clean behind ... then, lift/push/roll the appliance's back to the wall. Remove the hardboard/plywood sheet. Lift/roll the appliance forward slightly to clear the
wall and allow for the resetting of the Levelling Feet. An appliance is
level on the "vertical" when the appliance door "falls" gently closed "on its
own" (when the door is left open). An appliance is levelled on the horizontal
using a level and ensuring the appliance does not "rock". Take special care with
automatic washers as they tend to "walk" when in the Spin Cycle if they are not
properly levelled. Hint: Use double-sided tape under the front feet, if
necessary, to stop "appliance walking".)
3
Do not roll or drag
or "carpet ride" or "dolly
ride" or "twist" furniture when moving furniture into place (after your flooring
is installed) ... LIFT
everything into place.
3a)
Modular office & home furniture that needs to be assembled should be assembled
while resting on a heavy cloth 'drop sheet' or rug (as metal legs, hinges, etc.
can cause floor damage). Use two people to flip over and lift large awkward pieces
like modular computer desks and LIFT them into place.
4
Refrain from using masking tape when doing painting
or window cleaning or other household chore — (not even "green" masking
tape) to secure plastic or paper
to the floor as a protective barrier for your flooring — loose cloth drop
sheets are best to protect flooring in work areas.
5
Use felt foot protectors under furniture legs and "water-catchers" under
planters.
6
Do not allow other trades — painters, in
particular — to use scaffolding (with or without wheels) or ladders without first
placing plywood or soft-blocks under scaffold legs and protective cloth drop-sheets over the floor.
7 Use a Central Vacuum
System with hose and "Brush
Tip" attachments or a Canister-style vacuum cleaner with hose and "Brush Tip"
attachments ... avoid using an Upright (roll-style) vacuum cleaner
on any wooden floor, if possible. If you must use an upright vacuum,
clean the caster wheels and use cloth wheel covers to protect the floor ...
only because, manufacturers use cheap plastics and poor assembly methods in the
making of non-critical parts, such as, "casters" on vacuums and bed frames.
8
High heel shoes are OK provided that the heels are not stiletto-spiked
which can damage any floor.
9 Never wax any wood floor ... a wood floor that is waxed is a floor that can not
be properly refinished (fifteen or twenty years down the road.) without
considerably more work and expense.
10 Wait a minimum of four (4) months (and preferably 8 months) before placing area rugs on your new wood
floor... UV Light* will darken the floor to a golden-amber during that period of
time.
Exceptions:
1) Almost everyone places throw-rugs on the floor at their entrance
doors and in front of kitchen and bathroom sink-counters ... there will 'always'
be throw-rugs in those areas anyway. 2) If you have a dog that is unstable on
its feet (overweight or elderly), runners and rugs may be necessary from the
outset, especially on stairs.
* UV Rays are not dependent of direct sunlight ...
so it will not matter if the area you want to place a rug in is in a "shaded"
hallway or bathroom" ... if you must place a throw rug, do so ... if you ever
remove it, simply allow a minimum of 4 to 6 months for that area of the floor to
"catch up" with the colour of the rest of the floor.
A. MARREED & D. PRESTMAN 'DISTRESSED' RED PINE FLOORING requires much less cleaning than hardwood flooring because my
flooring
camouflages minor dust and debris. Nonetheless, you should vacuum and 'swif' once a week to maintain 'life' in
the finish ...
1 Vacuum your flooring using an 8" or 10"
wide "soft brush" vacuum head. Never vacuum "under cabinets" or along "wall
edges" without a vacuum "brush tip/head" on your vacuum hose.
Never use any mop or broom (or upright vac) that may have "exposed" metal or plastic
parts in contact with your floor.
Recommendation: Use a 4" X 15-3/4" VELIDA-brand flat mop (the
"collapsible" kind with a washable (lint-free) head... purchase one at any
bog-box building centre). Use any brand of "hardwood" flooring cleaner (read
the label on concentrated products for proper dilution ratios.)
2
Spray the "hardwood" flooring cleaner onto the head of
the mop. Do not spray cleaner directly onto the flooring as it may cause "streaking".
3 Use a flat damp (not soaking wet) mop, such as the one mentioned
above, to wipe the floor in the direction of the grain of the wood — back
and forth — turn the "front edge" of the mop at the end of your run (at the
wall) back onto itself, thus, trapping the dirt on the "front" edge of the
mop as you mop the floor. Rinse the head to clean it regularly
in the process.
Do not use a Wet-Swiffer machine on any wood floor.
That's it ... vacuum and "Damp Swif". Enjoy your easy-care flooring.
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