With fall here and winter quickly approaching, you may be thinking of the changing leaves and cooler weather. But here at Empire Today®, we always have flooring on our mind and are always thinking about ways to help keep your floors looking their best.
The typical worries for your floors this time of year are foot traffic, constantly changing levels of humidity and moisture, outdoor dirt, and allergens. These culprits can easily wreak havoc on your flooring if you’re not careful.
So as the summer months come to an end, we wanted to share five simple ways homeowners can keep their carpets and floors in top shape this fall and beyond.
This time of year, most people want to maximize the amount of sun that comes into the home. That means wide-open blinds or shades. Unfortunately, that same warm sun also puts out harsh UV rays that can cause premature fading and discoloration to floors, especially hardwood flooring. While a few days of direct sun won’t have immediate adverse affects, it’s possible that some fading can happen in just one season. This will be more noticeable if one single section of the floor spends a lot of time in the sun, Consider using some translucent drapes or other form of diffusion on your windows to reduce the intensity of the light hitting the floor, while still providing that cozy warmth. Carefully positioned rugs are another way to protect floors from UV rays.
One of the simplest ways to prevent dirty floors in the fall is to have high quality door mats outside all of the entrances to your home. Look for a doormat with thick bristles that can get into the deep treads of heavy boots. Just a few seconds of shuffling on a robust door mat can greatly reduce the amount of dirt, leaves, and other debris that gets tracked into your home. Pair the outdoor mat with one just inside the front door that will absorb any remaining wetness on guests’ shoes—or which can act as a staging area for them to remove their shoes altogether.
Seasonal changes mean more than just less light and the arrival of cold weather. In many parts of the country, fall is the wet season. And that itself means more than just worrying about liquid water ending up on your floors—the increase in overall humidity can also be a concern. High humidity levels can negatively affect hardwood floors, causing swelling and expansion that can lead to small cracks and even major buckling. It also increases the possibility of mold or mildew development in carpeting. Using a dehumidifier when humidity levels are high will remove the excess moisture out of the air, greatly reducing the likelihood that it can harm your floors.
Even if you take every precaution possible, dust, dirt, and allergens will find their way into your home. At that point, your plan should shift to efficient cleaning methods. One great tip is to prioritize vacuuming your floors instead of sweeping—even on hard surfaces—to pick up as much of the debris as possible. While sweeping is great for getting the big chunks, it will often spread the finer dust and dirt around, sending it into the air and letting it settle on other surfaces. Vacuuming your floors with a HEPA-filter equipped machine can greatly reduce the amount of dust and allergens that remain on your floors and in your home overall.
If you’ve been planning on having new floors installed, this is a good time to consider water-resistant or fully waterproof flooring options. If you’ve made it this far, you’ve already read about the problems that moisture can cause to your floors, whether in the form of rainwater tracked through the kitchen or high seasonal humidity. Water-resistant or waterproof flooring effectively negates those and many other water-related hazards, taking a huge worry off your plate.
One of the best things about the selection of Aqua Defense floor products available from Empire® is that you won’t have to compromise style just for the functional benefit. You can choose from dozens of wood laminate or vinyl floor products in the day’s trendiest designs, all while still getting protection against water.
If you have old carpet or flooring, and professional cleaning just isn’t doing the trick anymore, it may be time to replace it. Schedule a FREE In-Home Estimate with Empire to see all the allergy-friendly and odor-neutralizing options—like Empire’s hypo-allergenic HOME Fresh carpet—you can choose from. We’ll help you figure out the one that’s right for your home.
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