Home And Garden

Tips On Cleaning And Polishing Your Marble Floors In my opinion, marble is one of the most beautiful materials you can ever have incorporated into your home decor - with proper care and maintenance, it will maintain its pristine condition throughout the life of the home. It will always add value both in visual appeal and in financial worth. In order to know the "how and why" that upkeep of marble is so important, you need to know a little about its origin. No. It's not decayed jungle flora a hundred-million years ago, changed by pressure and heat into some lovely expensive, light refracting gemstone! Marble is rock that is actually formed by sea shell deposits billions of years ago. In the areas or regions where marble is now mined, the miners also find fossils of sea creatures along with chunks of limestone which is also a by-product of sea shells. More evidence that the oceans once covered the earth? I think so! In early civilization, marble was sought after for...

Stone floors are natural, beautiful, and always stylish. The naturally cool, hard surface is ideal for warm climates and does not harbor dust or allergens. Before choosing a specific type of stone, arm yourself with knowledge to find the best fit. The amount and size of pores in a stone, referred to as porosity, affects its strength and stain resistance. If you plan to install stone in a high-traffic area, such as a kitchen, mudroom, or family bath, you'll want to choose a hard, dense stone that is nonporous, such as granite or slate. Softer, more porous stones, such as marble, limestone, and travertine, require regular applications of sealants and frequent cleaning to prevent staining and pitting. First, remember that typical natural stone floor tile sizes are 12”x12”, 13”x13”, 16”x16”, and 18”x18.” Next, you should be aware that there are two types of edges for natural stone floor tile: a polished bull nose edge that has a rounded or curved appearance, or a polished straight...

Do you have a wood deck that hasn't felt the love in a long time? Is it peeling or a dull grey? Do you have a big social to-do planned at the house and want the deck to look its best? Then this is where you want to be! In this series of tutorials I'll show you in step-by-step detail and in clear photos what is involved in a professional looking deck refinishing job that you will be able to complete yourself. In a weekend or two you can transform a drab tired old wood deck into a vibrant beautiful entertainment area. 1. Inspecting the Deck Surface The first step in your deck restoration is to clean the deck of debris with a broom or power blower and  visually check for any severely cupped, split or any rotting wood deck boards. If you find any, then these boards need to be replaced before the deck is refinished. It’s important to have a good solid surface and replacing a damaged deck board is pretty easy as I show you in the tutorial below. 2. Light Cleaning of the De...

Carpet isn’t as high-maintenance as most people tend to think. However, it still does require some care (like anything) and must not be mistreated. To protect your carpet and ensure that it stays looking beautiful for a long time, here is a list of the things that should NOT be done to your carpet (and what to do instead). Do Not Scrub When you’ve had a spill on your carpet, I know it’s tempting to attack it with a vengeance. After all, for so many other tasks we’re told that a bit of elbow grease is necessary to get the job done. However, this is one instance in which fiercely scrubbing is not helpful, and in fact will likely be harmful to your carpet. Carpet is made up of fibers that have been twisted together in order to increase their strength. The twist is then “locked in” with heat. By abrasively scrubbing at the fibers, you run the risk of undoing the lock and having the fibers come untwisted – something known as blooming. This will cause the appearance of a big fuzzy p...

Natural stone is a beautiful and impressive flooring feature which can dramatically elevate the sophistication of an environment. A porous material, it requires a certain amount of regular maintenance in order to preserve its look and function. At the same time you have to use caution with some cleaning procedures when dealing with various types of stone. However, if properly cared for an installation can last for decades. Liquids : The toughest challenge facing natural stone flooring is the fact that this material is porous, and contains thousands of tiny invisible holes in its surface. These can be an immediate pathway for liquids and water based staining agents to seep down into the tile, discoloring it dimensionally, or causing the growth of mold and mildew. The solution is to use two types of chemical sealant to protect your floors against water and stains. The first is a below surface treatment that will seep down into the pores of the stone, clogging them so that mois...

Cleaning bamboo flooring is relatively easy, as this material is naturally quite hard, and is more resistant to water damage than similar hardwood floors. However there are regular maintenance tasks that have to be performed periodically if you want to keep the bamboo looking its best. The following tips are general guidelines. However you always want to follow any manufacturer provided instructions when caring for a bamboo floor. You should also be familiar with the warranty, if any, that was provided with the floor so that you do not take actions that can void it. Dust, Dirt, and Grit: Regular Cleaning Procedures The main culprit in the deterioration of a bamboo floor is going to be tiny particles of dirt and sand that are tracked into the room from people’s shoes. When these tiny particles are walked on, they can dig down into the finish of the floor causing dents, divots, or even scratches, giving the bamboo a faded look. This can be prevented by regularly mopping, sweeping...

Is bamboo flooring durable? How does bamboo flooring durability stack up against other types of so-called wood flooring? Answer: It's easy to see why bamboo flooring might not be thought of as durable: it's not a wood. And it's mainly not the material itself that carries any of the qualities of hardness (or softness); it's the additives you use when producing bamboo flooring. So, bamboo flooring can be as soft as you want (900 Janka scale) to as hard as you want (5000 Janka). Confused? Good. Read on: Durability of Woods Vs. Grasses When you floor with hardwoods--hickory or walnut, for example, both high on the Janka hardness scale --you don't need to do anything to make the flooring harder. While sealing the wood does increase its durability, my estimate is that that the wood fiber itself is already carrying well over 95% of the durability. But bamboo is a grass. How does this work with flooring? Bamboo Flooring Durability: It's Not In the Plant ...