Floor covering is the third largest purchase the average homeowner will make in their lifetime. Above that are automobiles and your home. If you do maintenance on your home and automobile as required, why would you cut corners on your new floors?
Many times during an onsite inspection, I find that the wrong product or procedure was used to care for the floor, causing the problem. The wrong cleaning product can cause damage to the floor. Often times the I get answer is, “I use the same stuff my mother did, and her floors looked great.”
Many good things get passed down from generation to generation, but floor care should not be one of them. Changes over the years in the way cleaning products are manufactured and what is used to create the flooring, changes the maintenance as well. Changes come about because of regulations, flooring trends driven by consumer demand, and differences in home construction over the years. If the flooring dealer did not provide care and maintenance information, look it up on line. Most companies have it readily available on their website.
Granted the majority of claims are not maintenance related, but why would you want to take the chance that your floor would be one of them? Keep in mind maintenance may vary from one manufacturer to the next, so one size does not fit all.
When looking for flooring products, how do you research the product? Do you sit down and actually write a list of what you expect for performance, or just go by what looks nice when it is installed? Whom do you trust to provide guidance as you go through your selection process?
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