How to Save Money by Protecting Your Vinyl Flooring from Damage
Vinyl flooring is decorative, more inexpensive than hardwood and relatively easy to clean. It is also easy to damage. While it may be easier to replace than hardwood or carpet, that is still an expense you probably want to shell out for reasons other than necessity due to carelessness. The plain truth is that it is much less expensive to take pre-emptive action against damage to your vinyl flooring than to incur the cost of paying your lack of action. Make resilient flooring live up to its name by implementing as many of the following protective tips as you deem necessary.
Waxing Prevents Moisture Damage
Most new vinyl flooring is manufactured with the protection against moisture damage that keeps them safe from the need for waxing. Older linoleum flooring and some cheaper contemporary flooring are not equipped with such a luxury, however. The lauded durability of this type of flooring does not apply to damage caused by excess moisture. If your vinyl flooring was laid down before 1990 or so, you can add extra protection against damage by mopping with a self-polishing wax every few months in rooms where moisture could be a potential problem. Further protection can be added by always immediately cleaning up any wet mess on a vinyl floor. Use a thick towel to ensure that all moisture gets soaked up.
Cutting Through Kitchen Grease
Add a few drops of vinegar to the water when you clean the vinyl flooring in your kitchen. Even though you may not see it, cooking inevitably leads to grease building up on kitchen floors. The addition of vinegar will help cut break up that grimy film and the result will be a much cleaner floor.
Repairing Curled Tiles
Are the corners of some of your vinyl tiles starting to curl up? If left unaddressed, this curling can become a huge problem, forcing you to replace entire sections of the floor. If you can’t find matching tiles, you may have to resort to pulling up your entire floor and laying down completely new vinyl. Instead, you should immediately apply a heated iron to the curling vinyl long enough to loosen up the adhesive. Remove that glue and apply a fresh coat. Press the curled part of the vinyl down firmly and rest a weight on top of it long enough for the adhesive to dry and keep the vinyl down flat.
Coasters
The legs of chairs, tables, high chairs, portable kitchen islands and anything else that regularly moves across vinyl flooring or presses down continuously into the surface should be fitted with coasters to prevent damages. Whether you use rubber or plastic or even those tennis balls you see on the walkers of senior citizens is beside the point. The point is that you want to do everything possible to protect your vinyl floor from the effects of contact. Chair legs constantly being dragged across the vinyl not only weakens the floor but can potentially result in tearing. Likewise, the weight of tables, bookcases, large appliances and furniture constantly pushing down into the same area will inevitably injure the flooring beneath.
Covering Up Holes
Small holes in vinyl flooring can be covered up with nothing more complicated or expensive than a crayon. Just find a crayon of the same color as the area of the flooring with the hole in it. Melt the crayon to form a wax and fill in the hole. Allow it to dry and then mop the area of the floor with a liquid wax.
Scuff Marks
Scuff marks on vinyl flooring can be cleaned up in a number of ways. You can try a mixture of water and dishwashing detergent. You can invest in a dedicated cleaner. Or you can buy one of those big pencil erasers and literally use it to erase away scuff marks.
