Covid drives demand for hard surface flooring

Some hotels have decided to remove all carpets in guest rooms and replace them with hard surface floors, such as vinyl and wood. This has been done to make rooms easier to deep clean in order to protect guests from Covid-19.

Dwayne MacEwen, the head of DMAC Architecture, said:

“Durable nonporous materials such as hardwood floors with a nonporous surface, especially those that are surface-sealed, make it easier to clean.”

Interior designer Molly Forman said that luxury vinyl tiles are easier to clean and sanitise than carpets.

Hardwood is a safe option for hotels, but frequent cleaning with automatic scrubbing machines can degrade the wood quicker in comparison to the pre-virus routine of mopping daily. Cleaning too harshly can chip and crack wood, causing worn areas to trap dirt.

Not all hotels have removed carpets, however. They may take longer to clean than hard surface floors, but as long as carpets are disinfected after cleaning, the room will be safe for use by guests.

Other commercial workplaces have not replaced their flooring but instead increased the frequency of cleaning. In public areas, carpets can have contrasting coloured tiles placed in positions that provide visual guides to social distancing.

Whether you have vinyl flooring or carpets in your Chester home, if they are in good condition, there is no need to change them in response to Covid-19. As long as the floors are cleaned regularly and disinfected, the household should be protected.

How long does artificial grass last?

Far lower maintenance than a natural lawn but with the same attractive appearance, artificial grass can be an easy solution worth considering for outdoor areas. Before making an investment, you may be weighing up the price against how long your new grass will last, to make sure you are making the right decision.

Artificial grass installed on your property can typically last between 10 and 20 years, although this term can be longer or shorter. This is because the longevity of synthetic grass is dependent on many different variables, some of which you have the power to influence. In the following passages, we break down the factors affecting how many years you will get out of your grass and what you can do to help.

The quality of the product

What your artificial grass is made from and how well it has been manufactured can have a significant impact on its lifespan. Like the natural grass it imitates, synthetic options are comprised of thousands of separate blades. Crafted from plastic, the blades are sewn into a specially designed backing material. How long your grass can endure will partly depend on the strength of the plastic used for the blades. Most artificial grass uses either robust options like polypropylene or nylon, but always check the quality of the blades before buying.

The backing to which the blades are attached has two layers. The membrane is the top layer onto which the grass is physically sewn, while the bottom layer is a built-for-purpose bonding material that affixes everything together. If damage occurs between these two layers, it can greatly decrease the life of your artificial lawn, so request samples and test the backing material’s strength.

Overall, lower quality products will be represented by weak blades and backing, offering a far shorter lifespan.

How you use your grass

Obviously, the more traffic your synthetic grass sees, the more quickly it will wear. Lawns located merely for display will tend to outlive those situated in communal gardens with footfall from children and pets on a regular basis. If you plan to use artificial grass for a family lawn, the more durable and high-quality offerings are worth considering.

Professional installation

An efficient installation is a major factor in how long your grass will last, so if you want to see the best return on your investment, leaving this task to the experts can be a wise move. Without proper care during installation, a lawn can suffer from drainage issues along with plant and weed growth problems, which can drastically reduce its longevity.

Proper maintenance

While artificial options are nowhere near as labour intensive as a natural lawn, they do require taking care of to ensure they last. The key area of maintenance will be to remove organic or chemical spills and pet waste from your lawn instantly to avoid damage or discolouration, while any general foreign objects can be brushed away around once a month. Simple rinsing and brushing will be all that is needed to keep your artificial grass looking at its best and extending its life for many years.

How many years should a laminate floor last?

Whether you are planning on fitting a laminate floor in rooms around your home or styling up a commercial office space, prior to purchase you might be wondering how long your new flooring will last. Laminate flooring is readily available for a wide range of prices to suit different budgets and can provide an attractive alternative to more expensive hardwood solutions.

Created from multiple thin layers, pressed together, laminate flooring is topped with printed paper which is covered by a clear protective coating. When this top layer becomes worn, unlike the surface of a wooden floor, it cannot be refinished with sanding and must be replaced. It therefore will not outlast a wood floor, but can still serve your home for a long time if well looked after.

The expected lifespan of a laminate flooring

While it is unable to match the durability of a hardwood floor, a quality laminate floor can still last over two decades. The average life expectancy for laminate flooring can be anywhere from 15 to 25 years but it can vary greatly from as little as 10 years, to as much as 30 years depending on many different factors.

It is worth bearing in mind, however, that no matter how high-quality the laminate flooring you choose to purchase is, while it may last for 25 years, it will never look the same as it did when it was first installed.

Factors affecting the longevity of laminate

How long your laminate floor can last will depend on several different factors. The quality of the flooring you select will have an impact on your floor’s longevity, with expert installers advising that cheaper products will start to show wear and tear far earlier than others. Whether your flooring is installed by a professional can also have an important bearing.

The amount of footfall your flooring receives will obviously affect how long it holds up for. If you install laminate flooring in a small home office, it will no doubt weather better than one that is fitted in the hall of a busy family house.

How you care for your new laminate floor can drastically increase or decrease how long it maintains its appearance. Neglecting to mop up spillages immediately can reduce the life of your floor and too much water used when cleaning is never a wise idea. Built-for-purpose, laminate cleaners are a far more suitable choice and easy to come by as many cleaning products that you might be able to use safely on other surfaces, such as vinyl, may prove too harsh for laminate, subtracting years off your floor’s life.

Enjoying a return on your investment

While laminate flooring that is used regularly will definitely wear over the years, by the time it needs replacing, it will likely have more than covered the cost of how much you initially paid. If you make sure to choose a quality product, have it fitted by a professional installer and make sure you take proper care when maintaining it, you will be able to enjoy your laminate flooring for many years to come.

What is the best flooring for a kitchen?

One of the busiest rooms in any house, a kitchen’s floors sees a lot of action. Unlike other flooring around your home, the solution you choose for your kitchen needs to tick many different boxes.

Kitchen flooring must be stain-resistant and simple to clean, but it also needs to be comfortable for walking on and look stylish. There are other factors you might take into consideration too, like whether your flooring choice works well with underfloor heating and how does it suit different floor constructions and surfaces already in place.

You also may have budgetary concerns that affect your choice and even if you don’t, you will want to make sure the style of floor you choose is designed to last, to avoid the inconvenience of replacing it often.

In the following sections we explore our top two options for kitchen flooring and discuss their individual advantages.

Vinyl flooring

Vinyl can be an ideal option to consider for your kitchen. The latest generation available Luxury Vinyl Tile (LVT) is water-resistant and easily cleaned, making it a perfect choice for kitchen spills. It is also comfortable underfoot when you need to spend time cooking or cleaning up.

Vinyl flooring can reflect a wide range of sought-after surfaces, from gently contoured wooden floors to smooth ceramic tiling. This versatility of vinyl’s appearance is one of the characteristics making it best suited for kitchen floors. If you want the look of a stone floor without the chills or a warm wooden-style kitchen without timber boards getting damp, vinyl can offer you the style you seek without any negatives.

High quality vinyl will include a specially designed “wear layer” that protects it from scratches and other damages, so as long as it is professionally installed, your flooring will last for many years. You can avoid dents from kitchen furnishings like tables, chairs, and stools by fitting them with rubber pads to safeguard your floor. If you are using underfloor heating in your kitchen, you will also find many vinyl products are fully compatible.

Laminate flooring

Another flooring that is a great fit for the kitchen is laminate, but it can pay to invest. Although a variety of lower budget options exist, they may not always be as hardwearing or resistant to water when you need to clean up or suffer spills and splashes.

High-quality versions are readily available, however, and like vinyl can mimic a wood grain, tile, or stone surface. Laminate flooring is constructed from a melamine backing, a High-Density Fibreboard core topped with a high-res image of wood or stone and then covered with a protective transparent “wear layer.” This last layer makes laminate flooring highly resistant to scratches and scuffs in daily use. Even at the high-end, laminate is still a relatively affordable option for your kitchen floor and is equipped with the latest waterproofing technology, which means it will not require sealing.

If you are planning to lay a new floor in your kitchen, consider these two innovative options for your home.

Dye maker warns against DIY carpet dyeing

Do-it-yourself carpet dyeing is a trend popular on social media, but dye maker Dylon has warned that carpets can be ruined by using the wrong dyes.

A good carpet is expensive, which is why people consider dyeing their old carpet to change the look of a room rather than buy a new one. However, using ordinary dyes can ruin the carpet. The Brand Manager of Dylon, Rachel Ferreira, says:

“Dylon Machine Dyes are only to be used in a front-loading automatic washing machine and cannot be used by hand or painted onto fabric. The all-in-one formula has a ratio of dye too elevated for the hand dye process.”

Quality carpets are contain a special substance that makes the carpet last longer and resist stains. This coating will also resist dyes and prevents them from colouring the carpet evenly.

Material dyed with Dylon dyes has to be machine washed thoroughly after applying. Since carpets cannot be put in a washing machine, Dylon dyes are not suitable for them.

There have been several reports in newspapers revealing how bad a carpet can turn out when someone has attempted a DIY dye job. In the majority of cases, the carpet owner has had to buy a new carpet.

If your carpet in your Wrexham home looks worn or you want a change of colour or pattern, it is time to buy a quality new carpet that will last for many years. Don’t be tempted to dye the carpet yourself.