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Carpet & Flooring Tips
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Furnace, HVAC & Air Duct Tips
Carpet and Flooring Tips
The following are some helpful tips for looking after and caring for your flooring. Doing the following when needed will help maintain and preserve the longevity of your flooring and save from costly replacement early.
How often should you clean your carpet?
How often should you
clean your carpet?
To maintain your carpet at optimum conditions, we recommend to have it professionally cleaned at least every 6-9 months, especially the high traffic areas. Don’t forget to vacuum often to help preserve the carpet and prevent harmful buildup. Regular vacuuming should be done on a weekly basis at least twice or more if needed.
Why use area rugs?
Why use area rugs?
Use of area rugs can enhance the total look of a room as well catch the first bit of walk-in dirt when someone first enters the room Be sure to remove and clean them regularly. Also clean and restore the pile of the carpet underneath.
How to move heavy furniture?
How to move
heavy furniture?
When moving heavy wheeled furniture (pianos, cabinets, etc.), prevent damage by placing heavy cardboard or plywood between the wheels and the carpet.
How to remove a dirty stain?
How to remove
a dirty stain?
Use 1/4 cup of white vinegar, 1 tbsp. of Dawn dish soap, and fill with water. Spray area liberally and let soak for 5-10 minutes and then proceed with blotting with a clean, dry towel until the stain is removed. Some carpet stain removal products can be of great benefit for combating many types of carpet stains.
Take your shoes off
Take your shoes off
Get in the habit of removing your shoes before entering a carpeted room. Shoes can drag in all sorts of nasty things, not only dirt but think of all the flooring surfaces your shoes have walked in? Place a mat at the door to keep them readily available, and buy some slippers that can only be worn in the house to change into.
Carpet re-stretching
Carpet re-stretching
In addition to being unsightly, those ripples in the carpet can limit the lifespan of the surface. Humidity, moving heavy furniture or even an incorrect installation can cause your carpet to buckle. Ignoring the problem won’t make it go away. In fact, it will only get worse over time and may lead to your carpet creasing. The good news is that OAB can stretch it back out and into place.
Why you should use walk-off mats?
Why you should use
walk-off mats?
Use walk-off mats at all entrances to absorb soil and moisture. Clean mats regularly so they don’t become sources of soil themselves.
How to avoid pile crushing?
How to avoid
pile crushing?
Move heavy furniture occasionally to avoid excessive pile crushing. Put coasters intended for use with carpet under the legs of tables, chairs and other furniture to help distribute the weight and prevent mashing of the pile. Do not use chairs or appliances with rollers or casters on carpet without a chair pad designed for carpet. Continued use without a chair pad can cause damage to the carpet.
How to prevent sunlight damage?
How to prevent
sunlight damage?
Protect your carpet from prolonged periods of direct sunlight with blinds, shades, or awnings.
Why you should vacuum often
Why you should
vacuum often
Vacuum at least two times a week and more if the room gets a lot of foot traffic. Your vacuum is the best defense against early retirement for a carpet so keep it maintained. Change the bag or empty the canister before it gets full, remove debris such as string or fibers from the brushes (these cause the vacuum belt to work harder, possibly damaging the motor) and wipe the vacuum with a little white vinegar to keep it dust free. Always check the hose to see if any obstruction is blocking the airflow before starting it.
How to vacuum the right way
How to vacuum
the right way
A clean carpet begins with vacuuming regularly. That means more than just running a Hoover over the carpet once or twice a month. Use the crevice attachments to get dirt and dust from around the room. Vacuum the entire space horizontally, and then again vertically. The more times you run it over the surface, the more dirt it removes. Don’t let the bag get more than half full or it won’t work as efficiently. It’s also not a race. Vacuum slowly so it has the chance to pick up all the dirt embedded below the surface to the carpet. Finally, adjust the height, so it works just right for your floor.
Furnace, HVAC & Air Duct Tips
Caring for your HVAC unit, furnace and air ducts will help keep your systems running clean and can improve upon the health of everyone in your home or office. Here are some tips to helps from OAB.
Signs your Air Ducts need maintenance
Signs your Air Ducts
need maintenance
- The consistent change in temperature
- Systems take time to heat or cool the rooms
- Vast amounts of dust in indoor air
- Buzzing noise in the duct ways
- Increase in monthly electric bills
- Mold growth in duct way
- Rodent infestation
- Unpleasant smell
- Recent renovation or construction
Does Duct Cleaning make a mess?
Does Duct Cleaning
make a mess?
Duct cleaning is messy regardless of how cautious a technician is of doing the job. Preliminary precautions are critical to minimizing the mess involved. At OAB we use tarps and vent covers along with other supplies to help mitigate the amount of dust that escapes during the cleaning process.
Keep HVAC Unit Clean
Keep HVAC Unit Clean
You should have your HVAC unit cleaned on an annual basis. However in between annual visits you should be ensuring the area around your unit is kept clean and free from leaves, grass and other debris. In addition you can take a garden hose and spray the fins of the air conditioner to keep the air flowing freely through the fins. Doing this small bit of cleaning will help the efficiency and reliability of your HVAC unit when you need it the most.
What is a MERV rating?
What is a MERV rating?
The MERV rating was designed to rate air filters by effectiveness. It is an abbreviation for Minimum Efficiency Reporting Value. On a scale of 1 to 20, the higher the MERV rating, the more efficient a filter will be at capturing airborne particles such as dust, pollen, and mold. A filter within MERV 7 to MERV 13 is actually good enough to maintain healthy air quality in commercial and residential buildings. However, in environments such as the hospital or in homes of people with respiratory conditions or severe allergies using filters with ratings higher than MERV 13 is more beneficial.
Change your Air Filters regularly
Change your
Air Filters regularly
The fibers in your carpet grab all the dust and dirt near it. If your air filter is dirty from being neglected it is bad not only for your air quality but also your carpet. Change your air filters often to help keep dust and dirt out of your floor. Replacing your HVAC filter every three months will ensure that your air conditioning unit is functioning at high performance all year round while enhancing the energy efficiency of your home. If you suffer from allergies, consider getting HEPA filter for your home. The air filter is filtering out the air from start before it enters your HVAC or Furnace system.
Air Duct Maintenance Tips
Air Duct
Maintenance Tips
- Make sure nothing is covering face of air ducts
- You want to clean your ducts regularly to prevent buildup of dust
- Sealing your ducts that leak air. This helps to improve efficiency and save on your energy consumption
- Always vacuum floors before you clean them
- Use a quality air filter
How long should Duct Cleaning take?
How long should
Duct Cleaning take?
Duct cleaning takes two to five hours, depending on the size of the HVAC system, the type of ventilation used, and your level of contamination. This time frame includes cleaning the ducts, the blower compartment, the return and supply-side, and the blower wheel.
Pets and your Air Ducts
Pets and your Air Ducts
Living with dogs, cats, rabbits, and other animals inside your house can also mean living with fur, dander, and dirt, as well. This is bad news for your air ducts, which can become clogged and contaminated with the extra debris. Make sure to bathe and brush your pet often to minimize the dirt, dander, and other allergens that can infiltrate your home. You should also take care to vacuum carpets, sweep and mop floors, and dust your furniture on a regular basis.
Check your Thermostat
Check your Thermostat
Does your thermostat setting seem to match the temperature of the house? If your thermostat is not functioning properly, your furnace will not be able to work as it should and your temperature will not be what you expect. If your Thermostat is old, consider getting a new one. Modern thermostats will allow you to control the temperature of your home from your cell phone. Also modern thermostats are programmable so you can set different select temperatures throughout the day on a schedule which helps to lower your energy bills.
How often for Maintenance?
How often for
Maintenance?
OAB advises that you should schedule HVAC and furnace cleaning maintenance every 1-2 years (ideally once a year) and duct cleaning at intervals of 3 to 5 years for a smooth-running system and excellent indoor air quality.