Capell Flooring and Interiors - Meridian, Boise, Nampa, Idaho Flooring Store: May 2014

Wednesday, May 14, 2014

Carpet Care Basics from Capell Flooring and Interiors

When it comes to carpet care, it’s hard to know exactly what’s fact and what’s fiction. Capell Flooring and Interiors has a few tips for keeping your carpet looking its best year after year. That being said, nothing lasts forever, so when it is time to replace your carpets, come see us!

Carpet Care Basics

· Carpets need to be vacuumed at least once a week. More often in high traffic areas. Vacuuming prolongs the life of your carpet.

· Take your time and go slow when you vacuum your carpet. Slowly go over each section of carpeting several times, allowing the suction to remove all the ground-in dust and dirt.

· Vacuum the areas that receive heavier traffic in a crisscross pattern of overlapping strokes.

· Clean spills immediately. Carefully blot or scrape the entire area

before applying any cleaning solution. Remove as much of the spill as possible.

· Before using any cleaning solution, test your carpet in an inconspicuous area to make sure the cleaner won't damage or discolor it. We recommend Shaw Carpet Stain and Soil

Remover. You can purchase this product directly from us here at our showroom.

· Do not rub the spill as this could spread the stain. Apply Shaw Carpet Stain and Soil Remover, using a clean white towel, work from the outside of the stain inward to avoid spreading the stain. Blot up extra moisture as needed.

Deep Cleaning Basics:

In spite of the weekly vacuuming, there will come a time when you have to break down and have your carpets deep cleaned. Here are some tips to help with that.

· Whether you are tackling the job yourself or you’ve hired a professional, you should always test for colorfastness. Grab your white towel with the cleaning solution that you are going to use, and apply it to an inconspicuous area. If the towel does not pick up any color from the carpet, it is probably safe to use the solution on the entire carpet.

· Remove, or hire the removal of as much furniture from the room as possible, and place foil or plastic film under the legs and bases of the remaining furniture to prevent stains.

· Vacuum the carpet thoroughly, then spot-clean and pre-treat stains before shampooing the carpet.

· Follow the instructions printed on the carpet cleaner!

· Use single strokes over the carpet surface.

· Do not apply heavy pressure with the machine.

· Wipe cleaning solutions and foam from furniture legs and woodwork immediately to prevent damage.

· Fluff damp fibers against the nap after shampooing to aid drying.

· Make sure the room is well-ventilated after cleaning to speed drying.

· Try not to walk on carpets until they are completely dry.

There you have it! Carpet Care Basics from Capell Flooring and Interiors - if you have question please contact us at (208) 288-0151 or go to our website at www.capellinteriors.com

About Matt Capell – is the primary owner of Capell Flooring and Interiors in the Boise, Idaho, and the surrounding area. He loves flooring, business, and meeting people. His company tries to educate about flooring and the Treasure Valley and make the floor covering process a fun and great experience each and every time. Feel free to connect with me!

Read other articles I have written here.

Monday, May 12, 2014

Happy Mother's Day from Capell Flooring and Interiors

Mother’s day is a great and wonderful day. All of us at Capell Flooring and Interiors have been influenced by great mothers and we wanted to wish each and every mother a very happy and special day today.

Our business was actually started by my mother Bonnie Capell in 1974, and I’m grateful for

everything that she has taught me, that has led to our business being able to stay in business these past 40 years. May every mother have a great and special day and we are grateful for all of you!

~Matt Capell - Owner~
Capell Flooring and Interiors

Read other articles I have written here.

Saturday, May 10, 2014

How hard is my hardwood floors? Janka Scale

We get asked often by our wonderful customers. How hard is my hardwood flooring? Is my hardwood going to scratch? How do they determine how hard my wood is really? The universal method used to determine hardwood hardness is called the Janka Scale.

We quote, “The Janka hardness test measures the resistance of a sample of wood to denting and wear. It measures the force required to embed an 11.28mm (.444 in) steel ball into wood to half the ball's diameter. This method leaves an indentation. A common use of Janka hardness ratings is to determine whether a species is suitable for use as flooring.” Yes, in simple terms, they basically drop a steel ball into a wood sample and see how much of a dent this leaves. It is a pretty straightforward test. On the scale the higher the number the harder the wood is and the less likely it will scratch.

Hardwood flooring is beautiful and a great flooring solution as long as it is taken care of well. No matter how hard the wood floor is they all scratch to some degree. A good analogy we like to point out if scratching is a concern is the following. Although stainless steel is incredibly strong, even it will scratch. Common hardwood floors (see chart in blog) that we sell in Boise are Hickory (1820), Maple (1450), Red Oak (1290), White Oak (1360), Walnut (1010), and American Cherry (950). Walnut for example is a beautiful floor but it will scratch because it is a softer hardwood floor. Especially with its darker colors the scratches tend to show a little bit more than say a Rustic Hickory will show because hickory hardwood has a various range of colors and is a harder floor than walnut.

Please remember that although hardwood floors will scratch, they are still beautiful, and they add lots of color and variety to a home, and are a great flooring selection. If you ever need to know how hard your hardwood floor is – just look to the Janka Scale..

Read other articles I have written here.

Tuesday, May 6, 2014

When is it time to refinish my hardwood floors?

Hardwood floors, if properly maintained should last a very long time. The best way to keep your hardwood looking great is to make sure that your finish is still working. The best way to test your finish is to go to your floors highest traffic area and pour a small amount of water, such as a tablespoon or two onto the wood.

Please look for one of the three possible results from this experiment:

* Does the water bead up, and can you wipe it up without a sign of the water being there? If this is the case your

hardwood floors finish is doing great still.

* Does the water absorb into the wood after a short amount of time, making the floor appear somewhat darker? If this is the case, your hardwood floor is to some extent worn. It isn't necessary to refinish right away, but it is something to consider in the near future.

* Does the water disappear right away, leaving a black spot in the wood? If this is the case then your finish is worn out and it is definitely time to have it refinished. Please get with Capell Flooring and Interiors right away, so we can fix this for you.

Read other articles I have written here.