Luxury vinyl plank flooring makes an impressive statement for your home. It is a very stylish alternative to other types of flooring, and it is durable. There are two things, however, that you should protect your vinyl plank flooring from: fading and scratching. Let’s look at a few tips for keeping luxury vinyl plank from fading or scratching.
YOUR WINDOWS
What do your windows have to do with saving the look of your vinyl plank flooring? Sunlight is the most common cause of vinyl plank flooring fading. But why let that sway you from getting one of the most luxurious flooring types for your home?
You can address any harsh sunlight issues by applying a tint to your windows. The tint, or a window film covering, won’t lessen your visibility through the windows, it will just cut down on the amount of harsh sunlight coming through, multiplying its potentially harmful UV rays through the glass, and landing on your spectacular flooring. A window tint, or window film, can have an added benefit, as well, improving the insulation in your home and possibly reducing your energy costs.
YOUR FURNITURE
Believe it or not, moving furniture around from time to time, can also help keep luxury vinyl plank flooring from fading. Often, it’s not the fading itself of vinyl plank flooring, but the unevenness of the fading. Furniture covers parts of the floor and, therefore, wherever your furniture is not, is where the vinyl plank flooring is going to fade a little bit over time. When your next, “I want a different look in the living room” mode hits you, move the furniture around – it can help your vinyl plank flooring from fading unevenly as well as changing up the look in the room.
YOUR CLEANING PRODUCTS
Never, but never, use a cleaner with bleach in it on vinyl plank flooring. You might be surprised to learn this is one of the most important tips for keeping luxury vinyl plank from fading. Bleach is harsh and could cause damage to the flooring, as well as spotting in the area which was cleaned. Look for specially designed cleaners made just for vinyl plank flooring. It is also better, if a stain occurs on one section of your flooring, to clean the entire floor covered with vinyl plank so as not to get more wear on one section of the floor than the other. It will also help with continuity in keeping your entire floor looking the same.
PREVENT SCRATCHES
Let’s talk about ways to prevent vinyl plank flooring from scratching. Keep in mind that there are ways to repair vinyl plank floor scratches, but let’s not even go there. You can prevent scratches from occurring in the first place with a few tips.
- Add silicone protection or felt to the bottom of furniture “feet” so that when furniture gets pushed about, the furniture feet won’t actually be touching the flooring – they will slide about on the feet coverings. Floor protectors are definitely a good way to insure against scratches.
- Be cognizant when you are moving furniture around, making each piece as lightweight as possible so as to enable the mover to be able to lift the furniture piece instead of pushing it across the floor.
- Using a large area rug to set sofas or dining room tables on can help eliminate scratches. It will also remind you, when a piece of furniture is getting ready to be moved, that there’s a special need to be careful with it to help protect the vinyl plank flooring against scratches.
An additional reason to choose luxury vinyl plank flooring as the preference for your home is the fact that you are able to replace pieces of it, if needed, as time wears on. Be sure to purchase a few extra tiles so you will have them if you need them. Contact us today to get started.