One of the best things about rubber flooring is its versatility. It can be installed in just about any room of your home. It’s one of the most comfortable flooring options available, topped only by plush residential carpeting. It also handles water and moisture better than other options. Rubber flooring is also stronger than it looks, so it’s great in the kitchen or the living room.
But even with all these things in view, how can you get the most out of it? Let’s take a look.
What to Know About Preserving Rubber Floors
Putting a New Face on the Rubber Floor
Rubber flooring is made with a mixture of organic materials harvested from the rubber plant, along with inorganic and synthetic materials. This means that it can be subjected to some of the same practices that give traditional hardwood flooring its long life, namely resurfacing. Whereas with hardwood flooring you actually sand off the top layer, with rubber flooring you give the surface of the floor a deep scrub. When everything is nice and shiny, the floor is treated with a resurfacing agent that seals the floor again, giving it a fresh new look. Rubber flooring lasts about twenty years in general, but regular resurfacing will extend its life even further.
Make Sure to Deal with the Moisture As Soon As Possible
The best way to make sure you really get the most out of your rubber flooring is by regularly cleaning it. As with all floors, it’s important to make sure you get any kind of water spillage taken care of as soon as possible. Any water on the surface is probably fine for rubber flooring, but with the summer weather in Nashville, any moisture that seeps into the subfloor is going to mold. If you use rubber tiling, you can get around this problem by removing the offending tiles, but it is a lot more difficult to fix if the flooring is one big sheet.
Regular Maintenance Will Extend the Life of Your Flooring
As with all flooring, the best way to extend the life of rubber flooring is through regular cleaning. Luckily, this process isn’t as intense as it is with other kinds of flooring since the main thing you need to do is vacuum. This will pick up any little crumbs and specks of dirt that float around, since there really isn’t anywhere for the dirt to go in a rubber floor (unlike residential carpeting that often traps dirt and allergens). You will also want to mop it using just a bit of soap. Be careful which soaps you use, however, since soaps with intense cleaning chemicals will damage the surface over time.
Due to its natural resilience and its relative cheapness, rubber floors make a great option in almost any scenario. They are soft under your feet and it doesn’t take a lot of work to make them last. Put in the effort and you will be rewarded with a floor that will last for decades. If that sounds like something you want in your life, call the professionals at Ozburn-Hessey today to make an appointment.
