From the Floors Up

Spring Cleaning Checklist

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Structured schedules are great for holding us accountable and help us complete our daily chores. For instance, perhaps, you do laundry on Sundays or wash your dishes at the end of the day. These daily or weekly habits allow us to live in a clean and well-kept house. However, some things need to be done less frequently than others. Some deep-cleaning projects can be done just once a year. These are easy to forget about because we do not do them week by week. Yet, with spring around the corner, this is an excellent time to knock out some annual spring cleaning. Let’s get started!

Flip Your Mattress

Many mattress manufacturers suggest that you flip your mattress once a year. Since we spend an average of 8 hours each night lying in bed out of 24 hours in a day, this means we lay in our beds 1/3 of our lives. The mattress, therefore, begins to form to our body and sink where we consistently lay. To prevent this, it is good to flip your mattress. This task will help prevent your body from creating a form in the mattress over time.

Clean Your Gutters

Gutters are your home’s main defense against water damage on the outside. Our roofs and gutter systems help navigate water to a drain where it will prevent flooding and water damage. However, outdoor conditions can lead to gutters get cluttered, and your gutters will begin to collect debris and leaves over time. To keep your gutters functioning at their best, remember to clean them out this spring.

Steam Clean Carpet

Vacuuming your carpet once a week or as necessary is a great way to help suck up debris and dirt. This dirt can build up and break down your carpet fibers over time. It is recommended by many carpet manufacturers to steam clean your carpet once every year. This process can help remove any deep stains or dirt mucked into your carpet fibers. Plus, it will give your flooring a much longer life!

Clean Your Pantry

Our pantries store many snacks and food supplies. Over time, we can forget about certain foods. By cleaning your pantry once a year, you can help prevent the build-up of expired foods. Just make sure to check the dates on all your canned and bagged food. Throw away anything expired. This habit can also make you more familiar with the dates that are upcoming. Perhaps, you have a pasta sauce expiring in the next two months. If so, it is a great opportunity to make pasta this evening.

Wipe Down Your Windows

This task is the exact same as cleaning your inside windows. However, this task gets put on the back burner too often because outdoor windows are harder to reach and take more effort. This spring is the perfect time to deep clean your outdoor windows. After your outdoor windows are done, wipe down your inside windows. During this process is the ideal time to wash your drapes or curtains as well!

Clean Out Your Fireplace

With winter just ending, our fireplaces can become quite dirty. Accumulating ashes and wood, these can be ignored for some time. This spring, get out your shop vac and clean out for fireplace. You will love the fact that you did! You can also use your fireplace during the spring by setting up some decorative candles inside. This look will give the same aesthetic of fire with a fraction of the warmth!

Annual cleaning can be easy to forget, if not reminded. Use this checklist to help hold yourself accountable. Remember that these projects can take a little bit of time, so set aside a weekend.

Painting Your Kitchen Cabinets

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Remodeling your kitchen can be an expensive home improvement project but worth the investment! With flooring, appliances, countertops, backsplashes, and cabinets all contributing to expenses, it can add up rather quickly. However, there are some tricks you may consider using to help save you time and money. For instance, if you are not remodeling and just updating your kitchen, perhaps repainting your cabinets may be the best move. While the option to just replace your cabinet drawers and doors is still another choice, repainting them can be the best bang for your buck. In fact, this option will eliminate the wood grain and just give them a painted finish. To help you tackle this home improvement project yourself, here is everything you should plan on doing:

Preparation

Prep work is the most essential part of any project. Start by removing all belonging inside your cabinets. Next, remove your drawers and doors from your cabinets. You should give everything a good wipe down to remove any grease or debris. Take off all hardware to cabinets and store them in a safe place. Once your cabinet doors and drawers are removed, you should give everything a thorough sanding. You will want to use a 220 grit sandpaper and sand with the grain. You can sand one more time with 320 to give it a smoother finish. Next, remove all sawdust from the areas and wipe down thoroughly with a dry, lint-free rag or cloth.

Prime

To ensure the best results for your project, you should prime your cabinets. This step can take several coats. You will need to stain each side of your doors and allow each coat to dry properly. Primer can take 8-12 hours to dry, depending on weather conditions. Prime your doors, drawers, and cabinets evenly. You may want to apply three coats of primer. Your primer should have a clean-looking finish with no orange peel before starting each additional layer.

Paint

Next, use your paint to paint all your cabinets, doors, and drawers. Allow each coat to dry thoroughly as well. You should apply two to three coats of paint to your project. If your coat does not have a sheen, you may want to consider adding a clear coat. This look can add a little more shine to the pain and give a protective finish. Once your cabinets are completely dry, you can put them back together. This step is a great time to touch up any areas that may need to be fixed.

Painting your cabinets is a great way to improve your kitchen on a budget. With new countertops, backsplashes, and flooring, your kitchen will become the focal point of your home! Just remember, this project can take several days and can have your kitchen temporarily out of commission. Make sure to plan accordingly to accomplish this task!

Six Signs It Is Time Replace Your Window Treatments

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When was the last time that you really took a close look at your window coverings? You will find that after some years, blinds, shades, and other types of window treatments start to become worn. Many homeowners switch out their window treatment after 7-10 years. If you cannot even remember the last time that you have upgraded your window solutions, you should inspect them for wear and tear. When window treatment becomes damage, they do not perform their primary function. Here are some signs that it is time to replace your window treatments:

Difficult to Operate

Are you finding that it is becoming increasingly difficult to raise or close your blinds? Over time the lifting mechanisms on blinds become damaged when the blinds stretch out and get too wide for the mechanism to support. When it becomes nearly impossible to operate your blinds, you can expect them to fall off of the window eventually. It is best to replace them as soon as possible.

Bent Slats

Exposure to heat and humidity over a prolonged period of time can cause the slats to warp and bend. It may even cause the slats to take on a wavy form. When your slats start to take on such an appearance, you should replace them as soon as possible because it sticks out like a sore thumb and will decrease the aesthetic value of your home.

Broken Slats

If you live in a home with children and pets, you can also expect your blinds to get bent out of shape eventually or even broken. In high traffic areas, your curtains and shades may even experience rips or tears. If this is in the case, you want to consider more durable window solutions.

Discolored Slats

So the slats are not looking as pearly white as they once did. If you have noticed that your blinds have a yellowish tint that it is impossible to get all the way clean, then it is definitely time for some new ones.

Not Meeting Your Needs

If your window coverings are no longer blocking out the sunlight or giving you the privacy you need, that means it is time to upgrade to something more functional.

Kid-Friendly

Blinds with long cords are a safety hazard for small children. If your window treatments are not safe for the children in your home, then you will have to upgrade to updated coverings with safety features.

We hope you found these tips helpful! Be sure to subscribe for more design tips and tricks.

Space-Saving Storage Solutions for Kids Room

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From clothes, toys, and books, children tend to amass just as many things as we do. Even if the cleanest you have ever seen your child’s room looks like everything piled on one side of the room, it is time to implement some creative storage solutions. The right storage solutions can get rid of clutter and help keep the room clean for as long as possible.

Window Seating

You can easily recreate the window seating look without having to hire a contractor. Invest in a bench or ottoman that also double as a storage container. With cubbies underneath or ottoman-style storage, this method will complement the interior of the room, and it does not take up much space. Simply measure the dimensions of the window so that you can put a bench that nestles right in the crook of the window.

Built-In Shelving System

Take advantage of every nook and curve in your child’s room by installing shelving units. In fact, you can build in a series of lower shelves to store their toys and favorite books. The upper shelves can be installed to house collectibles and decor accessories.

Cubby System

Cubby systems have become super trendy. You even can create a cubby standing by putting together a few freestanding cubbies. Simply choose a corner or side of the room that will best accommodate the cubby system. Open cubbies are great for storing art supplies, plush animals, and collectibles. You can even use the top of the cubby as a television stand where the gaming system and cable box can go.

Built-In Desk Unit

Building in a desk unit is well worth the expense, especially if your child is at school age already. This desk provides a dedicated space for your kids to complete their homework. The closed drawers can hold stationery products and other items that you do not want to see lying around the room.

Toy Trunk

A toy trunk is a great way to organize all your kid’s toys and dress-up clothes. However, a toy trunk is not just for toys; you can also use it to store linens, pillows, cherished mementos, and other items.

Are you an organized parent? If so, we would love to hear your tips and tricks on organizing your kid’s bedroom. Let us know your thoughts below in the comment section.

The Right Tile for Home Exteriors and Patios

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Tile is a timeless and beautiful floor and wall covering. It has been being used in homes for centuries and continues to stay a staple in home improvement. Plus, there are hundreds of options available when it comes to shopping for tile. Different constructs of tiles will work best in different environments. However, no atmosphere is more demanding than your home’s exterior. In fact, the outside your home will experience extreme temperature changes and water exposure. These factors can make choosing the right tile a little more challenging. That being said, have no fear. This versatile flooring option can work in almost any environment! If you are looking to tile a patio, walkway, driveway, or anywhere else outside your home, here is what you should know:

Best Tile Option

When it comes to choosing tile for outside, you need a more durable option. While ceramic is excellent, it is not as durable as porcelain. For instance, when you install it over concrete outside, moisture is a considerable concern. Moisture can travel up through the concrete and underneath your tiles; therefore, you need to invest in a polymer-modified mortar to waterproof your concrete. This factor will give you porcelain tiles much longer longevity.

Slip-Proof

When looking for slip-resistant tiles, natural stone is your best bet. This factor makes sense because natural stone already endures nature daily. However, porcelain is still another great option yet, quarried marble, granite, or limestone are all excellent options. Do remember that some of these options will need to be sealed to protect their natural-looking finish. There is no completely slip-proof tile option, though. Remember, just because a type of flooring may be extremely slip-resistant to your bare feet, does not mean it will react the same if you are wearing heels or nonslip resistant shoes!

Grout Reminders

When choosing your outdoor grout, it is best to go with a sanded grout! Your grout lines will be traditionally larger visually with this option. It would help if you also looked into getting a grout sealer to help protect your grout from the harsh outdoor conditions.

Picking tile for outside comes down to its longevity and durability. Natural stone and porcelain are excellent options to explore. Just make sure you do not neglect your grout when preparing to invest in your patio tile or outside tile projects. For more insight on flooring, make sure to subscribe!

From the Floors Up

From the Floors Up blog was created with the goal of providing a destination for consumers, designers and those interested in the flooring, design, and kitchen and bath industries. Here you’ll find, current, accurate and informative information that is always just a click away!

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