Travertine Sealers

Travertine is a sedimentary rock. When pure, travertine is quite white, but usually it at least partially patterned and coloured in shades from light yellows to browns, from impurities in the stone. Travertine is also full of pits. These can be left or filled with a sutiable colour-matched putty.

Travertine is typically formed from mineral deposits (usually calcite) in mineral springs or hot springs, or streams saturated with calcium carbonate. When it is very porous, Travertine is known as calcarious ‘tuff’.

Sealing Travertine

All travertine is highly porous – a tablespoon of water on a travertine surface will be absorbed in seconds, although it does vary in porosity from piece to piece. Porosity is also affected by its finish – highly polished travertine with all the holes filled is less porous than travertine with a honed (matt) finish.

Due to its high porosity it is particularly important for travertine to be sealed with a high quality impregnating sealer which will not affect its slip resistance or look. It is very difficult to seal travertine against acid attack. Travertine is used both outdoors and indoors, and Dry-Treat’s premium impregnating sealers will seal travertine equally well in either.

Protection from Acid Etching

Travertine, and other calcite based stone such as marble and limestone have an additional vulnerability – they are prone to acid etching. Travertine will be immediately ‘etched’ (eaten / corroded) by any acidic material immediately on contact – including lemon juice, cola, wine and champagne. For this reason the honed (matt) look is popular, as it doesn’t show etch marks as much as polished travertine. In any case, acidic substances should be cleaned up as soon as possible, and travertine should not be used outdoors in areas where there is acid rain.

Which Dry-Treat™ Sealer is Best for my Travertine?

STAIN-PROOF Original™ or META CRÈME™

Permanent, invisible, fully breathable impregnating sealer for water and salt, PLUS premium oil stain protection.15 year warranty when sealing is performed by an Accredited Applicator.

DRY-TREAT 40SK™

Permanent, invisible, fully breathable impregnating sealer for water and salt protection, plus surface consolidation. particularly popular for sealing limestone in a saltwater environment – such as around a salt water swimming pool.

ENHANCE-PLUS™

For colour enrichment PLUS water based stain protection. 5 year warranty when sealing is performed by an Accredited Applicator.

Plus STAIN-PROOF Original™ or META CREME™ for additional oil protection at least 24 hours after ENHANCE-PLUS™.

Pre-sealing Preparation

1) Any surface to be sealed should be clean and looking just as you want it before it is sealed – it may be impossible to remove stains after sealing.

2) The surface must be freed waxes or other topical coatings. Any such existing coating must be removed prior to treating with a Dry-Treat sealer.

3) Ensure the material is thoroughly dry before applying any Dry-Treat sealer.

HANAFINN Oxy-Klenza™ is a highly effective, heavy-duty cleaner which is safe to use on most types of porous surface. HANAFINN X-Duty Graffiti Kleena™ may also be used for stubborn stains.

PLEASE NOTE:

1) Always test any cleaning chemical or sealer on a small, inconspicuous area of the surface 24 hours before doing the project, to check that it will produce the desired result. This is especially important with ENHANCE-PLUS™ to ensure the colour enhancement is what you want.

2) Always ensure the surface is completely dry before proceeding with sealing.

In November of 2009, Eileen Wosnack, a Canadian interior designer and author who specializes in “green interiors,” made this suggestion: “Tear up that old unhealthy carpet and paint your floor.”

In fact, she so strongly believed this to be good advice, she even used this recommendation as the title of an article.*

Among the reasons for her position, Wosnack stated that carpet harbors “dust mites, mold, mildew and fleas.”

Further, she wrote that debris gets trapped in the carpet fibers and underlay, which is usually not removed by normal vacuuming.

Additionally, she said, “deep cleaning,” which typically refers to hot-water extraction, “will only remove [surface-level] dirt, [all of which contributes] to the problem of poor air quality.”

This view is not uncommon.

In fact, going back nearly 40 years, entire school districts and many administrators involved in facility management believed carpeting negatively affected indoor air quality (IAQ).

We know that carpet absorbs contaminants like a sponge, but once saturated, they can become airborne with use and foot traffic.

However, according to Werner Braun, former president of the Carpet and Rug Institute (CRI), these beliefs are based on old data.

He agrees with Wosnack that carpet by its intrinsic nature does hold and trap settled materials such as dust particles and other allergens.

However, he says, “This has long [been] considered a good thing. If these particles and allergens are in the carpet, they’re certainly not being inhaled to aggravate allergies and asthma.”

As far as use and foot traffic releasing these trapped contaminants, Braun says that studies indicate that once they are in the carpet it actually takes a “tremendous amount of subsequent activity to re-suspend materials in to the air … [and that] several more current studies link the use of carpet to reduce asthma and allergy symptoms.”

This would imply that carpet actually protects human health and indoor air quality instead of contributing to the problem.

Where The Truth Lies

Both Wosnack and Braun have their share of supporters.

Many of the people who, like Wosnack, oppose carpeting, do so mainly because of the way some carpet is made and because the majority of carpet, once removed, ends up in already-crowded landfills.

And even those who cite studies that prove the health benefits of carpeting might still take Braun’s view with a grain of salt.

After all, he formerly was the head of an organization that represents the carpet and rug industry, which advocates the benefits of carpeting.

So who is right, and is there even a right or wrong?

Fortunately, a January 2014 study conducted at Airmid Healthgroup appears to offer answers in this debate.

The 200-page report concluded that “effectively cleaned carpet have the capacity to trap allergens and microbial particles, making these particles less available to become airborne and thus maintaining [enhanced] indoor air quality.”

To perform the study, Airmid Healthgroup created different chambers in which new and used carpet were installed.

In addition, one chamber contained a hard-surface floor.

Each section of the carpet was individually laid under controlled temperature, relative humidity and air changes per hour.

The new carpet was contaminated by introducing aerosolized house dust mite and cat allergens into the chambers.

“The introduction of allergen test dust was not necessary for the used carpet,” according to Vivienne Mahon, Ph.D., from Airmid Healthgroup, one of the researchers involved with the study, “because they contained ‘natural’ levels of house dust mite and cat allergens.”

After this, the researchers then created “room disturbance” in the chambers, with the goal of making the now-settled contaminants airborne.

Finally, airborne contaminant counts were taken in all of the chambers.

These were the findings:

• The types of floor coverings and even the different types of carpeting do have a significant impact on airborne particulate concentrations.
• In general, these airborne concentrations “were lower with carpet as opposed to the hard surface floors.”
• One of the carpet, a 100 percent nylon, medium-pile broadloom carpet, consistently performed best in trapping contaminants.

According to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), nylon is the most popular fiber used as the face fiber in commercial carpet in the U.S.

As to the validity of the findings, while the study was carried out under test conditions (such as controlled temperature, relative humidity and air changes per hour), “they replicated those found in real-world setting,” said Mahon.

One More Crucial Finding

This debate is not over without discussing one further finding.

According to the report, carpeting can help protect health and indoor air quality; however, that is dependent on regular and proper cleaning.

This is because the researchers also concluded that should the carpet become saturated with contaminants, the positive benefits reported will be reduced.

For proper cleaning, regular vacuuming with high-performance, high-quality, air-filtered vacuum cleaners is the first step to remove dry top-surface soils.

However, to remove soils that have been pounded deeper into carpet fibers, the researchers recommended the use of hot-water extraction.

As opposed to using cold water, hot-water extraction, according to the researchers, was able to more thoroughly clean carpet and remove deeply embedded soils and contaminants, helping to prevent them from becoming airborne.

The study indicated that proprietary hot-water extraction cleaning — which typically refers to heating water/solution to 212-degrees F when using portable extractors — is highly effective at reducing allergen levels in carpet.

Who’s Right?

In a sense, both Wosnack and Braun are right in their beliefs and conclusions.

Braun rightly believes that carpet prevents contaminants from becoming airborne.

And Wosnack is right that, unless they are properly cleaned and maintained, there is a possibility that carpet will become saturated and foot traffic and other disturbances will cause dust and allergens to be released.

However, ultimately the conclusion of the study is that carpet does help protect human health and indoor air quality … it simply has to be properly maintained.

Hiring a professional carpet cleaning service is a great way to deal with general wear and tear or to remove a particularly tough stain. Homeowners often wonder, however, what to expect for a carpet cleaning cost and how to know if they’re being overcharged.

The two common pricing types

Every carpet is different and every home a different size, which means there’s no “one size fits all” carpet cleaning price. There are, however, two common ways companies determine cost when you hire a carpet cleaner.

The first is “per room,” meaning they offer a flat cleaning rate for each room in a home. There are typically size caps on this method, and rooms over the maximum square footage are treated as two rooms. This lets companies offer quotes over the phone, but can artificially inflate the price to compensate for inaccuracy. It’s also important to consider just how low a rate may be: anything under $20 per room probably won’t come with quality service. Moving furniture is often an extra charge on top of this rate, meaning homeowners need to move couches, entertainment centers and other large objects if they want to keep costs down.

Members who had similar jobs done in 2013 reported paying an average of $45.68 per room with a general range of $43.18 to $48.18, not counting discounts many service providers offer to  List members.

The other estimation method is per square foot. This is more accurate but requires a visit to your home before work can begin. If you own a smaller home, you will typically pay more because the company needs to offset travel and material costs; those with larger homes will pay slightly less per square foot because equipment set up and material requirements are fixed. Average rates run between $0.30 and $0.50 per square foot, and should include all labor, products and a guarantee about the standard of clean – for example, in compliance with the Institute of Inspection Cleaning and Restoration Certification (IICRC) guidelines.

Different types, different costs

The type of carpet cleaning you choose also affects the cost. Hot water extraction cleaning, known as “steam cleaning,” is the most popular method. This kind of cleaning doesn’t actually use steam but instead uses high pressure to push very hot water, along with a cleaning solution, into carpet. The resulting moisture is then removed via suction, and the carpet needs at least 24 hours to fully dry. This is the method recommended by most carpet manufacturers for deep cleaning and is often required of homeowners to keep the warranty on their flooring valid. Companies may use either portable electric cleaners or vehicle-mounted equipment for more powerful suction.

Dry cleaning, also known as “low moisture” or “encapsulation” cleaning, uses a chemical solution and minimal water for a quicker clean, but can’t reach as deep as powerful wet cleaning methods. Homeowners don’t need to wait as long before walking on their carpet, but are often asked to vacate the home during cleaning to prevent accidental chemical inhalation. Dry cleaning typically costs less than wet cleaning, as it doesn’t require as much labor or equipment.

Considering extra costs

While most carpet cleaning services now offer an upfront fee that covers all basic costs, it’s still possible to incur some add-on costs. The first is for targeted spot cleaning: in some cases, a standard service won’t be able to remove a stain completely and will require further followup. This may be covered under an initial contract, but homeowners need to know exactly what they’re paying for and what requires an added cost. Many companies have also added extra services, such as color repair and dyeing, as well as dry and steam cleaning services. For a cost, typically assessed at an hourly rate, the company will correct carpet discolored by a stain or restore portions of a carpet to its original color. Always ask for references and guarantees if you choose to use this kind of service.

Carpet cleaning costs depend on the way a company determines rates, the type of cleaning requested and the number of add-ons purchased by a homeowner. No matter the final total, however, homeowners should always receive a transparent, easily understandable invoice detailing what they owe and exactly what it covers.

What is Your Floor Telling Your Clients and Customers?

Dirty Carpet and Furniture

GET NOTICED!

Spills And Spots

GET NOTICED!

Having Clean, Spotless Carpet and Furniture Announces Your

Professionalism with a Visual Bullhorn!

Commercial Carpet requires special care.  If you are leaving the care and maintenance of your carpet to a janitorial services, chances are that you are being overcharged for a substandard job.  Pacific Carpet Cleaning has specialized carpet and furniture cleaning equipment that is specifically designed to handle even the most challenging soil and staining conditions found in the commercial environment.  In addition, Pacific Carpet Cleaning’s equipment was designed and purchased to increase cleaning efficiency and results, while reducing cost.   There technicians are trained, tested, and certified by an independent third party to recognize fiber and soil conditions, proper industry procedures, and cleaning chemistry.

Properly Maintained Carpet Lasts Much, Much Longer

 Key Benefits

• • • Pennies Per Square Foot – Truly Easy on the Budget
    • Easy Pre-Determined Highly Accommodating Scheduling – Including Nights and Weekends
    • Amazingly Clean Carpets and Office Furniture – ASK FOR YOUR FREE “PROVE IT” DEMONSTRATION
    • Clean carpets day-in, day-out by people who specialize in carpet and furniture maintenance
    • Cleaning with an anti-resoiling agent
    • Recurring spill stains eliminated
    • An exceptional “service experience”
    • Professional polite technicians
    • Total satisfaction guaranteed
    • Productivity and profitability are enhanced in a clean building
    • A clean building promotes better health
    • Environmentally responsible cleaning is better for our planet
    • Properly maintained carpet lasts longer
    • You can see, smell & feel  the difference

We have found consistently that in most situations, there are two cleaning methods that work most effectively – high performance Commercial Hot Water Deep Extraction or “steam” Cleaning, and Pacific Encapsulation Maintenance Cleaning. Each method has distinct advantages in certain situations and can be totally inappropriate in other situations.

 Call the Office ToExperience the Ultimate Carpet Cleaning Difference. 949-545-5205