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If your sheet flooring is stained or has suffered minor surface damage such as bubbles or small holes, see below and on the facing page for repair instructions. If the damage is more serious, you can patch the area with a
new piece of flooring (see at right).

In patching, the trick is to match the patch to the existing floor. If you decide to patch rather than lay all new flooring, you’ll need a replacement piece larger than the damaged area.

When you position the patch, be careful to align the pattern on the patch
with the pattern on the existing flooring.

Use a sharp utility or linoleum knife and a steel straightedge to cut through the flooring; you’ll need a putty knife to pry up the damaged area and scrape off the old adhesive on the subfloor. If necessary, apply adhesive solvent to remove the damaged flooring and the old adhesive.

To set the new patch, use solventbase adhesive or the adhesive used in the original installation. The patch must be level with the existing floor. If the
patch is too low, lift it up and apply more adhesive. If it’s too high, press it down to squeeze out excess adhesive. Use the recommended solvent to remove excess adhesive. Follow the adhesive manufacturer’s directions for drying time.

Patching Damaged Sheet Flooring

Removing Stains From Resilient Flooring

To prevent stains in resilient tile and sheet flooring, wipe up spills promptly. Stubborn stains or stains that have set require a bit more work, and even some experimentation.

First try to remove the stain by wiping it with a clean white cloth moistened with liquid detergent floor cleaner (use a nylon pad dipped in the detergent for heavy residue).

If detergent doesn’t remove the stain, try the following products, one at a time and in order: rubbing alcohol, liquid chlorine bleach, turpentine, nail polish remover, and lighter fluid.

CAUTION: Do not apply nail polish remover to vinyl and vinyl-asbestos; turpentine, nail polish remover, or lighter fluid to asphalt or rubber tile; or chlorine bleach to natural cork.

Apply each product with a clean white cloth, turning the cloth frequently. Don’t walk on the treated area for 30 minutes. When the stain is gone, rinse the area with water and let it dry; reapply floor finish, such as vinyl floor polish or wax, if it’s normally used.

Avoid using abrasive scouring powders or pads on resilient flooring, no matter what type you have. Before using any cleaning product, in fact, it’s a good idea to test it on an inconspicuous area. If you’re in doubt about what cleaning product to use on your floor, consult your flooring dealer.

By : E-book Home repair

Surface damage on wood floors, as well as separated, split, loose, or warped boards, can be successfully repaired. When you’re refinishing the repaired area, match its color and protective finish as closely as possible to the surrounding area to effectively hide the repair.

Repairing surface damage
To preserve the beauty of your wood floors, repair surface damage, such as water or burn marks, scratches, and gouges, immediately after it occurs. In most cases, you’ll first have to remove the protective wax or oil finish from the damaged area with a wax stripper.

Once you complete the repair, you must rewax or oil the area. When stripping and rewaxing, follow the manufacturer’s directions for the product you’re using.

Water marks. After removing the protective finish, rub the marks with finegrade steel wool and a little paste wax or a solvent-base liquid floor wax. If the marks don’t disappear, wipe the wax with a soft cloth and rub again with finegrade steel wool and odorless mineral spirits. Wipe clean and finish.

Burn marks. For burn marks that just darken the wood’s surface, lightly sand; wipe up sanding residue with a damp cloth. When dry finish as desired.

For deeper burns, carefully scrape out the burned wood with a sharp knife. Apply one or more coats of a commercial scratch hider, putty stick, or stick shellac; then finish.

Scratches and gouges. You can con ceal a shallow scratch with one or two. applications of a commercial scratch hider or crayon. To repair deep scratches and gouges, remove wax or oil from the damaged area. Fill the scratch or gouge with matching wood putty putty stick, or stick shellac. Let dry; then sand smooth with fine-grade sandpaper and finish.

Fixing damaged floor boards
It’s best to repair separated, split, loose, or warped floor boards as soon as trouble appears.

For long or wide separations be-tween boards, fill the gaps with a wood strip (see below). For the best fit, angle the saw blade to cut a strip that tapers in slightly at the bottom. Loose, split, or warped boards can be satisfactorily repaired, as shown below. Sand any putty when it’s dry with fine-grade steel wool and finish the floor as desired.

Separated Boards

Loose Boards

Split Boards

Warped Boards

By : E-book Home repair

When ceramic tiles get cracked or chipped or work loose from the wall, it’s time to replace them. Before you refasten any loose tiles, check underneath a common cause of loosening is moisture under the tiles. Be sure to correct the problem such as a leaking pipe or roofand check that the substructure is in good condition.

The directions below for replacing ceramic tiles apply to floors and counter- tops as well as walls. But note that they apply only to tiles installed in a thin-set mastic or mortar-type adhesive, not the thick mortar bed professionals use.

When you replace tiles, be sure to choose the appropriate mastic for the area you’re tiling. If you’re using water-resistant mastic, work in a well-ventilated area. In addition to mastic, you’ll need patching plaster to create a base for the new tiles, latex primer, and grout for filling the spaces between tiles.

If you don’t have spare tiles to replace chipped of broken ones, take a sample to a tile dealer, manufacturer, or contractor. They may have “bone piles” of old and discontinued tiles where you can find a match.

CAUTION: When chipping out old tiles, be sure to wear goggles to protect your eyes from flying tile fragments.

Replacing Damaged Ceramic Tile

By : E-book Home repair