Hot Carbonating Extraction vs. Steam Cleaning
Here at Dr. Chem-Dry things are done differently. We take pride in being able to provide a natural, longer lasting carpet cleaning solution than traditional steam cleaning. Our exclusive Hot Carbonating Extraction process provides you with the best clean possible. Our carpet cleaning product, called The Natural® leaves your carpets sparkling clean with no sticky dirt-attracting residues, so your carpets stay cleaner longer. Check out the following infographic for more information about how our process outperforms traditional steam cleaning.
- Published in carpet cleaning, Flooring
Why Are Pets So Important To Families
Pets are definitely part of the family. They play such an important and meaningful role in your lives, especially that of your kids. They can provide families with company and loyal friendship at home as well as teach kids responsibility. The positive impact is undeniable that pets can have. Take a look at the many different ways that pets make our lives better.
Enjoy our latest infographic below to learn about how our pets enrich our lives.
- Published in carpet cleaning, Flooring, Pet Odor, Rugs
Keep Your Floors As Clean as These 3 Famous Carpets
When you’re in the cleaning business, carpets become ubiquitous. But every now and then, we see a carpet that really sticks in our minds as something special — a carpet that we would love to get our hands (and cleaners) on. So we’ve put together a list of our top three famous carpets. Which ones do you remember?
- Published in carpet cleaning, Flooring, Rugs
How to Remove Blood From Anything
Blood can be one of the trickiest stains to remove. Even a single drop of it on your carpets, grout or wood floors could get absorbed and linger there for months, a dark crimson stain on your otherwise beautiful home. Luckily there are cleaning methods you can do at home that can brush the blood away. All it takes is persistence and some good old fashioned elbow grease.
At Dr. Chem-Dry Carpet & Tile Cleaning, our cleaners are magicians who can make stains disappear with a snap of their fingers. There’s no stain, blood or otherwise, that we can’t clean. If you’ve got a blood stain in your home, try one of these methods for cleaning it up. And if you follow our instructions and the blood won’t go away, give us a call: We’d be happy to make our magic happen for you.
- Published in carpet cleaning, Flooring
5 Ways to Protect Your Stone Floors
Just because stone is tougher than wood flooring doesn’t mean that it does not need to be protected. Stone is a porous material that can get damaged pretty easily if you’re not careful.
At Dr. Chem-Dry Carpet & Tile Cleaning, we know what needs to be done to keep your stone floorings looking as good as new. Here are five ways to protect your stone floors. (more…)
- Published in Flooring
Will Carpet Help Insulate My Home?
Carpeting can add character and comfort to your floors. Did you also know that it can save you money? Carpet is an excellent source of insulation, which can save you money on your energy bill by increasing your home’s ability to retain warm and cool air.
At Dr. Chem-Dry Carpet & Tile Cleaning, we know all about the insulating benefits of carpeting. If you’re wondering how carpet can help you save energy, read on and find out which type of carpet is best for your home.
- Published in Flooring
5 Common Allergens You Can Find On Your Carpets
Carpets have got a lot going for them. They’re soft and comfortable. They look wonderful and can make any room look more lush and inviting. The downside to carpeting, though, is that it can trap allergens inside it which could make your allergies go haywire if you don’t clean your carpets.
At Dr. Chem-Dry Carpet & Tile Cleaning, we’re experts at cleaning your carpets and making them allergen-free. If you’re wondering why your carpets may be triggering your allergies, check out this list of the five most common allergens you can find on your carpets.
- Published in carpet cleaning, Flooring
Replacing Carpet With Tile: What You Need To Know
Sometimes it’s time for a change. Maybe you’ve had carpet in your home for years and want to go with a different look. Perhaps you’re tired of having to clean your carpets? Or maybe it’s starting to affect your carpet: Carpet can trap dirt and allergens in its fibers that could be having a negative impact on your health. If any of these are true, you may want to consider switching your flooring over to tiles.
At Dr. Chem-Dry Carpet & Tile Cleaning, we think that carpets and tiles can both make a house look great. But if you’re thinking of trading in carpet for tile, we can help you with that. Here’s what you need to know about replacing carpet with tile.
Related: 7 Benefits of Tile Flooring At Home
What You’ll Need
Replacing carpet with tile is not a simple process. It will require a large variety of tools to get the job done. Here’s what you should have on your shopping list the next time you hit the hardware store:
- Razor knife
- Hammer
- Pliers
- Pry bar
- Tape Measure
- Pencil
- Undercut saw
- Tile saw
- Thin set mortar
- Power saw with diamond blade
- Tiles
- Notched trowel
- Grout
- Grout float
- Bucket
- Sponge
- Back board
- 1 ½ inch drywall screws
- Screw gun
Removing Your Carpet
The first thing you’ll want to do is clear out all the furniture that’s on the carpet. Make sure that your work area doesn’t any obstructions. You’re going to be moving around a lot and don’t want to be tripping over anything. If you have pets, keep them in a separate room or crate them. At best they could be a distraction; at worst they could end up injuring themselves on your tools.
And to be on the safe side: Make sure you have a first aid kit. If you work slowly and carefully you shouldn’t injure yourself, but you will be working with sharp tools that could accidentally carve you up if your focus wavers.
The first step is to start cutting the carpet where the tile will meet the rest of the carpet. A good starting point is in the middle of a doorway. Use as straight an edge as possible to make the cut. If there’s any baseboard on or by the carpet you’ll want to remove that too. You can use the razor knife to chisel off the paint that’s on top of the baseboard. When the baseboard’s primed for removal, you can pull it off with a pry bar.
Once the baseboard’s been taken off you can get down to business. Remove the carpet by pulling it loose from the tack strip along the walls. Larger pieces of carpet can be carved up into smaller sizes so they’ll be easier to handle. Roll up the carpet and throw it off. You’re now ready to lay down some tile.
Installing Tile
It’s time to put your measuring tape to good use. Measure the thickness of your tile and backer board. Add a ¼ inch to the thickness. Now you should measure up from the floor on both sides of the door jamb. Mark the spot by using the undercut saw to make the cut. You’ll then want to cut the door jamb, just enough that the tile and backer board will be able to slide under it.
Measure and cut your backer board. A diamond saw is the best tool for this job. Once it’s cut, you’ll be installing it with screws. After you finish with the backer boards you’ll lay down the pattern for the tiles. An easy way to do this is to mark the position of three tiles by tracing the outside of the tiles with a pencil. This will make it a lot easier to maintain the right spacing between tiles as you lay the pattern down. If you need to make space between the tiles for grout, you can purchase spacers that will make sure the gap between tiles is consistent throughout the entire floor.
Mix the thin set mortar. It should have the consistency of peanut butter or a really thick cake batter by the time you’ve finished mixing. Spread the thin set out with your notched trowel, then place your tile. Repeat this process until the entire floor is covered. Let it dry for 24 hours. Remove any grout spacers that you used while putting the tile down.
Once the mortar’s been dried you can start applying grout. Mix the grout and install it. Follow the manufacturer’s instructions as you do this to make sure you don’t make any mistake. You can remove excess grout by using a sponge. Let the grout dry for 24 hours. Congratulations: You now have a tile floor!
Related: 5 Reasons Carpet is Better Than Wood Flooring
Thinking of switching out your carpet for tile? Maybe a good cleaning is all they need to look just right for your home! Give Dr. Chem-Dry Carpet & Tile Cleaning a call at 602-243-6379.
- Published in Flooring
The Best Flooring for Homes with Pets
“What’s the best flooring for pets?” That’s a question we get a lot at Dr. Chem-Dry Carpet & Tile Cleaning. It’s a very good question: If you have the wrong kind of flooring, you could end up spending a significant amount of time and money cleaning up pet-related damage that wouldn’t be an issue with other kinds of flooring.
Homeowners looking for pet-friendly flooring options are in luck: There are quite a few different ones to choose from! They all have their strengths and weaknesses, but with the right care and upkeep they could serve you and your pet well for years to come. Here are four of the best types of flooring for homes with pets.
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- Published in Flooring