Don't use the Swiffer wood floor cleaner it will leave a gunky coating after a while. I would go to a flooring place and ask what cleaner they recommend for your floors.

As for the couch moving you can get rubber pads to place under the legs that will help keep it in place.

Msrose, I hope you are loving your new floors. My flooring center gave me a container of Bona and the mop with the two different heads when I stopped in to ask what I should use on the floors. That was a nice surprise. The bona for hardwood works great. It doesn't leave streaks or a residue. Good luck and enjoy!

holly-kay - Was it the flooring center where you bought your floors or one you just happened to stop by? Do you buy the spray bottle and spray as you mop?

I found a Sh-Mop on Amazon that has good reviews, but I don't know if it's similar to the Bona mop.

xc60 - Do you think I could find the rubber pads at Walmart or Target?

Here is a link that might be useful: Sh-Mop

Yes, you should be able to find them at both stores and they come in different colors and shapes to match your furniture. :)

I purchased the Rubbermaid mop with the fill-yourself container and washable pad and filled that with the Bona cleaner. I do use the Bona dry mop head for dusting the floor since it's nice and wide.

Thank you deeinohio! I must try this on my hardwood floors once I get my floors replaced.

I like the Rubbermaid spray mop better. The squeeze trigger on the Bona mop seems to stick and doesn't return to the proper position easily.

I have both and prefer it that way. I keep the dry mop hidden in the LR where I use it almost daily because sun shines in on the dark floor and it shows everything. And I love how it gets under the sofa.

The wet mop with sprayer (bottle attaches to the mop) i keep in the broom closet.

I buy multiple pads for both. The nice thing about Bona mops and their pads is that they're wide and pick up a LOT of dust.

We have vinyl floors and have put sticky felt pads under chair legs so they slide without scratching.

Haven't found anything better than the Bona system. I dry mop in between and spray/polish/clean when needed. You'll know when it needs it. We put felt furniture pads under the legs of our furniture to keep it from slipping. Make sure they are not larger than the size of the legs or it will make a mess. I ran out and got them while the installers were working and applied as they went but did not buy enough different sizes. Lesson learned . . . same size as the legs or smaller.

deeinohio - Is the Rubbermaid mop cheaper than the Bona ($39)? I didn't see it at Walmart. Where did you find it?

Can I use the Bona mop to clean my tile floors also or do I need a different mop for it? The Sh-Mop I linked to above mentioned it was good for all floors, so I wondered if the Bona is also.

Thanks, Annie! I need to look for felt pads and rubber pads now.

They attached quarter round to all my baseboards to cover the edges of the wood. They continued the quarter round in front of the doorways. I hate the way it looks in front of the door, but I know they need to put something there. Is there a better option? The door is getting stuck on it, so I'll have to sand it down a little if I leave it.

Not liking the quarter round.. Sorry..
What do you think about a baby threshold stained to match your floor.This is the only one I can find on the web.

Msrose, it was the flooring center that installed the floors for me. The kit contained a mop with a dusting head, a mopping head, and a spray bottle of bona. I like to use the spray bottle as sometimes I have just a quick spot to do and I spritz it on and wipe it off with a paper towel. I went through the spray bottle rather quickly and now purchase in a large container and just refill the spray bottle.

forboystoo - That looks much better. I'll check the website for regal hardwoods and see if it shows a piece like that for my floors.

I went back to BBB this morning and bought the Bona kit. My floors look much better now that they're clean, but I'll have to see how quick they show dust.

The pictures of the tile don't do it justice. The texture of it makes it look more like stone than any other tile I've ever seen. I love, love, love the my tile!

The tile is beautiful and so is the new hardwood. You have a very lovely home. Your little pupster is adorable!

Msrose - love your dark wood tile! What did you install?

We use the Bona wet mop on both our hardwood floors and tile. I've wondered whether the Bona spray is appropriate for tile too but since I have the mop out, usually continue (this part I wonder about).

Morose, I think I purchased the Rubbermaid mop at either HD or Lowe's, or both, since I have two: one with the Bona and one with vinegar for my ceramic.

Your floors look fantastic! It's been fun to watch the evolution of your house since you first moved in.

Both your floors are beautiful. The wood is the color that I wanted for my kitchen floor!

holly-kay - Thank you!

oldbat - The kitchen floor is tile, but the other is engineered hardwood (Regal Luxe Kensington). I thought about wood look tile at one time, but changed my mind.

deeinohio - Thanks! I think I've done more to this house in three years than I did to my last house in 22 years.

MsRose, I LOVE your new tiled floors! Can you tell me what you chose again as maybe I will use this for my Master Bathroom upstairs since I already have kitchen tile. I love the running bond install and the size of the tiles! What color grout did you use? What grout width did you end up with as it looks so nice and skinny the grout width.

I also love your hardwood floors. Your doggie is so cute! Thank you for sharing.

I really need to add curtains to my windows and throw pillows to make my home more warm like yours.

Whoever installed your tiled floors did a great job and the hardwood floor install looks fabulous also. I wish they lived near me.

Thanks msrose. Love the hardwood!

Thanks, raee!

lynn2006 - The tile is RagnoUSA Cometsone Cliff Tail. I had a hard time choosing between Cliff Tail and Snow Ball(lighter). The grout is Custom Polyblend sanded grout in Khaki. I'm not sure what size the grout lines are. That was one very important thing I forgot to discuss with him before he started. I wanted the smallest grout line he could do, so I was pleasantly surprised to see they were much skinnier than my previous floor. I'm so happy with the install job. I've heard horror stories of bad installation jobs, so I was really nervous. My parents had new tile installed in their house once and there were so many hollow sounding tiles. So far, I haven't found a tile that sounds hollow.

Here is a link that might be useful: Cometstone Cliff Tail

Thank you so much Msrose for letting me know. The closest place to me is in the next state over at over 50 miles but the tile is so nice that I may go there after tax season. I like the Cliff Tail you chose and I love the 20 X 20 size! Your installer really did an excellent job! If he was near me, I would hire him on the spot! Thanks for letting me know the grout color as it is perfect with your tiles! The tiles really made your kitchen beautiful! I also love your granite counters.

I've been following along and both your floors look wonderful! I'm glad you're happy with them and hope the dust isn't too bad on the hardwood.

I have a lot of tile and the best and fastest cleaner to use is the Swiffer mop with wet pads. I also bought a steam cleaner that I like.

I like the cleaner in the Swiffer, and the pads are made where you can use both sides.

In the entryway I get on my hands and knees and clean because it just takes a few minutes and I can make sure I get all the dirt. I sometimes do the same in the kitchen, especially around the stove/sink area.

I never knew that floors are such a chore! lol.

ETA: Stay away from the rubber floor protectors because they come off too easy. Felt is better.

This post was edited by oakleyok on Mon, Mar 24, 14 at 7:59

msrose

I like your engineered floors.
I am surprised they installed 'cheep' (comparing to floor) q-round. All stores selling floors carry all kind of edging - don't remember proper names, but thinks like "reducer" and similar; and you can find them also in HD, Lowe's and other stores. They come in 8' lengths, many different colours. You just have to find proper color. But I would go after them, with all the $$$ you paid to buy & install flooring, they definitely should have installed proper reducer!
I have similar floors (handscraped finish), I'll take photo of kit. tile floor-hardwood transition, & post it later today.

Rina

Your floors look amazing!!

Oh that looks wonderful! I like the white quarter round beefs up your base trim.
I love my bona mop and duster and have 3 of them. One for the basement floors and 2 for the upstairs wood floors. I keep a mop head on one and duster on the other upstairs.

I looked at the rug at HD Saturday and it is really a nice looking 8 X 10 rug for only $167 the lattice pattern is more of a grey than brown with a nice cream background. I took a picture to show the texture of it. The lattice pattern is nice with the large graphic. I think I will be getting it for my Master bedroom. Loved it!

Rtwilliams, I love that rug! I must look into it for my bedroom after I remove the carpets and install a hardwood floor.

rtwilliams - Oh darn! I could have used it if it was brown, but the gray won't work for me. I'd love to find something for that price.

rina - Can't wait to see your pics! My mother told me she found something at HD that might work, so it may be the same thing you're talking about.

shee - Fingers crossed on the dust!

Oakley - My mother swears by her steam cleaner. I may have to break down and buy one.

lovestowalk - Thank you!

They finished the fireplace today and I love it! I saved a picture of rtwilliams' fireplace a couple of years ago and now I have one just like it :)

msrose

Here is the photo of the 'reducer' - transition from kitchen tile to engeneered hardwood.

I like wide baseboards, so used 7.5" baseboard and instead of q-round there is a 2" door stop at the floor level. It is narrower than q-round so it doesn't 'stick out' so much.

Rina

This post was edited by rina_ on Mon, Mar 24, 14 at 18:17

Here is very inexpensive rug from Lowe's - this is only 5x7' (+ some inches) & it was only $59 (Canadian). 8x10' was around $150. It's not very thick, but for bsmt. playroom it works...

Rina

msrose

Since you mentioned brown colors for your rug, here is another I bought in Lowe's, not sure if fits your décor. I have it in sunroom. It is 94"x130", forget exact price but it was under $300.
Darkest color is very dark brown, next is very light brown (almost like a coffee with double cream...) and lightest is actually mix of white fibers with either of the darker colors.

Rina

rina - I love your baseboards! Did they add the door stop trim to your baseboards or is it part of your baseboard? Which was installed first, the floor or baseboards? I wish I had known there were other options, but I misunderstood how it was going to be done and I didn't realize they would even be using the quarter round. My mother is having her house done on the 31st, so at least we're finding out before hers. Does your hardwood go up to the doors and do you have a reducer there also?

My mother stopped by a neighbors house to look at her hardwoods that she had installed within the last year. They didn't remove her baseboards and they didn't add quarter round. The only thing I can figure is her baseboards were at the perfect height and they were able to put the hardwoods under them.

I've look at the rugs at HD, but I'll have to check out Lowes.

Your floors are beautiful!

The installer should not have used quarter-round in front of the doors. You need to contact them about that rather than dealing with it yourself.

We've used both felt and rubber on furniture. Definitely put something on all furniture as soon as possible. Felt seems to hold on to dust, etc. Several mentioned that in another recent thread and I agree.

I'm not understanding the need for all the different mops. I have a "dust mop" - looks like a swiffer but larger head. Folds flat to go under furniture. I have terry cloth and microfiber covers that go over the head. WASHABLE. The mop came with a couple of terry cloth covers but I've found them sold alone and microfiber also. Got the mop at Home Depot or Lowes. I can dust mop or use the BONA cleaner with the same mop. I don't use a swiffer or swiffer mop because I don't understand buying and throwing away all those cloths/pads. I would also be careful of using swiffer cleaner (in the pads) on wood floors. I have a steam mop (which you could get for less $$$ than a steam cleaner). Although I do have a hand-held steam cleaner but it does not have a mop/floor attachment. Some do. I use a microfiber cloth on my steam mop. (Can you tell we believe in recycling???) You don't need to go to the expense of all those pads, etc.

I use dust mop to dust and clean wood floors and the steam mop on tile.

I also like the Bona cleaner in a spray bottle. Would not like it in a mop.

Congrats on getting your beautiful floors - they really look great!

msrose

I always liked wide baseboards & doing them this way gives illusion of even wider than it really is. Next time you go to HD or Lowe's, look at the door stop (section where you find all trimming). It comes in at least 2 widths - I used the wider one. This is actually used on doors, so not often is thought of as a part of baseboard.
I got idea many years ago probably from some book - not sure, but didn't come up with it myself:)
So I just bought what I wanted & asked installer to do it that way. First baseboard goes on, then door stop - just like q-round would.
If you ever get tired of q-round, you can replace q-round with a door stop and I bet your room will look new!

But your floors are really beautiful.

Don't feel bad about not knowing, q-round is what's done most often & installers more than likely won't suggest anything else.

My hardwood does not go to the door, just the tile. Here is photo showing part of front hallway (very small hallway!)
Hardwood ends again where the tile starts.

Rina

This post was edited by rina_ on Mon, Mar 24, 14 at 20:14

Found this photo on net, it is showing different types of floor accessories - here are some of their names: transition molding, reducer, threshold, stair nosing, quarter round.

Since level of both types of my flooring was the same, I circled one used. (So right name for it is transition molding) The 'ridge' in the middle goes between the tile & the hardwood.
For your threshold, I would use the type on right of it (that may be called 'reducer'?).
You can see the thicker part, that will go under/next to door. It's actually same as already mentioned by forboystoo few posts up thread.

I agree that there was probably enough room to put floorboards under the baseboards at your mom's. If there are any gaps, you can always install q-round or door stop or even something else...hmmm, should come up with some new ideas?:)
But, it's not absolutely necessary to have anything - depends on what one likes. I would thou if there are gaps.

Rina

This post was edited by rina_ on Mon, Mar 24, 14 at 20:09

tinam61 - The rubber pad would keep the furniture from moving and the felt pads would help the furniture move, so is their another option other than felt to help the furniture slide across the floor since the felt holds dust?

Rina - Thanks for the visual :)

msrose - I'm not that knowledgeable on all that! LOL I do know we had (maybe still have?) some little pads that nail into the bottom of the leg. Just a little nail, maybe more like a tap. I'll have to ask my hubby about that.

Do you have a hardware store near you? They will have a variety and should be able to tell you what will work best with what you have.

We actually have some felt pads on our dining room chairs that need to be switched out for something else. And yes, you are correct, one helps furniture move more easily and one keeps it from sliding. Sorry I should have been more clear in my original response. The rubber will work great for your sofa, etc.

tina

Your fireplace turned out beautiful! Loving the pears on your mantle. Great job!

I have a stick vacuum I use on my tile. Is it okay to use it on my hardwoods also?

Your floors are beautiful and I love your fireplace!

Did you use a stacked ledge stone that comes in interlocking panels? I've only used single ledge pieces but am considering buying panels for the front of the house. I just don't like how you can sometimes see where the panels join together, like puzzle pieces. I don't see that at all in your fireplace.

I've been using the Bona mop and Bona cleaner on the engineered wood floors in my DD's room for years and it works great. (I don't use it on the rest of my wood floors with the tung oil finish because I'm not sure it's meant to be used on oil.)

Still so jealous of your beautiful kitchen counters. My kitchen remodel has been put on hold while we decide if we're going to move or stay.

Thank you juddgirl2! I had to go look at the left over stone, because I was working in the other room while they were installing it. It looks like it's 3 or 4 rows of stone on a single piece. I definitely can't tell where it's pieced together. I've included a link to what I used. Rtwilliams used one from Lowes that I'm sure was cheaper and looks just as good. I would have gone with it if I had hired an individual to do the fireplace. Since I was getting my floors replaced, they gave me a good deal on the fireplace If you look at the reviews on the Lowes website, you will see pictures of it on several fireplaces.

http://www.lowes.com/pd_354393-93840-20-616_0__?productId=3477519

Here is a link that might be useful: Emser Tan sandstone

This post was edited by msrose on Sun, Mar 30, 14 at 10:13