When you put in a lot of time and money into laying a hardwood floor, you definitely want to protect it, and take good care of it so that it lasts a long time. The same goes for laminate flooring, and other types of flooring for that matter. With laminate flooring, you would need to lay it out for 48 hours, let it acclimate, and make sure that it gets some air. You also need to clean the subfloor and ensure that it is free from debris.

When doing laminate flooring installation, do not forget to include a vapor barrier. You will also need to trim all the door jambs before you begin installation. Here is how you should go about it:

1. Install the first plank along the longest wall and then place spacers against the wall (about every 12 inches). This will allow your flooring to "breathe."

2. Continue adding planks, tapping them into place, and making sure that you do not leave any gaps. The last plank will have to be trimmed for a perfect fit.

3. Lastly, remove spacers and install your molding, after which you can enjoy your beautiful laminate flooring.

When dealing with this kind of flooring material, remember to sweep your floor with a nice soft broom. Coarse brooms could scratch the surface of your floor. Use only a soft cloth, or a microfiber dust mop. To help reduce dirt build up, you should also vacuum regularly. A heavy vacuum might damage your flooring, so be very cautious of your choice of vacuum cleaners. Also, remember to wipe your feet. Put rugs at your doorway with non-slip bottoms to prevent dirt from getting on your floor and scratching it.

For wood floors, beware of wearing high heels because these may dent the wood. Spills should be wiped immediately, as liquid can cause the wood to swell. Use only a cleaner that can be wiped off easily. In fact, you should only use a cleaner that is made specifically for wood floors. One more thing: do not use products that need to be diluted in water because these will leave residue on your floor. Definitely no bleach, ammonia or wax – these will surely destroy the finish of the floor.

For other flooring types, remember never to drag furniture across these surfaces. Look into getting protective padding under your furniture so as not to damage your floor. You can put out large area rugs to help protect your floor as well and these can prevent your flooring from getting old fast especially in high traffic areas. With your rugs, you want to make sure that these have soft padding because hard, scratchy rugs can damage your flooring as well. Do not use area rugs with adhesives on them because these will definitely stick and you will have to sandblast them to remove them from your beautiful flooring.