Categories

Fixtures & Hardware

Unlacqured vs. Lacquered Brass

Lacquered brass is finished with a clear coating that prevents tarnish, while the unlacquered iteration leaves the metal (an alloy of copper and zinc) exposed to the elements. Over time, unlacquered brass takes on a patina—it’s a living finish that shows its evolution. Lacquered brass, on the other hand, will stay brighter, shinier, and more yellow-toned over the course of its lifetime.

Unlacquered Brass Hardware & Fixtures

For day-to-day care, dish soap and water will remove debris from food or smudges from dirty hands, and a soft cloth like microfiber or a paper towel will buff it to a shine. But acidic kitchen substances, like lemons or tomatoes, or bathroom staples, like toothpaste, can increase the rate of the tarnishing process. In these instances, you’ll need brass polish (rub some onto a soft cloth, wipe in an upwards motion, rinse with water, and dry) to keep your faucetry looking its best. Brass is going to change eventually, no matter what you do, but you can keep it looking like the day you bought it [longer] by polishing it frequently.

Lacquered Brass Hardware & Fixtures

Lacquered brass is never polished. Just dust it or wash it in mild lukewarm suds, rinse it with lukewarm water, and wipe it dry. If the water is too hot it may remove the lacquer.

Polished Nickel Hardware & Fixtures

Tackle hard water stains or mineral deposits on your polished nickel surfaces by mixing 1/4 cup of white vinegar with 1/4 cup of water. Wet a clean cloth with the diluted vinegar solution then lay the cloth over the stained area. Allow the cloth to remain on the hard water stains for five minutes then wipe off.

Iron Doors

Wrought Iron Doors

*Most important thing about iron doors is if you see rust, you need to have it repaired and painted ASAP

Cleaning Information

1. Start by using a mild cleanser and a non-abrasive, lint-free cloth. For a DIY cleaner, mix together liquid soap or a vegetable-based soap with a touch of water. Soak the cloth in the soap mixtures and gently wipe down your doors. The rust on your doors should start to come off with ease. 

2. Once you cleaned your door with your soap mixture, make sure you rinse it off thoroughly with a hose. Any remaining soap can leave unwanted residue on your custom wrought iron doors. 

3. When you are wiping down your iron doors, make sure that you don’t leave any excess water to dry, for this will cause more rust to form. Chemicals and hard minerals that are found in tap water can stain and damage your doors. 

4. Once your doors have been properly cleaned, use a cloth or sponge to completely dry off your doors. By drying off any remaining water, you are ensuring that your custom wrought iron doors will remain stain and damage free. 

5. Depending on the area you live in, you may have to take a few extra precautions to ensure that your iron doors maintain their beauty year-round. For example, if you live near the coast, you should properly oil the hinges of your iron door on a monthly basis. Salt water air can corrode doors if they aren’t taken care of and maintained on a regular basis. 

Walls & Ceilings

Painted Walls & Ceilings

To clean your painted walls and ceilings we recommend Mr. Clean Magic Eraser. Be careful not to scrub or push too hard as that will cause the paint to peel off or will damage the finish.

Wood Floors

Wood Floors

Regular Maintenance

Sweep or vacuum on a frequent basis to prevent sand or abrasive dust build up because that can scratch the floors finish. The vacuum head must be brush or felt, and a wand attachment is preferable.

Blot up any food, drink, or liquid spills immediately. Under no circumstances allow liquid to remain on the surface longer than 30 minutes.

For more thorough cleaning, use a wood floor cleaning solution approved by the NWFA. We recommend using a Natural Soap Solution that is specifically formulated for oil finished wood flooring. Follow the product instructions. Do not use any household cleaners, polish waxes or any abrasive materials or scouring agents on the floors.

Utilize floor protectors, wide bearing and non-staining glides or casters on all moveable furniture, tables or other objects that sit directly on hardwood flooring.

Use walk-off or high quality mats to protect the floor from abrasive material. Avoid using latex or rubber backed rugs. Also, if you have wood flooring in your kitchen, a throw rug with a soft or felt backing should be placed in front of the sink area to catch spills and splashes.

Rearrange rugs and furniture periodically so the floor ages evenly. UV sunlight will change the color of different wood species to varying degrees.

Avoid walking on floors with sharp, “stiletto” style high-heel shoes. Keep pet nails trimmed and filed in order to minimize indentation. All wood floors will indent.

Relative humidity should be maintained between 35% and 55% to minimize expansion and contraction of hardwood flooring.

When, due to excessive wear or use, the floor requires refinishing, it is suggested to use a qualified, licensed professional refinisher.

Wood Floors – Soap Instruction

INSTRUCTIONS

Using lukewarm water, mix the WOCA Soap at a normal solution of 1:40, and at a solution of 1:20 for dirtier floors. Never clean oak floors with a solution of more than 1:40.

Soap Mixing Solutions: Using lukewarm water, 1 gallon of water to (3 ounces) of Soap

2 gallons of water to (6 ounces) of Soap PRE-APPLICATION NOTES

If the soap solution is not properly mixed, footprints may show on a soaped floor even after drying. This is caused by using too much soap. To remove excess Soap, clean with WOCA Wood Cleaner.

Use a good quality mop, such as the WOCA Swep Mop, which has no loose ends.

Remember that a wood floor should be DAMP mopped.

STEP 1

Thoroughly sweep and or vacuum the wood floor.

STEP 2

Using 2 buckets, mix the WOCA Soap that is shaken well with lukewarm water in one bucket and only lukewarm water in the second bucket as the rinse.

STEP 3

Begin by cleaning an area of about 4’ x 8’ at a time. Soak the mop in the soap bucket then wring it out over the soap bucket. Mop the area side to side spreading the solutions over the area. If a spot is overly soiled, let an extra amount of soap soak the area for a couple of minutes then come back with a dish scrubbing brush.

STEP 4

Rinse the mop well. Ring out over the rinse bucket. Do not apply the rinsed mop to the floor.

STEP 5

Repeat Steps 1 – 4 until the floor is completely clean. Any spots that have water after 5 minutes be wiped up with the mop.

Spray Bottle Instructions Mixing: 2 Teaspoons and water per 30 – 32oz spray bottle, shake well. Step 1 Shake very well and spray the cleaner onto the surface.

Step 2 Let the solution dissolve stain and dirt, wipe surface dry with a cotton cloth, and let dry.

* It is not unusual to see a “haze” on darker floors after soaping. Simply put a cotton cloth under a dust mop or floor buffer and quickly polish away the “haze”.

Know Your Stone

Instructions on how to properly maintain and clean your countertops.

Granite is a very hard, 100% natural stone. It is mined from quarries all over the world, cut to a manageable slab size, and fabricated and tailored to your specific job needs. Granite is extremely durable, scratch, stain, and heat resistant. It does require a routine sealing process. Although your countertops are installed with a protective sealant, to ensure the longevity of your stone it is important to properly maintain and seal your countertops every 12-18 months.

DO: Be gentle. Use warm water, a mild or gentle soap, and a soft cloth for everyday wipe downs. If a stronger disinfectant is desired, mix together a 50/50 solution of water and 91% Isopropyl Alcohol. Spray on the granite/marble, allow it to sit for 3-5 minutes, rinse with warm water, and dry with a cloth. There are specific cleaners for Granite/Marble that can be purchased at Lowe’s Home Improvement, Home Depot, etc.

DON’T: Use harsh chemicals, abrasive cleaners, or sponges. Clorox, Windex, Ammonia, Bleach, Vinegar, or anything acidic is not to be used. The harsher the cleaner, the quicker it is to break down your sealer, leaving your countertops vulnerable.

Stains: Although your natural stone has a protective sealer, it is susceptible to staining from highly acidic and/or deep color liquids such as but not limited to: Coffee, Red Wine, Lemons, Limes, Orange Juice, etc. To avoid stains from these items, do not leave on your countertops for long periods of time. Cleaning these items immediately after contact with your countertops will reduce chances of stains, rings, etches, etc.

Marble is a natural metamorphic stone mined from quarries all over the world. Each slab is unique with no two alike. It is a soft, porous material that requires a routine sealing process. While it is timeless and beautiful, it is susceptible to scratching, staining, and etching. Marble contains characteristics throughout the slab such as color and pattern variation, fissures or hairline crevices which may look like cracks, water spots or lines, pits and gaps, blemishes or dull spots, and clusters of mineral deposits.

DO: Treat your marble with care, clean with a soft cloth or sponge, clean any spills immediately, and take extra precautions with acidic foods and drinks.

DON’T: Do not clean marble with ammonia, vinegar, or any cleaning agents purchased at your local store. Use warm water and soap or a specific marble cleaner. Do not stand on, set tools or heavy equipment on, use arts and crafts, etc.

Things to avoid: Acidic foods and drinks, red wine, coffee, lemon/lime juice, tomato sauce, abrasive cleaners or sponges, heat, cutting directly on the stone, standing, etc.

Quartz and Porcelain is an engineered surface that is comprised of natural ground quartz, one of Earth’s hardest materials, and resin binded together. Quartz is extremely durable, scratch, stain, and heat resistant. Caution should be used with direct heat to your countertops of 400 degrees or more. Quartz is non-porous and does not require sealing.

DO: Be gentle. Use warm water, mild or gentle soap, and a soft cloth for everyday wipe downs. DON’T: Use harsh chemicals, abrasive cleaners, or sponges.

Stains: Although Quartz is stain resistant, it is not stain proof. To avoid stains do not leave spills on your countertops for long periods of time.

Home Maintenance

All homes require your care and attention. The first thing to remember is that code establishes minimal standards for keeping the structure’s occupants safe, sound and sanitary. Maintenance is meant to keep components in the same condition as when they were installed. Components may periodically require replacement. Please reach out to us for additional maintenance resources.

Renaudin Builders strongly recommends that homeowners perform an annual roof tune up, including a roof inspection and any necessary repairs. In addition, all window and exterior doors should be resealed and re-caulked annually.

Other Information

In order to preserve the property and maintain a well-kept home, it is the owner’s responsibility to maintain the property by doing some of the following recommendations but not limited to this:

FOUNDATION & SITE

Maintain proper grades and drainage around the home; avoid installing items that can interfere with proper site drainage.

Maintain erosion control. Check for erosion, animal digging near the foundation.

Maintain installed flowerbeds and regarding such that the drainage is away from the foundation.

Keep gutters and sprinklers in good condition.

Maintain a 6-inch clearance between the siding and finished grade.

CONCRETE

Avoid damaging concrete surfaces by the use of salts and chemicals not specifically designed for use on these 

surfaces.

ROOFING

Check vents and roof penetrations for leak points.

Watch age of roof and signs of weathering/damage.

Prevent ice build-up on the roof.

Maintain the roof annually and periodically remove leaves, pine needles and other debris from the roof surface, 

valley gutters and down spouts if installed.

WALLS

Maintain the exterior finish by periodic caulking and painting or sealing exterior walls.

Keep paint protection on exterior wood product veneers, caulk and putty as needed.

Caulk interior and exterior perimeters of windows as needed against water and air infiltration.

Replace rotted wood; it presents a water intrusion point.

Check the weather stripping annually.

Periodically seal mortar joint cracks to preclude water intrusion.

FLOORING & INTERIOR SURFACES

Periodically caulk seams between baseboard and finished floor.

Protect the floor surfaces by having chair and furniture protective devices installed and/or maintained.

Clean and maintain interior surfaces free of moisture, mildew and fungus. 

Use cleaning material that will not damage any surfaces.

Cabinet surfaces should be caulked and maintain a proper moisture barrier to assure proper performance of the covering.

ELECTRICAL

Check ground fault interrupters annually.

Repair broken outlets and switches.

Test smoke detectors regularly.

Know where the main shutoffs are for the breakers, the heater, the A/C, the water heater.

Test reversing devises on the garage door openers.

HEATING

Professionally check prior to heating season for cracked heat exchangers and fully service annually.

Check flue connections and proximity to combustibles.

Regularly smell for gas leaks (in all gas fired appliances), gas has a pungent smell.

Maintain the heating system and assure that air filters are cleaned or changed per manufacturer’s recommendations. 

Balance the dampers and registers to assure proper air distribution.

COOLING

Have professionally serviced prior to cooling season – inefficient operations wear equipment and could cost energy, & money.

Maintain the air conditioning system and assure that air filters are cleaned or changed per manufacture’s 

recommendations. Balance the dampers and registers to assure proper air distribution.

DUCTS

Check for loose ducts and air leakage at connections – during cold season (attic is cooler).

Replace the air return filter(s) every 6 months, they really do make the system work better and cleaner (use a good quality filter).

WATER SUPPLY LINES

Repair any water leakage from drains or fresh water lines.

Check incoming water lines for leaks.

Notice any soggy areas around the yard for potential underground leakage.

Check tub and shower corners for complete caulking – use tub and tile caulk.

Know where your main shutoff is located.

TREES AND VEGETATION

The existing trees and vegetation require maintenance, feeding and watering as they may have been stressed by the construction of the home on the Property.

DRAINS

Regularly check drains clogs and clear debris as needed.

Notice any soggy areas around the yard for potential underground leakage.

Repair leakage immediately.

Pull access at tubs and check for water and drain leaks.

Add 5 cups of Pink RV Antifreeze down any sink that smells foul every six months

WATER HEATER

Check flue connections and proximity to combustibles.

Check temperature and pressure relief valve – replace if inoperable.

MISC.

Mold, mildew or fungus control is an important maintenance responsibility the owner should take seriously.

To avoid warping of exterior doors, if you paint or stain the outside doors, the surface must be properly prepared before applying paint or stain.

Maintain sliding doors or windows by keeping the tracks clean and free of debris, also periodically lubricating the rollers and adjust as necessary.

Lubricate all moving parts.

Drain or otherwise protect lines and exterior faucets exposed to freezing temperatures.