A wooden floor has obvious advantages, not least its natural, non-toxic beauty. It's also a lot easier to clean than carpet, and harbours fewer germs and dust mites, so it's better for people with allergies. ) for more information. Consider carefully what type of wood to buy: tropical hardwoods, including mahogany, are not recommended unless they have been certified by the FSC. To bring your wooden floor back to its beautiful best, you will need to get your hands on some specialist kit, not least of which is an electric floor sander. ) from £60 a week - and their floor edging sander goes right up to the skirting board, so you won't have to get down on your hands and knees with sandpaper to finish the job. You should also get a special brush for applying the varnish - with synthetic fibres (a bit more expensive but more effective) - sandpaper, a mop and bucket, varnish, a floor pad and hammer. 1. Close the door so the dust doesn't travel, open the windows, and put on a dust mask and safety goggles.

Inspect the bare floor (we'll take it for granted you've removed all furniture and rugs/ carpets) - it's important you hammer down any nails that might be sticking out, so that the sander doesn't get caught on one. 2. Also, fill in any gaps in the floorboards. For large gaps or holes, use a thin strip of wood covered in glue and stick it in the gap; for smaller gaps use papier mache. To make the mache, mix a stiff paste with torn strips of newspaper and wallpaper adhesive. Add some water-based wood dye to match the sanded floor. Force it into the gaps, smooth off and let it dry. 3. Now start by sanding the floor with coarse sandpaper. If you are using a floor sander you will need to fit it with sandpaper, ensuring that it is incredibly tight around the drum - the staff at the hire shop should talk you through this to avoid any errors. Start at one end of the room, leaving about two-thirds of the floor exposed in front. Start the sander - the drum needs to be off the floor - then walk forward and gently ease the drum to the floor.

As you reach the end of the strip, cautiously begin to raise the drum off the floor. With hand-held floor sanders, again load the sandpaper so it's tight, start with the sander off the floor and lower it gently. couch cleaning service long islandSand with the grain, moving the sander slowly from side to side. dryer vent cleaner machineAs you get to the end of the strip, turn by sanding in a semicircle direction. best way to clean untreated wood floorsNote: Remember to unplug the sander whenever you need to change the sandpaper!upright vacuum cleaner ratings reviews

4. After sanding, once the dust has settled , vacuum everywhere, then wipe the floor with white spirit and leave to dry completely. Apply varnish to seal the wood; air duct cleaning massachusettsyou can do this using a floor pad. best rated bagless vacuum cleaners 2013Varnish floor pads come in a plastic container with the varnish. Dip the pad into the container to load it and start at the corner of the room that is furthest from the door. It's important to move the floor pad in the direction of the wood grain. For consistency, as you get to the other side of the room, turn the pad around and apply the varnish from the other end. Apply two to three coats leaving about two hours drying time in between. 5. When you've finished varnishing, clean the brushes thoroughly with warm water and washing-up liquid.

For a really nice finish, Property Developer Phil Turner says: "In between the coats, go over the floor with a light sandpaper. Then mop the floor and wipe it with a little bit of paint thinner on a cloth to pick up all the dust, then varnish again. It's best to do three coats of varnish, wiping the floor in between. The more you do that the more likely you will get a good finish and a harder, durable floor."To learn more, check out the "how to" podcast at sadolin.co.ukLast updated: 05 August 2016 Mould is the kind of thing that creeps up on you – it's not top of mind every day, unless you're a serious asthmatic, and it grows so fast that before you know it every nook and cranny is filled with the stuff. Keeping up a regular mould prevention scheme is a far easier way to go than trying to get on top of it once you have it. Looking for our unbiased, expert comparisons? The key to preventing household mould is reducing moisture where possible, rather than using expensive mould removal products that may do more harm than good.

When you discover you're playing host to a mould colony, the clean-up process is labour intensive but relatively simple. Before getting started sort the mouldy items into categories of non-porous, semi-porous and super-porous. If the mould is on something that is super-porous, like a textile, clothing or furniture, there's a good chance it can't be completely removed. Most moulds stain quite badly and also eat into surfaces; if they've grown on fabrics these may be permanently damaged and may need to be thrown out. Non-porous surfaces such as hard plastics should be relatively easier to clean. Semi-porous surfaces will be variable. Carpets can be particularly problematic for anyone with a mould problem. You'll need to replace carpet if it's gotten wet. Don't fall into the trap of just letting carpet dry out if there's been water damage, as mould spores will be left behind, buried in the carpet fibres. Anything that's super porous, like wicker baskets, textiles, paper and cardboard, or carpet, needs to be chucked away – don't even bother with these surfaces.

In most cases, mould can be cleaned up without professional help. However, if mould covers a large area of your home – experts say a rough guide is one metre square – and is dense, or if householders are asthmatic, it's best to call in the experts. Moulds can give off toxic spores and vapours, and if there's a lot of mould it can be dangerous – possibly resulting in hypersensitivity or allergic reactions, and asthma and flu-like symptoms. Areas that have flooded or have had prolonged mould build-up should be cleaned by someone with appropriate equipment, including a HEPA filter vacuum cleaner and proper respirators. The cost of professional help varies. An initial investigation can cost around $1500 for an expert to test the site and find the cause of the mould and write a plan for removal of mould. After that, it's a question of the extent of the problem. Actual removal of mould can range from $2000 to $90,000, depending on the contamination level and size of the property.

Mould removalists need to be certified, have the right equipment, get special training, maintain a high level of fitness and have the ability to sustain thermal stress. They're not just cleaners, so their hourly rate can be $80–110. Although most commercially available mould killers use bleach as an active ingredient, we find they don't work effectively. There's evidence that bleach can kill fungi, but the concentration of bleach in products marketed as 'mould killers', including Power Force Mould Away, Woolworths Mould Cleaner, Coles Ultra Mould Remover, Selleys Rapid Mould Killer and Exit Mould, is less than five percent. Bleach has a short shelf life and loses potency quickly, so the longer products sit on shelves, the lower their bleach concentration becomes. A product that starts out with a concentration of about four per cent states on its packaging that by the end of its shelf life it may contain just 0.6% bleach, however experts we spoke to recommend a 10% bleach concentration for killing mould.

Even at a higher potency, while bleach can kill off surface growth and spores on non-porous surfaces, it will not penetrate porous materials, contrary to claims made by several products on the market. If the mould is growing on plaster or grout or wood it will kill mould on the surface, but not below it. In addition, several experts told CHOICE that bleach can be a masking agent. Bleach takes the colour, or melanin, out of fungi, making it invisible. You can't see it anymore, so you think the bleach has done its job, when that's not necessarily the case. Strong bleach is also harmful to grout and tiles as it erodes and corrodes the surfaces, making them more porous, which in turn makes them more vulnerable to further fungi growth. Moisture is a vital element in the development of mould. There are several ways in which moisture can enter the home and create a mould problem. A leaky roof, broken pipes, or water from a flood can be external causes of moisture in the house.

Mould grows very quickly and becomes a problem in areas that have been flooded – Hurricane Katrina, the Brisbane floods and the Japanese tsunami all saw serious mould issues emerge very rapidly once the flood waters had subsided. Moisture can also be created within the building itself: through the overcrowding of rooms (people breathing and sweating creates moisture), air drying of clothes indoors, appliances such as stoves, washing machines and dishwashers with no exhaust systems and poor temperature control, leading to condensation on windows and walls. When it's 40 degrees outside and you set your thermostat to an icebox inside, if there's a gap in the window or you open the door then hot, moist air will enter the home and condense on interior surfaces. This also happens if it's very cold outside, but you inconsistently heat the inside of the house. Mould needs organic matter – such as dust or dead skin cells – to thrive, so it's important to keep up with regular vacuuming and dusting.

Prevention is key when it comes to mould. Bathrooms are havens for the stuff! To keep it to a minimum, install a good exhaust fan and prevent moisture build-up on surfaces. Squeegee or towel-dry your tiles and floors immediately after showering, and make sure you clean up scum, which mould feeds on. Once mould gets its grip on grout or silicone, getting rid of it is almost impossible. When mould grows, it develops hyphae, or roots, which grow into the grout or silicone. You can clean the surfaces of the grout or silicone, but not deep into it. In those cases you have to replace the silicone or re-grout your bathroom. Building ventilation is vital in homes. Inadequate ventilation is one of the main reasons homes become vulnerable to mould growth. When the air stops moving, you can get a build-up of humidity and moisture in those areas. Australians need to make informed heating and cooling choices to ensure mould doesn't develop. Several experts we consulted warned against the use of unflued gas heaters, which release moisture into the air, and can lead to problems – particularly because people trying to heat their home aren't exactly going to open the windows to let the air flow!