Tile Cleaning
Friday, October 4, 2024
Essex Tile Doctor Reveals how to Remove Years of Dirt from Terracotta Floor Tiles
Thursday, September 26, 2024
Refinishing Oak Hardwood Floors
Oak hardwood floors are one of the things that can make a home seem extraordinary. It has the natural beauty which does not go out of fashion through time and you are adding to the value of your house if you have oak floors installed. However, although oak is known to be very durable, it can lose its shine over time. It needs to be refinished once the polyurethane covering on its surface starts to wear out.
What You'll Need:
- 20 to 60 grit sandpaper
- Hand sander
- Putty knife
- Long-handled roller
- 120 grit sandpaper
- Wood filler
- Rag
A refinishing job is also important to protect the wood itself from everyday wear and tear. You will only require a weekend to do the job yourself and if you do not possess some of the equipment needed, you can rent it out from your local hardware outlet. Although a bit challenging, the results of your effort will be well worth it.
Step 1 - Prepare the Room
Remove all of the items from the room that has the floor for refinishing. Once the room is free from any obstacle, take out the moldings from the room edges and sweep the floor to make sure that there is no dust around.
Step 2 - Inspect the Floor
Inspect the entire flooring that you will be refinishing. If there are any staples or nails on it, make sure that you are able to remove all of them before doing the refinishing. Nail holes should be filled up with wood putty. Use the spatula to do it. Ensure that you fill out evenly to make the flooring as even as you can. There is no need to sand it since you will be sanding the entire area anyway to remove the old finish.
Step 3 - Prepare the Sander
Take out the instruction manual for the drum sander and assemble it as directed. If the flooring has been heavily worn down, choose 20 grit sandpaper. If the wear is moderate, you can use a 60 grit sandpaper.
Step 4 - Sand the Floor
Sanding should be started from a corner of the room. Move in the direction of the wood grain and allow the drum sander to work for you. Go about the task back and forth until you have the entire area covered. To ensure that everything has been sanded down, overlap each pass by 1 inch.
Step 5 - Sand the Room Edges
Room edges should be sanded down by hand since they cannot be reached by the drum sander. Use the same sandpaper grit that you used on the sander.
Step 6 - Fine Sanding the Room
After you are done with sanding the edges of the room, repeat the sanding process for the entire room, but this time, use a 120 grit sandpaper. This will be your preparation for the staining.
Step 7 - Clean the Floor
To remove the dust that resulted from sanding, sweep and vacuum the entire area. Never use water on the bare wood.
Step 8 - Stain the Floor
Take a rag and the stain color of your choice and work it over the entire floor area using a circular motion. Ensure that you have the room properly ventilated as you do this as the stain fumes can be toxic. Allow the stain to dry for 6 hours minimum.
Step 9 - Apply Polyurethane
To protect the wood and show its luster, apply a coat of polyurethane. Apply the chemical using a roller with a long handle. Allow the first coating to dry for 6 hours before applying a second coating.
Source: www.DoItYourself.com
Thursday, September 5, 2024
10 Benefits to Using a Peroxide Cleaner
Peroxide Cleaner, or Hydrogen peroxide (H2O2), is a pale blue liquid that is slightly thicker than water and appears colorless when not in its purest form. It has strong burning properties, and is a powerful bleaching agent. It is used as a disinfectant, antiseptic, and even as a propellant in rockets. Hydrogen peroxide only contains water and oxygen and does not contain toxic residue. Hydrogen peroxide is a useful household agent with the following benefits and usage.
1. Removes Carpet and Clothing Stains
Pour a small amount of hydrogen peroxide on the problem surface of your shirt and let it set for a few minutes before finally putting the shirt in the washer. For cleaning carpets, dab a clean cloth with hydrogen peroxide and apply on the stained area of the carpet in smooth, circular motion until dirt is removed.
2. Bathroom Disinfectant
Put your washcloth, loofah and sponge on a basin of hot water with hydrogen peroxide. Let it sit there for an hour. Rinse and put to dry.
3. Use for cleaning toilet bowls
Get rid of those stains by pouring half a cup of hydrogen peroxide on your toilet bowl. Let it sit for a few hours. Flush the toilet bowl. Now there are instances when a little bit of stain remains. Just scrub it off. You will notice how easy the stains get rubbed off. You can do this every few weeks.
4. Removes Bathroom and Shower Mold
Just spray down the surface with hydrogen peroxide whenever you take a shower. You can use a spray bottle. Wipe the sprayed surface often to prevent the gathering of mold.
5. Disinfectant for wounds or bites.
Wash your shallow wounds or bites with hydrogen peroxide to disinfect affected areas. You can use cotton to dab it over the surface.
6. For all-around cleaning.
What you need is a little spray bottle filled with considerable amount of hydrogen peroxide. Spray it on your sink, floor, garbage cans, hard to reach areas like the corners of your cupboard, tables etc. This not only kills bacteria, it also insures to prevent unpleasant odors from building up.
7. Cleans Dentures and Retainers.
Before going to bed, you can use hydrogen peroxide diluted in water to soak your dentures or retainers. Rinse the dentures before using. Make sure to replace the water every night.
8. Removes Drain Clogs
Overtime slime and other refuse tend to build up on your drain. You can get rid of this by pouring a tablespoon of baking soda over a cup of hydrogen peroxide. Pour the contents on the drain. The foaming and fizzing will remove the blockage from your drain.
9. Lightens Your locks
Mix ten drops of hydrogen peroxide with one liter of water and use the mixture to rinse your hair on regular basis. You will notice how your locks will light up.
10. Used as mouthwash substitute
A small amount of hydrogen peroxide in a glass of water effectively gets rid of germs and odor causing bacterias that cause bad breath.
Source: www.DoItYourself.com
Wednesday, August 28, 2024
Newport Tile Doctor Details the Restoration of Victorian Floor Tiling
Cleaning and Repairing a Victorian Tiled Dining Room Floor
I began by addressing the tiling issues so my first course of action was to set matching tiles along the doorway border leading to the kitchen, as the previous tiles had already been removed by the gas company it was fairly straight forward job of carefully knocking out the cement. The tiles I had sourced were from a nearby reclamation yard and needed to be carefully cut to size to ensure a good fit with the original. After setting the tiles and grouting I left them to dry overnight.Sealing a Victorian Tiled Dining Room
To assist with drying I asked the client to leave a couple of air movers running during the evening and to put them back on in the morning. This worked well and by the next day I was able to confirm the floor was dry and ready for sealing with a moisture meter.Tuesday, August 27, 2024
Refinishing Oak Hardwood Floors
Oak hardwood floors are one of the things that can make a home seem extraordinary. It has the natural beauty which does not go out of fashion through time and you are adding to the value of your house if you have oak floors installed. However, although oak is known to be very durable, it can lose its shine over time. It needs to be refinished once the polyurethane covering on its surface starts to wear out.
What You'll Need:
- 20 to 60 grit sandpaper
- Hand sander
- Putty knife
- Long-handled roller
- 120 grit sandpaper
- Wood filler
- Rag
Step 1 - Prepare the Room
Step 2 - Inspect the Floor
Step 3 - Prepare the Sander
Step 4 - Sand the Floor
Step 5 - Sand the Room Edges
Step 6 - Fine Sanding the Room
Friday, August 9, 2024
Stripping Wood Floors With Natural Products
Stripping wood floors with natural products is possible. While it can be more difficult to find these products, they are becoming more popular and accessible as time goes on and people become more passionate about the environment. While it may be difficult, here are a few materials that you need, as well as steps to help guide you.
What You'll Need:
- Natural wood stripper
- Recycled rag
- Natural wood cleaner
- Outdoor area or ventilation
- Scraper
- Sander
- Paint brush
- Goggles
- Gloves
Find a Natural Stripper
Sand
Strip Wood
Scrape off Stripper
Clean Area
Wednesday, July 31, 2024
Remove a Scratch from Mahogany Wood Flooring
Among household wood floors, a mahogany wood floor is regarded among the more aesthetic and durable options. Mahogany is a durable wood that is inherently resistant to scratches and staining. However, continued use and neglectful handling can take a toll on the most durable of hardwoods. Thus, people having mahogany wood floors should know how to remove the scratches from their floors. This is a simple process that can be done without professional assistance, using some basic household supplies.
Cleaning the Mahogany Wood Floor
You need to thoroughly clean the mahogany wood floor before treating the scratches. This ensures that the debris is not impacted by the scratches during the scratch-removal process. Ensure that you don’t use hard abrasive agents that can further scratch the surface. To clean the debris, repeatedly mop the floor.
Then clean the mahogany wood floor with a cleaning solution made of lukewarm water and dishwashing soap. You can use a sponge to lightly scrub the floor. Remember to rub the sponge in the direction of the wood grain. To remove hard stains around the scratched surface, use a solution made of tap water and white vinegar. Dry the floor before proceeding.
Buffing Mahogany Wood Floor Scratches
Buffing ensures that the outline of the scratches is reduced and they are camouflaged in the background of the mahogany wood grain. You can use a steel wool pad for this. Ensure that you limit your buffing to the scratches only. You can also use fine-grain sandpaper grits. Buff in direction of the wood grain. Don’t use sanding screens and scouring pads or buffing compounds containing harsh mineral spirits as these can harm the mahogany wood floor.
Waxing Mahogany Wood Floor Scratches
Using a dry mop, clean the debris created by buffing. You can also vacuum the floor. To fill up the scratches, you can use wax. Paste wax is recommended for this purpose as it easily attaches to finished wood surfaces. After applying the wax, re-buff the floor, in the same manner, explained above. Paste wax acts as a filler material for deep scratches.
Coloring Mahogany Wood Floor Scratches
To ensure that the scratches are comprehensively eradicated, you need to treat them with a matching color. This a bit of trial and error phase wherein you need to use various approaches to find out which one is most effective. Use mahogany-colored repair markers available at hardware stores. You can fill in the scratches with mahogany-colored wax sticks also. However, this requires repeated buffing since the wax needs to be sanded to be disguised.
Finishing Repaired Mahogany Wood Floor
It is vital to finish this repair project by applying a wood finish. This conceals the presence of repaired surfaces and contributes towards the overall durability of repaired, buffed surfaces. Apply a branded wood finishing compound using a paintbrush. However, using medium or low-gloss finishing compounds is recommended since they are better equipped to conceal the presence of deep scratches. You should use water-based finishing compounds that are easier to handle and can immediately bond with the mahogany wood floor.
Source: www.DoItYourself.com