Home Improvement Blog

Archive for the ‘Home Cleaning’ Category

Rust is created when water and oxygen combine to attack iron and steel – the ferrous metals. But metal can be protected by putting a barrier of rust-inhibiting metal primer, which contains special ingredients to prevent rust formation, over its surface. At least two coats of finishing paint on top of the primer should keep the enemy at bay.

Protecting metal
Some metal items, however, are not suitable for painting, such as garden tools, hinges and latches. Here you should smear the surfaces with oil or grease or use an aerosol to coat the material with a film of water-displacing oil. Oil tends to evaporate quickly outdoors so items kept or regularly used in the open are best smeared with grease.

Any new metal parts (such as window frames and replacement metal guttering) which could be fairly inaccessible after installation should be treated with at least two thick coats of primer and at least one finishing coat of paint. Prominent areas, such as edges which are vulnerable to knocks, should also be given two coats of primer. Pay particular attention to rivets, bolts, nails and screws.

An alternative to rust-inhibiting primer is zinc-chromate paint, which is based on the cold galvanizing process. This paint kills offrust and protects at the same time. It is available in tins or as an aerosol; the latter is useful when treating inaccessible areas, but a brush coat is always preferable since a thicker layer can be applied. Non-painted items should be oiled or greased. Read the rest of this entry »

Carpets will become worn or damaged in the course of everyday use. There is no need to go to the expense of replacing them when you can patch and repair minor damage easily and at a fraction of the cost. You should remember to save remmants and offcuts when carpets are being fitted so you will be able to carry out repairs in the future.

Regular vacuum cleaning, ideally everyday, will remove grit which cuts into carpet fibres and backing as it is trodden in.  Fluff will form on the surface of new carpets; this consists of short fibres which do not reach the base of the carpet and should be removed for the first few weeks with a hand brush, carpet sweeper or vacuum cleaner. Sometimes, while a carpet is bedding down, short loose fibres, causing small balls or pills of fibre on the surface. These should be trimmed off with siccors; never attempt to pull protruding fibres out of the carpet.

Often the surface of a looped pile carpet may be caught up with a nail, in the base of a piece of furniture for example; this will cause a pulled loop. Look carefully to see if an adjacent loop has been pulled into the base of the carpet; if one has, you may be able to tease it up with a piece of hooked wire and draw the pulled loop back into the surface. If not, you will need to trim the loop level with the surface.

Cleaning carpets
Lightly soiled carpets can be cleaned with carpet shampoo, apply by a manual or electric carpet shampooer following manufacturer’s instructions. Treat heavily stained areas separately and test a small area before treating the whole carpet to check for discolouration. The best shampoos produce a dry foam which does not wet the carpet excessively; if the carpet is too wet, this could cause shrinkage and discolouration. After shampooing, leave the pile sloping in one direction and allow the carpet to dry before walking or replacing furniture on it: vacuum it clean when it is dry. Read the rest of this entry »

For most people condensation conjures up pictures of bathroom walls running with moisture, windows steamed up and water on the window sills. These more easily recognizable forms of condensation can be temporarily cleared up with a little time and effort devoted to moping up. But there are ways of helping to prevent condensation forming in the first place.

Condensation is caused when moisture in warm air comes into contact with a cold surface and turns to water. Kitchens and bathrooms are the obvious place to suffer, but condesation will often occur in patches on walls or ceilings in living areas too.

Windows
Single glass windows are undoubtedly one of the worst offenders in causing condensation. In damp winter conditions few homes escape the problem – and bedrooms in particular suffer from its effect. This is the result of lower night temperatures reacting with the warm air we breathe out or warm air
circulated by heating equipment.

The problem is made by worse by the introduction of new moist air into a room by cooking, using hand basins or running baths. Probably the worst effect of condensation is the damage it can do in a short time to window frames and paintwork. Even when frames are correctly painted 3mm in on the glass pane, the lower beading quickly breaks down and allows moisture to attack the timber or metal beneath.

One remedy is the installation of good quality double-glazing. Although condensation may not be completely eliminated, the build-up is reduced sufficiently to prevent moisture being a problem. Read the rest of this entry »