Dear Donny

DIY EXPERT DONNY SHERIDAN ANSWERS YOUR PROBLEMS

Q

How can I clean/restore my engineered oak flooring when I have underfloor heating? Sandra Keenan, by email

A

Engineered flooring has a 4mm thick solid wood layer bonded to layered plywood. It should last a lifetime and can be sanded about four times. Hire a floor sander and varnish.

Q

The front of my fridge/freezer has some ugly marks on the door. How can I remove them? Carol Tunnah, by email

A

The marks sound like water runs but there might be some sort of tarnishing to the surface. I would try Bar Keepers Friend Stain Remover. Mix up the paste and rub that into the surface – you should start to see the stain being removed.

Q

I have a yellow mark on the bottom of my bath. It is quite long and I can’t get rid of it. Marie O’Neill, by email

A

If its an acrylic bath, the stain can be caused by the plastic trying to turn brown. I would suggest using a burnishing paste to enhance the white, the type you would use on cars, but the problem is you might make the bath slippy so you need to be careful. A baking soda paste can also be applied and I would leave that overnight to work.

Q

My outside teak dining table has seen better days. There is moss between the wooden slats on the top and all the wood has gone a grey silver colour, plus the existing varnish, or what’s left of it, has almost all peeled or flaked off.

Vicky Shields, by email

A

You need to clean the timber surface. I would scrub it with Osmo Wood Reviver Power Gel and then sand the surface with fine sandpaper to remove all the old coats of varnish and wood stains. You need to then dry the table – this is key or the new varnish will not bond and will flake off or look water damaged. So leave the table in a garage for about six weeks to dry before applying your top coat.

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