How Do I Keep the Dust Off My Brand-New Hardwood Floors?

Each year, thousands of Arizona residents email or call Rosie Romeros radio show with questions. His goal is to provide answers that suit the specific lifestyle wherever someone lives in Arizona. Here are questions about home maintenance and improvement from the Southern Arizona area.

Q: I just had engineered, hand-scraped wood flooring installed in six rooms of my house to replace my carpeting. I feel as if I am walking on a piece of furniture. But dust is building up regularly on the floors. So I need to know how to keep them clean.

A: When you make the switch from carpeting to hardwood, you might think that everything is getting a lot dustier than before. Its really not; its just more evident when you see the dust on the hardwood. So use a dry dust mop regularly on those hardwood floors. You might even want to spray a wood cleaner on the mop or a cleaning cloth before you dust. But dont get the hardwood wet; dont mop with a pail of water.

If the dust really bothers you, you might also want to have your air ducts vacuumed out by a professional cleaning service that knows how to do it right. You also want the duct cleaners to vacuum the coils of your heating and cooling equipment. With hardwood floors, its also a good idea to have door mats both inside and outside of every exterior door.

Q: We have a two-level condominium that was built in the 1970s. Our deck is part of the roof of the carport down below, and lately, during the heavy fall rains, we experienced many leaks. In particular, we have a sliding patio door that goes out to the deck and water is seeping into the house from around the door. Who can do that type of repair?

A: Probably, youll need a remodeler or a roofer. Either one could fix the seal around the door. However, if the slider is that old, you might consider replacing it completely. Call a reputable window and door replacement company for help.

Q: I have a double-wide carport that has one big post right in the middle that holds up two beams in the roof overhead. That post is in the way of everything; is there any way I can get rid of it?

A: You can get rid of it, but you need to add a single beam, properly sized for the load it will have to carry. New support posts also need to be installed under each end of the new single beam. These new posts cannot just sit on your 4-inch deep carport slab. You probably have to use footings that measure 24-by-24 inches in area and that are 18 inches deep. This is a project that should be addressed and designed by a licensed structural engineer and undertaken by a qualified remodeling contractor.

Q: Should we cover the two wind turbines on the roof of our house so that we stop heat from escaping and thus keep down the cost of our heating bill?

A: You probably wont be able to tell the difference, and it wont make any significant impact on your energy bills. And besides, reducing the ventilation in your attic area will have serious, long-term implications. So leave the turbines in place; they are providing a valuable service.

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How Do I Keep the Dust Off My Brand-New Hardwood Floors?