Hello home-improvers and DIY devotees! Welcome to our very first “Daily Grind” roundup. Over the coming months we’ll be collecting all of the very best DIY tips, tricks and home improvement know-how from across the world and web. We’ll be sharing our floor sanding expertise (our very own “Daily Grind”!) and showing you the very best sites for flooring fundamentals, DIY tutorials and home-improvement nous. Toolkits at the ready!

This week discover why robots could soon be taking over your floorcare regime, find out why your new flooring may smell like Chanel No.5, learn how to build your own back garden fire pit and get the low-down on how to fix that irritating floorboard squeak which is driving you doolally…

Is it time to turn floor care over to robots?

Caring for flooring is one of the biggest problems homeowners and landlords face. Whether you’ve opted for carpet that stains and requires regular hoovering or love your hardwood floor but hate how much TLC it takes up, we feel your pain.

Fortunately, if you hate hoovering with a passion, your pain may be coming to an end. According to our flooring friends over the pond at Coles Fine Flooring, the robotic Hoover market is starting to boom. According to Coles, our American cousins buy 1.4 million robot vacuums each year, with robotic hoovers making up 7% of the US floorcare market. We have to admit; they look pretty cool. But just how practical are they? Take a look for yourself…

How to DIY: Back garden fire pit

We’re enjoying an absolutely beautiful summer so far and, if the weather stays fine, there’s much more sun, fun and long warm evenings to be relished over the next few months. If you love to sit out late with friends, marshmallows and a bottle or two of wine, a fire pit could be just the outdoorsy summer DIY project you’ve been looking for and, as luck would have it, the always excellent DIY junkies Charles & Hudson have a great step-by-step how to. Make sure you send us your snaps once your new fire pit is in full swing @sandingfloors!

Fix that infuriating floor squeak with Ask The Builder.

Sometimes it’s the little things which drive you the most crazy. If you are lucky enough to live in a property with beautiful wood flooring, a persistent squeak is one such little niggle. Fortunately the astonishingly helpful, enthusiastic (not to mention prolific) Tim Carter (AKA Ask The Builder) has a video which will help you silence that irritating squeak for good. Roll up your sleeves and get fixing!

Could your next floor be fragranced?

Floordata.com are an excellent resource for anyone looking for a little insight into the flooring industry, but now and again they’re a brilliant source of flooring freakiness. Back in March, Floor Data reported on a strange new development in the industry: fragranced, anti-bacterial PVC flooring.

The scented tiles are being trialed by a team at Coventry University after they were masterminded by particle technology specialists Excilica. The tiles are designed to combat nasty whiffs, smell like high-end perfume from Seven Scent TWITTER: and ensure floors don’t become a haven for bacteria. How would you feel about a fragranced floor? Could this new product soon be coming to a communal bathroom near you? Please share your thoughts with our readers below.

Alternatively, why not tell us about your fire pit project – or how you managed to fix your floorboard squeak? We’d love to hear your opinions on all things DIY and flooring related, so share your ideas with our team and our readers below.

Some Useful Links:

• Floor Sanding Services
• School Floor Sanding
• Wood Floor Restorations
• Wood Floor Repairs
• Wood Floor Polishing

More from our Blog:

Daily Grind #2: Carpet Staples, Pallet Flooring & Some Stair-Spiration EXPERT INTERVIEW SPECIAL: TIM CARTER OF ASK THE BUILDER Daily Grind – January: Bare Plaster, Crumbling Screed & Heritage Wood Daily Grind – February: Are You a Laminate or a Hardwood Person? Daily Grind – March: Whiskey Barrels & Warm Wood