Hello bodgers, fixers and home improvement junkies, welcome to the latest “Daily Grind” round up from the Floor Sanding Expert team. Each month we collect some of the most interesting and helpful bits and bobs from across the world wide web, all to help turn you into a flooring fanatic and DIY demon just like us!

This week find a faster way to remove those tricky carpet staples, discover how to build a real wood floor using free pallets and get some stair-spiration from a fabulous 1970s fixer-upper!

The Handyguys help you remove carpet staples

Out with the old, in with the shiny, wooden and new! If you’re replacing your tired old carpets with gorgeous wooden flooring, you might find that you’re left with carpet staples to deal with.

These little blighters are notoriously tricky to get out, especially when you’re doing a DIY job to save a little money. Fortunately, the ever-handy handyguys are here with their indispensable podcast. In this video, the guys will show you a quick and easy way to remove carpet staples, without driving yourself bananas with a screwdriver. Thanks lads!

A spot of “stair-spiration”

We don’t know why you’d want to paint over your beautiful wood flooring, but if you’re planning to give your wood stairway a lick of paint, this brilliant post from the very handy Rhoda of southernhospitalityblog.com has some great pointers and pictures to get you on the right track.

We’ve been following Rhoda’s Atlanta renovation project from the beginning and we’ve loved watching her fixer-upper 1979 split level cottage turn into a DIY and home design dream house. If the site doesn’t get your home improvement senses tingling, nothing will!

How to hide an interior design “eyesore” with a clever bookcase

Just in case you needed a little extra DIY inspiration, we also had to share this great post from MakelyHome’s very own, very handy, Lindsay Ballard. This awesome project doesn’t just cover up a nasty little storage door with a bright and beautiful bookcase, it also creates a secret doorway! What could bee cooler than that?

Fancy free wood flooring? Try this pallet DIY

If you’re not lucky enough to have a house with an existing wood floor, you may find it pretty expensive to install brand new, good quality wooden flooring throughout your property. If you’re feeling a bit handy, this clever tutorial which (we picked up via the always inspiring Handimania ) comes from A Building We Shall Go. It will show you how to turn plain old pallets into a stunning wooden floor for almost nothing.

While pallets can be pricey to purchase, if you’re a canny scavenger, you’ll find that you can pick up pallets pretty much anywhere for free. From skips and building sites to garden centres, you’ll be surprised by how available these handy pieces of spare wood can be. While you collect your materials, keep your eye on Handimania’s twitter feed for your next awesome project!

Would you consider building a pallet floor? Where have you found free pallets in the past? Do you have any stair painting tips of your own? Share all of your ideas and inspirations with 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:

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 Daily Grind – April: Floor Damage & Jatoba Hardwood