After builders cleaning glossary
23 terms from quotes and building sites, in plain English.
Free and no obligation. Your plan goes to one company, not a list.
- 23terms explained
- 3stages in a full clean
- M-classvacuum for site dust
- 24 hrsfor fresh silicone
After builders cleaning terms, A to Z
Builders clean
The main clean after building work: every surface from the ceiling down, glass, frames, presses and floors, once the trades have gone.
First fix
The wiring, pipes and timber that go in before plastering.
Fit-out
Fitting the inside of a commercial unit: partitions, ceilings, floors, lights and services.
Floor protection
Boards or sheets laid over new floors while the trades work.
Grout haze
The thin film of grout left on tiles after grouting, removed once the grout has cured.
H-class vacuum
An industrial vacuum for high-hazard dust, such as asbestos or mould spores.
Handover
When the builder hands the finished home or unit to the owner or the client.
Hot-water extraction
A deep carpet clean that sprays hot water into the pile and vacuums it back out.
M-class vacuum
An industrial vacuum with a filter made for medium-hazard dust such as concrete, brick and hardwood dust.
Microfibre
Cloths and mop heads that hold fine dust rather than spreading it.
MVHR
Mechanical ventilation with heat recovery: a system that changes the air in a house through filters, which fill with dust if run during building work.
pH-neutral cleaner
A cleaner that is neither acid nor alkaline, safe on stone, timber and most new finishes.
Plaster dust
Very fine gypsum dust from sanding and cutting plaster and plasterboard. It clogs household vacuums.
Protective film
The plastic film on new window frames, appliances and shower screens. Left in the sun, it bakes on.
Rough clean
The first stage of a three-stage clean, as the trades finish: rubble, offcuts and the worst of the dust out.
Safe Pass
The safety awareness card people working on Irish construction sites must hold.
Second fix
Sockets, switches, doors, skirting and fittings that go in after plastering.
Silica dust
Fine dust from concrete, blocks, brick, tile and stone that harms the lungs when breathed in over time.
Silicone sealant
The flexible seal round baths, showers and worktops. Fresh silicone is left for about a day before it is wetted.
Snag list
The list of small faults found at the end of a build, fixed by the builder before handover.
Sparkle clean
The last, lighter clean a day or two before moving in, for the dust that settles after the builders clean.
Three-stage clean
A rough clean, a builders clean and a sparkle clean, booked together for a new build or a big renovation.
Toughened glass
Safety glass heat-treated for strength, used in doors and shower screens. Some makers advise against blades on it.
Plan your after builders clean
A few quick taps: the clean your job needs, what it costs and how long it takes. Contact details come last, and only if you want a fixed price.
One builders clean of a three-bed house, after a new build: €350 to €700.
How the estimate is worked out
The ranges are what Irish cleaning companies charge for the same clean: the lowest to the highest figure for a home of that size, or per m² for a commercial unit. A smaller home's three-stage clean is its builders clean plus a sparkle clean. Use it to plan with: the company fixes the price after seeing the job or photos of it.
Questions about the terms
What does an after builders clean include?
A builders clean removes the fine dust and the marks the trades leave: dust off every surface from the ceiling down, windows, frames and sills inside, paint and plaster splashes lifted from glass, tiles and fittings, labels and protective film off the kitchen, bathrooms and windows, inside every press and drawer, and the floors vacuumed and washed to suit their finish.
When should I book an after builders clean?
Book it for once the last trade has left and the snag list is done, not before: every trade that comes back brings dust with it. On a new build, the rough clean goes in as the trades finish, the builders clean after the snags, and the sparkle clean a day or two before you move in.
How long does it take?
A team usually takes 6 to 10 hours on a house, once every trade has finished. A room or two takes a few hours, and an extension with the rooms beside it most of a day.
What is a three-stage clean?
A three-stage clean is three visits: a rough clean as the trades finish, to clear rubble, offcuts and the worst of the dust; the builders clean, top to bottom, once they've gone; and a sparkle clean just before you move in, for the dust that settles in the days after.
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