Q. Our 1940 home has carpeting in the master bedroom and upstairs hallway. I want to remove the wall-to-wall carpeting because of allergies but don’t know what is underneath. If there is hardwood floor underneath, I would like to refinish it with as little dust as possible. What’s the best way to find out what’s underneath? I’m afraid to start tearing up the carpeting only to find out what’s underneath is a mess. What is your opinion of “dustless’’ floor sanding? I would like to avoid making our allergies worse. I have just got to get rid of this carpeting but am afraid of making a big mess of things.
Handyman on call
Revealing hardwood floors
EILEEN MORRISON, by e-mail
A. To find out, just lift the carpeting. I am sure that there is oak or fir flooring under your carpeting. Wall-to-wall carpeting did not exist in 1940, so chances are very good that there are nice floors under the carpet. When you take the carpeting off, you may find nail holes along borders, but you can ignore them because they will show very little, and after a few weeks you will have forgotten about them. In fact, with luck you may not have to refinish the floors at all. The dustless refinishing method is acceptable, but if chemicals are used, you may need to take the family for a vacation while the work is being done.
Q. We recently purchased a home that has black soot covering the firebox brick. Any suggestions on how to remove soot? Thanks.
BOB, by e-mail
A. Huh? Black soot on the inside of the firebox where the fire is burned? Of course it is sooty and black. It is probably not soot but a scorch mark, and will get blacker the more it is used. Live with it. It is supposed to be that way. If it is loose soot, just sweep it down.
Q. You recommended black plastic under a gravel drive to prevent weeds from growing. Doesn’t that need to be a landscaping cloth that is porous? Otherwise you create a water drain that has to empty somewhere.
JON WAY, by e-mail
A. Good point. The landscaping cloth is indeed porous, solving the drainage problem and working better. If you use black plastic, make sure it is perforated. Incidentally, even using the best of covers (plastic, landscaping cloth, and others) will eventually result in weeds growing. To fix this, pull the weeds and/or sprinkle vinegar on the area. You will be free of weeds for the rest of the season. Vinegar is like acid rain, so don’t use it anywhere you do not want to kill plants.
Q. My son is remodeling a home and is concerned about attic ventilation. He has gable vents at the ends of the attic and he does not think he needs soffit vents for air flow into the attic space, thinking that the flow of air from gable end to gable end will suffice. I feel differently.
BOB K., by e-mail
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