Rip It Up? It Depends on the Glue

Q. I’m planning to put a wood floor in our kitchen, but I’m concerned about how I’m going to rip out the one-piece vinyl floor that’s there now. Is there an easy way to do the job?

C.C., Lake Forest

A. It depends on how the floor was installed, says Gidon Adlan of Bob’s Shades & Linoleum in Orange. On some floors, only the perimeter is glued. In that case, it’s not very hard to pull up the floor, because not much of the surface area has been glued.

If the entire floor has been glued down, I’d recommend simply installing the wood planks or parquet over the linoleum. This will provide an extra moisture barrier for the wood from underneath to help protect it.

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Q. One of our showers is lined with ceramic tile that’s old but in good condition. Our only problem with it is the color--light green. Is it possible to paint ceramic tile? And what kind of paint would you use?

P.L., Orange

A. It can be painted, but the preparation will have to be just right to make sure the paint adheres successfully, says Charlie Kaczorowski of Tustin Paint Mart. You’ll have to carefully and thoroughly clean the tile with an ammonia solution to remove any soap or mineral deposits, then take sandpaper and score the surface of the tile to take off the gloss. Once that is done, you can use a tub-and-tile epoxy, which is designed for this kind of use. Your color choice is usually limited with epoxies; generally they have the traditional neutral colors available.

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Q. I’d like to put in a “music on hold” system through my home telephone line, similar to the ones I’ve heard at business lines. What’s the best way to go about doing it?

N.G., Fullerton

A. Unfortunately, most homes aren’t able to handle such installations, says Mike McCoy of Current Supply in Westminster. Most of these systems are hooked up through a central box that handles a number of telephone lines. If you have a sophisticated telephone arrangement in your home, you may be able to do it. If not, the cost of modifying your phone lines would probably make it prohibitively expensive.

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Q. From using a small, expandable gate that’s designed to keep our children away from the stairs, a hole about the size of a half-dollar has developed in the drywall. Is there some kind of kit available I can fix it with?

D.R., Brea

A. If the hole isn’t too big, you may be able to patch it by cutting away the loose drywall and filling the hole with crumpled up newspaper, says Frank Eckert of Arrow True Value Hardware in Orange. When you get enough paper in there so that it’s pushing out against the hole, use spackling compound to fill it in. After it’s dried and sanded, use texture material from a spray can to give it a matching texture with the rest of the wall.

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Q. We’re going to be painting the exterior of our house soon, and I’m concerned about the brick siding on one side of the house and that goes from the ground up to about three feet high. The brick has become dirty and stained in places. I’ve sprayed it with water, but it still has kind of a dingy look. I’m afraid it will look worse after the stucco has been freshly painted. Is there anything I can use to brighten it up?

F.D., Costa Mesa

A. Try a cleaning solution designed for masonry use, says contractor Tom Evans of Santa Ana. Use a good stiff brush and scrape away whatever stains you can from the brick before hosing it off. Weathered brick takes on a nice look, so you may not want to make it look like new, just clean.

If you are more interested in making it look new, there are some paints that can be used on brick to hide any weathering.