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May 13, 2008

Laminate flooring came to North America nearly 20 years ago. Laminates please a lot of people, but they disappoint more than a few homeowners, too. The outcome depends on the flooring you choose, where you use it and your expectations. Are you thinking about a new hard-surface floor for your home?  Laminates have a lot to offer, but there are things you need to understand that you won't find in sales brochures.

Originally developed in Europe, laminates are made of a high-density fiberboard core covered with a visible, outer layer that simulates wood, stone or tile. Some laminates are available in plain colors, too. Neighboring pieces fit together with tongue and groove edges, without attaching to the underlying floor at all. Original designs required all these edge joints to be glued together, but most modern laminates click together with a self-locking, glueless tongue and groove joint.

My 10- and 17-year-old sons and I recently put down about 500 sq. ft. of flooring in my office in one day, including some areas that required fancy cutting. It got to the point where my youngest helper could quickly and easily install the flooring all on his own, unattended, as fast as any carpenter. Professional installation costs are typically 50 percent above material costs, so you can save money if you put it down yourself.

DIY success is easy if you understand several essential tricks on cutting, fitting and working around existing door trim and baseboard. For technical information on installing your own laminates, send me an email.

STEVE MAXWELL

Besides speed, laminate flooring is also one of the best wood-type options for installation above radiant in-floor heat. It resists drying and shrinkage better than solid wood floors, and it also requires no nails that might puncture the plastic heating pipes that carry warm water. Laminates simply float, installed over a thin layer of medium density foam underlay that compensates for the inevitable small bumps and depressions in the subfloor.

Laminates can be exceptionally durable, but not always. And this is exactly where disappointment sets in for some homeowners who select a particular laminate without sufficient understanding. Too often, people unwittingly choose a low-priced version without realizing that there's a huge difference in physical durability across all laminate choices. The best versions are tough enough to endure use in stores and restaurants where people walk on the floor all day long wearing gritty street shoes. At the other end of the spectrum, you'll find cheap laminates that chip and scratch with annoying ease. And because damage such as this can't be repaired flawlessly, you need to choose a product that's tough by design.

There are two ways to get a sense of the real world durability of the laminates you're considering. The first is to look at products specifically rated for heavy residential or light commercial applications. Next, buy a single bundle of your favorite product and temporarily click it together in the highest traffic area of your home for at least several weeks. Besides giving you an accurate sense of resistance to scratching and chipping, you'll also see how the flooring shows dirt. Many dark colors look terrific in the showroom but show dust and grime much more obviously than lighter designs. Try some out, and you’ll avoid nasty surprises. Do your homework, and then take the time to put care into your laminate installation. There’s no easier way to install a great looking floor all on your own.

April 28, 2008

It’s a good thing you asked because there’s something a whole bunch of experienced deck owners want to warn you about: It’s not easy to create a long-lasting deck finish.

Many people tell me stories about peeling, fading, mildew and deterioration of their decks—all within a year or two of brushing on hundreds of dollars worth of finish. This is actually a common experience for deck owners across America, though it doesn’t have to be. Successful deck finishing depends on understanding crucial factors that aren’t obvious (and rarely explained fully) on product labels. But after you address the key issues, your wooden deck can have long-lasting beauty.   

April 8, 2008

There are a couple of ways to go, including simply leaving the wood bare. I’ve worked in buildings with unfinished wooden floors, and they perform quite well. That said, there are two reasons a finish makes sense: It helps the wood resist staining, and it makes it easier to remove the inevitable hardened glue blobs that build up on the floor of any wood shop. Oil-based urethane works well as a basic sealer. Exterior grade latex paint lasts even longer under gritty foot traffic.

March 25, 2008

I understand the problem of a cold basement. When the ground freezes, a great deal of heat is lost through the basement walls. If possible, I would first dig a trench a few feet down around the basement wall and add solid insulation to the outside wall. Next wrap the insulation with chicken wire and plaster with cement. Then berm the insulation to within 6 inches of your foundation sill plate. These measures will help retain ground heat in the basement.

If you want to add solar heat, a few vertical homemade solar collectors on the south side of your house would help. Solar heated water from the collectors could simply be circulated through a series of plastic drums in the basement. This could at least keep your basement above the freezing mark. You'll need more than a storm window over your window well to add any significant heat to the basement.

March 11, 2008

In new engines I wouldn’t worry too much unless the manufacturer says something specific about it. Most manufacturers say up to 10 percent ethanol is OK. Some recommend draining the fuel if the engine is going to sit for long periods. In older engines, keep an eye on rubber components such as fuel lines. If they aren’t ethanol compatible they might change shape or consistency after contact with the fuel. I have experienced some leaking/hardened lines in older Briggs and Kohler engines, but my newer engines handle the gasohol just fine. I just replaced the leaky lines on those older engines and have had no other trouble. Theoretically you could have fuel pump trouble (if the engine has a diaphragm pump) and carburetor gasket issues, but I am not aware of any significant problems. Plenty of controversy surrounds gasohol, but it has been around for a long time. I have used it in every gas engine I have had since the mid 1980s or so. Methanol-laced fuel is a slightly different story though, because wood alcohol is an incredibly powerful solvent and highly poisonous to boot.

There are several ways to approach this common problem.

The number one reason small engines don’t start is that they are out of fuel. Be sure the tank isn’t empty and the fuel shutoff (if equipped) isn’t closed. Once you are certain (or pretty certain) fuel is getting to the carburetor or injection system (turn the engine over and check for gasoline fumes in the exhaust) you should check the ignition system.

Is the engine “turned on”? Look for a switch (and be sure it is in the on position) or a metal lever in contact with the tip of the spark plug (and flip it away from the plug).

KISS is an acronym for Keep It Simple Stupid. Motorheads use it to remind each other to check the easy stuff first, before tearing into what seems like something obvious. Here’s an example. A few years ago, I was mowing at the farm with a 1967 IH Cub Cadet and every time I mowed down a steep hill, the engine cut out and sputtered to a stop. I decided then and there that there was a problem with the carb, so I removed it and rebuilt it. Half an hour later I was back mowing. Ten minutes after that I had the same problem. I removed and rebuilt the carb twice and was pondering it a third time, when I noticed that the carburetor float I was toying with made noise as I flipped it around in my hand. Then I squeezed that lovely piece of soldered brass and noticed moisture (and smelled gas) develop along what turned out to be a crack. The reason the tractor quit was because the float was full of fuel and didn’t float. The float’s job is to raise and lower the fuel inlet’s needle valve, which in turn controls flow into the carburetor. My tractor’s engine choked out because it was getting too much gas. My first thought was to reach for the torch and some tin to solder up the crack … just kidding. If I had done that I wouldn’t be here today. Instead, I replaced the float with a new one and went on my merry way chanting KISS to myself for the rest of the day. In my haste to solve the tractor’s fueling problems, I overlooked an obvious cause … twice. So, before you replace your tractor’s starter check the battery, ignition switch, solenoid and all other relevant electrical connections first.

I recommend running a small engine until it is completely out of fuel at the end of the season. If you have too much gas in the tank, at the very least turn off the fuel petcock and let the engine run until it stops — if it is gravity fed and carbureted. This exercise will drain the carburetor and keep it from getting gummed up by varnishes and other crud that mysteriously appear and clog the system during idle months. If the engine uses a fuel pump or is fuel injected, follow the manufacturer’s instructions for storage. If you leave fuel in the tank, stabilizers can help keep it in top condition until the next time you try to start it. I have never personally had gasoline go bad in any machine. I have never used a stabilizer either, but some of my buddies swear by them.