David L. Farquhar, computer security professional, train hobbyist, and landlord
If you have a problem with glue coming up between vinyl tiles when you lay them, I have a couple of solutions.
And you will want to solve the problem. The glue discolors the tile, and doesn’t get any better with age. It attracts unsightly dirt and then nothing about it looks good.
Flickering lights can be a sign of a serious electrical problem. But kitchen light bulb flickering often is due to other issues because a kitchen provides challenges you usually don’t find elsewhere in the house. Let’s look at things that cause kitchen light bulbs to flicker and burn out more quickly than other rooms and things you can do to prevent it.
And yes, flickering usually does go hand in hand with reduced lifespan.
Flickering lights can be a sign of a serious electrical problem. But bathroom light bulb flickering often is due to other issues. Let’s look at things that cause bathroom light bulbs to flicker and burn out more quickly than elsewhere in the house and things you can do to prevent it.
And yes, flickering usually does go hand in hand with reduced lifespan.
If you’re working on a house built before 1978, and you’re renovating floors, you need to pay attention to the tile. Asbestos tile was very common before 1978, so you’re not being paranoid if you ask a question like, “Is this vinyl tile asbestos?”
While it’s impossible to answer the question for certain, there are guidelines to follow.
When you install laminate and other types of snap-together floating floors, you need to leave an expansion gap between the floor and the wall. Most people know this. So it stands to reason that you need a vinyl tile expansion gap too. But do you?
It depends on the type of vinyl floor.
It’s easier to remove paint from plastic than it may seem. The trick is knowing the right chemical to use. The method to apply it will vary, depending on whether the item is too big to soak.
This method works for toys and virtually anything else made of plastic. I learned the trick from a hobbyist who restores vintage plastic models. It works on every type of paint I’ve tried: oil and water-based? Check. Enamel, acrylic, and latex? Check. Both brush-on and spray paint? Check.
Is peel and stick tile any good? That’s a fair question, considering its low cost. And if you just buy the cheapest peel and stick you can find and slap it down without any preparation or thought, you probably won’t be very happy with it.
That said, if you do good prep work and think about it, you may find peel and stick vinyl tile more durable than costlier floor types.
If you need to fix a screw hole that is too big, I have good news for you. Depending on the material you’re using, it’s usually pretty easy.
Sometimes you need to wire a bathroom fan and light on one switch. Code often requires a fan in bathrooms these days, but you may only have one switch. Or maybe you have two switches but just want one switch to run both. Fortunately it’s easy to do. Here’s how.
Sometimes, no matter how careful you are in cutting, measuring, and placing peel and stick vinyl tile, you end up with a gap somewhere. Fortunately, there is a pretty easy way to fix gaps in vinyl tile or planks.
This trick also works to disguise the edges if your floor turned out not to be perfectly flat and a little bit of a tile’s edge shows.