L.J., Ipswich

A. That hardboard-made-to-look-like-tiles was popular 40 years ago; it was pretty awful then and it's still pretty awful for that purpose. And, it tended to rot at the joint between wall and bathtub. It was cemented or glued on, and you may have a tough time removing it.

But try heat (with a hair dryer, not a hot-air gun) to soften the glue so the board can be pried off. If that is possible, you might be able to save the walls, but you will still have to scrape or sand off the hardened glue left on the wall. Or remove the leftover glue with chemical paint remover.

If these tricks don't work, or take too long to do, it might be easier, but messier, to rip off the walls to the studs and put up concrete board as a base for ceramic tiles or other finish.

For the ceiling, you can put up plasterboard (dry wall) or Blueboard and have it skim-coated.

Q. The Masonite panels on my garage door just won't hold paint; they forever peel. What kind of paint will not peel? Someone suggested trying raw linseed oil as a primer coat. Would that help?

K.N., Watertown, Mass.

A. The raw linseed oil just might help, but the finish must be sanded thoroughly to remove loose paint and to roughen the surface. That Masonite is tempered hardboard, a very hard, very dense wood product that is very smooth, and part of the failure of the previous paint might be due to its hardness and smoothness.

In addition, a paint that might not peel is not a paint at all, but a solid-color latex stain. After heavy sanding, mainly to roughen that hardboard, and application of a thin coat of raw linseed oil, apply two thin coats of the stain. It should be good for at least five years. And be sure to treat the inside of the panels the same way.