Q: I am putting in a new hardwood floor that I plan to varnish. I had to take off the baseboard molding in order to remove the carpeting. My friend said to put the baseboard back, then butt the hardwood boards up against the baseboard. I say to put in the floor, then put the baseboard on top. Who's right?
NEIL GILLIS, Hudson
A: You are, but when you put in the flooring, be sure to leave a 1/2-inch gap between flooring and the wall, where the boards are parallel to the wall. That gap is an expansion joint, to allow the boards, when they expand from moisture, to expand into the space. Without those expansion joints, the boards will buckle when they expand. The baseboard will cover the gap. Another way to cover the gap is with a shoe mold, a sort of quarter-round molding that goes at the base of the baseboard. Some people claim you do not need an expansion joint, but I have never seen boards buckle where expansion joints are present and have heard many times of buckling boards where the joints are not present. I think expansion joints are needed only where boards parallel the wall, because wood boards expand more across their width than along their length when they take on moisture.
Q: I have two lovely Kohler bathroom sinks with all brass accoutrements. However, the brass surround for the basin hole where the water flows out is all discolored, on both sinks. Although the sinks are 17 years old, they look great except for this issue. I would love to bring the brass back to its original state. What could I use safely that would not cause any problems for the surrounding porcelain?
ANDREA, from Winthrop
A: If the rest of the brass hardware is in good shape, you are home free. Brass hardware is lacquered to keep it new looking, and the parts that do not get a lot of water such as faucets and spigot have stayed shiny and bright. The drain cover has gotten a lot of standing and flowing water, and the lacquer is wearing off. Where lacquer wears off, it looks terrible.
To restore those covers, clean off the lacquer with lacquer thinner. Be careful, it is very, very volatile. Then polish the covers with Noxon or Maas, or any good polish, sold in hardware stores. It is not practical to relacquer them, so you have to keep them polished with the Noxon or Maas. But even tarnished, the unlacquered covers may still look good. New brass hardware is powder-coated, which is claimed to be better than simply lacquering.
Q: I have searched everywhere, and I cannot find hardboard paneling such as Royalcoat, one brand name for hardboard. My basement is paneled with wood-look hardboard panels that still look pretty good, but one area around a new circuit breaker box is missing the paneling and I only need one 4- by 8-foot sheet. Is hardboard paneling still around?
PHIL ANTONITIS, Plainville
A: I don't think so. I Googled it without success. If you cannot find it, you can do one of two things: Buy a real wood plywood panel as close to your existing hardboard. Or, buy a hardwood faced plywood panel with no grooves and stain or paint it so it will be a nice contrast to the rest of the room when you put it in place.
Q: I pulled old contact paper off an old piece of furniture that I would like to restore. It was like pulling teeth; the old stuff sticks too well. I finally got it all off, but the residue glue remains. How can I clean off that gunk?
FRUSTRATED
A: I agree; pulling that stuff off is miserable, thankless work. I have done it too, and I used rubbing alcohol to get the residue off. Since you are going to refinish the piece, any way you remove the finish will also remove the residue. Remove the finish by sanding, chemical paint stripper, or with a hot air gun. Using a hot air gun indoors is hazardous, so be very careful, or go outdoors or in a garage to use the gun. It is, admittedly, very neat as opposed to the sloppiness of chemical stripper. If the finish includes a dark stain, this probably has to be sanded off.
By the way, new contact paper comes off easy and clean.
Q: I have several outlets in my home where the box does not come flush with the wallboard, and/or the wood paneling of the wall. This makes it difficult/impossible to attach cover plates to these outlets.What's the solution?
RICK BLAKE, North Reading
A: This happens sometimes when an extra layer such as plasterboard or paneling is applied to the wall, making the outlet recessed a bit more than it should be. Generally, you cannot pull the box flush with the wall because it is nailed to a stud, or it is held with two metal F-shaped brackets.
So, you can bring the outlet (or switch) flush with the wall this way: To be safe, turn off the power, then unscrew the two bolts holding the outlet to the box and pull the outlet out flush with the wall. Reinstall the two bolts, slipping several small washers onto the shank of the bolts. Drive home the bolts in the holes of the box and the outlet will stay flush with the wall. I think there are small thick washers made for just this purpose.
There is a lazy way to do this, too: Get a longer bolt that attaches the plate. This will work, but the outlet will still be recessed behind the plate.
About those booties
The Handyman prides himself on his spelling prowess, but in his column two weeks ago in the Sunday Real Estate section, he really blew it. The column was about his cousin's booties that she put on her chair legs to keep them from scratching the floor. It was a nice little story, but the Handyman screwed up the words Buon Natale and Buon Capo d'Anno, here spelled right.
The story brought some reaction, including this missive:
"Though the Handyman knows all about eaves, soffits, joists, and other intriguing aspects of the fix-it world he is, alas, woefully deficient in his command of foreign tongues. In this column he related a family-oriented tale in which he managed to mangle a few Italian phrases as well as the last name of our cousin Lucia. No one expects him to be as proficient in Italian as he is in the romance language of sump pumps and ice dams but when one is related by marriage to a full-blooded Sicilian, you think he'd ask for help. So, Handyman, watch your tongue-in-groove and when in doubt check the four Italian-American dictionaries on the shelf. Or, heaven forbid, ask your wife."
If you think this is from the Handyman's wife (of 51 years), you got that right.
Several other readers had some pretty good ideas. Wrote Sally Powers of Needham: Most teachers know about this. Wash and dry some used tennis balls in your regular wash load. Cut an X in the balls. Insert leg of wooden chair in the cut. A wonderful sound barrier also. When balls get grungy, just remove and discard.
E-mailed Jeanne Traxler: A teacher at the Mattahunt School in Boston told me that the tennis balls keep her classroom much quieter. They also work well with chairs that have movable feet. Karen from Northborough also suggested tennis balls.
And the final, from Ed McNiff: "Hold off on your patent application for floor protectors for your chairs. Someone beat you to it. Ref. Walter Drake catalog #101-03372."
Globe Handyman on Call Peter Hotton is also in the Styles section on Thursdays. He is available 1-6 p.m. Tuesdays to answer questions on house repair. Call 617-929-2930. Hotton also chats online about house matters 2-3 p.m. Thursdays. To participate, go to boston.com Hotton's e-mail is photton@globe.com.
