QUESTION: I just got a bid from my contractor to redo my kitchen countertops with laminate. My main question is, why can’t just the laminate be removed from the old countertop and new laminate put back on? That saves having to remove and replace the particleboard. Any divots made during the removal of the laminate can be filled with wood putty or some other filler. What would you do?

ANSWER: New laminate can actually be laid on top of existing laminate, one just needs to scratch the surface of the old to create a “tooth” for the new to hold to. Contact cement is rolled onto both surfaces and once they touch, that’s it.

To do a reface the way you are thinking can be done but to finish/trim the edges is harder because some tools just cannot get into the areas needed to create a finished job. Specialty tools and machines, in some cases, are used to bend and roll these sheets in place. Now, if you throw more money out there then anything can be done any which way one desires. But I know this is not what you want to do.

Expeditiously and if you’re cost conscience, replacing the countertop you’re describing is the best method. Your counters will be cleaner looking. Solid surface counters can look really nice but the costs of such installations go up and up.

The nature of laminate countertops is one of permanence, meaning one would not want to strip the old laminate off and glue a new sheet on. Laminate is generally glued to particle board and any attempted removal would only destroy the wood particle board underneath — the “divots” created would not be divots as you might think them to be; they would be really, really bad.

Look up this Web page: www.granitetransformations.com

This company installs over existing countertops and they look fairly good. I’ve seen a few countertops they have done. Do they have any reps up in your area?

QUESTION: A few years ago I paid my tenant to repair some siding on the south side of my house. I’ve discovered he put the insulation in wrong, with the facing on the outside. My question is what would I possibly need to do other than turning the insulation around and put the facing on the inside? Will I need to put some house wrap on? The area in question is the size of a 4’x8’ piece of T111.

ANSWER: Aside from turning around the insulation you will need to check the vapor barrier. Typically the vapor barrier is between the outer sheathing such as the T111 and the structural studs — this prevents moisture from penetrating beyond the sheathing to the stud cavities, where mold often grows. This vapor barrier can be a number of things, from 15-pound building felt, which is used on roofs, to tar-impregnated building paper to plastic building wraps. To change the insulation you will have to go through this barrier, unless you tackle the job from the inside. Sealing a new barrier is minimally important in your case, because of the small size of your repair. Do the sealing with a polyurethane caulk. If your repair were larger, then I would suggest prying the adjacent sheathing away to overlap the new vapor barrier so that the seams of the new sheathing do not correspond with the seams of the vapor barrier — it is easier for moisture to get into the building envelope through seams that are aligned/matched. Don’t forget to prime the backside of the new wood siding. too. as this will prevent any moisture from being absorbed from the inside.

QUESTION: Where can I get a shower head with a prodigious flow rate? Which is your favorite plumbing supply store in the San Rafael area? I want to go to where the pros shop for this one.

ANSWER: I go to several plumbing supply places, mostly located here in San Rafael. Below is a list and if I provide a contact name then you can ask for this individual, and tell them that I sent you in.

Craig’s Kitchen and Bath
812 W. Francisco Blvd.
San Rafael, CA 94903
415-459-4777
Craig or Philipe

PACE Supply Corp.
63 Lovell Ave.
San Rafael, CA 94903
415-454-8282

Jackson’s Hardware
Anderson Drive and Dubois Street
San Rafael, CA 94903
415-454-3740

CTW Designs (Plumbing showroom)
10 Hamilton Drive
Novato, CA 94947
415-883-8861

Pini Hardware
1535 S Novato Blvd.
Novato, CA
415-892-1577

PBK
3201 Cleveland Ave,
Santa Rosa, CA
800-560-7191

I also search in Goodman’s, Rafael Lumber and Home Depot. Cal-Steam and Rubenstein Supply, both in San Rafael, are more contractor-oriented in that there is no show-room, one must know the item name and manufacturer.

QUESTION: I thought to ask you what material I could use to make a banister repair that continues to loosen on me. I have made this repair two or three times and as soon as I forget and put a little weight on the end of the banister it fails. I have plaster wall and the triangle screw arrangement holes have enlarged from successive failures. Is there a material that can really secure this or would I have to start by moving the banister holes themselves to start anew?

ANSWER: One would usually repair an item with the same material from which the item is made … in this case, repairing plaster with plaster. However, the element of safety comes up when introducing banisters. This is when underlying structural support is needed or looked for. Ideally, if the screws of the bracket could be anchored into a wall stud, this would be best. Moving the bracket to find such an anchoring stud ranges about 14” one way or the other, it is usually within the space of a stud bay.

Is the anchoring spot at the head or foot of the stairs — as an initial or final anchor? In these cases, it is not as easy to find a solid area.

What you need is an anchoring method behind the wall that encompasses a larger area than the holes. If the holes are still individual holes (have not enlarged to one big one yet) you try this:

1.) Get three butterfly bolts (molly) with heads that would set on the bracket and not pass through; the wings, when open, provide that ‘area’ mass.

2.) Push some wadded-up newspaper in the holes, so that they begin to wedge in the stud bay. You may need this to enable the next step.

3.) While the bolts are in the wall, spray some insulating foam all around. The intent here is to enwrap the wings of each molly bolt in foam and, when cured, you will be able to tighten each bolt so that the bracket then secures itself to the wall. The safety would be in a larger mass behind the wall so that, when pulled, the banister will not pop.

Of course there is a limit to the kind of wall repair that can be made, if the holes are just too big, then it might be best to cut out a section of the existing wall, install a 2×6” wood block and re-patch the wall.

QUESTION: I’ve been told to use 6-millimeter black plastic for my vapor barrier, instead of clear plastic. Why? How much of an overlap should I allow when installing the vapor barrier?

ANSWER: The reason 6-mil black polyethylene works better than clear is because the black plastic slows the growth of plants, which can occur even in a relatively dark crawl space. Clear poly will often sweat, creating an additional moisture concern. Too, black can show any debris lying on the surface better than clear does. One can find tools, too, when laid on black — this helps us contractors a lot! Some wood flooring manufacturers are now recommending 8-mil poly in lieu of 6-mil. The overlap is usually between 6-12” or more. In some areas a double layer of 6-mil plastic is preferred. Bricks, stones and/or pressure treated lumber is used to hold down the plastic along the foundation walls, piers and other earth penetrations. Taping is even used on occasion (use a special tape made for polyethylene).

QUESTION: The contractor I’ve been working with told me that the vent in my laundry room floor can be covered up since I will have a louvered door to the room. How can I check the building code to confirm that? Are there any reasons I should not cover the vent?

ANSWER: Initially I would say you won’t have a problem closing up that floor vent. But I would have concerns.

The most current residential code book for your district will have information on combustion air and fuel/gas relationships. Read through them. In your situation, you opened the wall where your fireplace is and this MAY interact to the amount of combustion air needed for the feeding of the fireplace and the combustion appliances in the laundry room. Also consult the JLC Field Guide for a proper answer to your question, which is a good one to consider as it relates to safety, back draft, air quality, air exchange rates, atmospheric conditions (humidity and depressurization). Asking the gas utility in your area may give you some helpful suggestions or for a price they may come out and do the analysis.

Here are a few web pages to look through, too. In reading them, I thought they would give you more information. You might want to pick through this for your application needs.

Questar Gas Brochure

Practical Field Guide: Combustion Safety Checklist

Carbon Monoxide Poisoning

Think, too, the venting is to allow air into the confined area to allow the appliances to work properly. No other purpose but that.

I know this seems like a lot to go through just to consider sealing up a vent and putting up a louvered door but remember the word “safety” and when one thinks about carbon monoxide poisoning, this decision might be a life/death decision.