Expert Advice for your Lawn & Garden TV Host of Today's Homeowner^® and home expert for The Weather Channel

Linda asks, “Can I lay ceramic tile over vinyl tile in my kitchen? I really don’t want to pull up the vinyl.” We receive more questions about tiling over an existing floor than any other. It seems like everyone wants to know what to do when they replace the floor in their kitchen or bath.

Yolunda asks, “I patched a big hole in my wall with drywall and put spackling over the drywall. Was this wrong?” While similar in nature, spackling is usually used to fill nail holes and other minor imperfections while joint compound is the best choice for finishing drywall.

Lori asks, “My husband and I are big advocates for recycling. We fortunately have a recycle center nearby that we use. Our problem/question, How or where can we get rid of old car batteries and old paint? Our recycle center doesn’t allow them and don’t have answers. We’ve been holding on to these old items and don’t know what to do with them. Any advice?”

Carol asks “When the temp gets around 35 or below, the windows sweat really bad. It freezes around the frame and I have to scrape it off. Our home is 11 years old but the windows have done this since it was new. My husband says it is the gas fireplace that we use that does it. Would a dehumidifier help?”

Ricky asks, “My light fixtures have a maximum rating for wattage bulbs (i.e. 60 watt, etc.). If I change to the energy efficient bulbs (screw in fluorescent) do the recommended wattage ratings still apply? I thought that the wattage rating has to do with the amount of heat that the bulb generated thus creating a fire hazard.”

David asks, “Could you wrap your house with a plastic vapor barrier on the outside before you brick it? If not why, because I’ve heard you can on the inside? I know you can use a Tyvek wrap, so why not plastic?”

David asks, “My house attic is insulated, but I noticed that the attic over the carport is not insulated. The carport is open on two sides. It joins the main house and both attics are open. Does it matter if the carport attic is not insulated?”

Bjorn asks, “I have a new house with a metal roof and without a ridge vent. Please recommend a vent system without cutting holes in the metal roof.” That would depend on the style of roof you have. If your house has a gable roof, you can install a vent in each gable then mount an exhaust fan in the attic behind one of them that is controlled by a thermostat. If you have a hip roof, you would either have to replace the existing ridge with a vented one—making sure the roofing and sheathing at the peak are cut back so air from the attic can escape through it—or mount a power vent fan on the roof itself, which would require cutting a hole in the roofing.

Raymond asks, “I am replacing my trim around the windows and doors and also replacing the baseboard. What is the secret in getting good fits in both places?” In a perfect world, all corners would be square, floors level, walls plumb, and lumber straight. Unfortunately, that is seldom the case. Like any good illusionist, a trim carpenter knows that it’s what you see that matters most.

Randy asks, “We have a patio that is 20+ years old. It is stained from leaves and mildew. It also seems to have small grains of sand coming off it. We recently installed a patio cover and would like to clean and seal it. I have tried cleaning it with muriatic acid and also Simple Green and neither worked very well. My wife would like to apply vinyl or some kind of tile but we don’t know if that would work given the hot/cold of being outside besides the blowing rain and snow on it. Do you have any suggestions of a cleaner/sealer or if tile would work?”