Question: Our vinyl floor is separating at the seams in some areas. What's the best way of repairing this condition?
Answer: You can close simple tears and separated seams in vinyl flooring by buying an inexpensive seam sealing kit. Make sure it's the same brand as your vinyl. In some cases you'll need to reglue the vinyl to the floor. While this is easy enough to do, it's usually not required. In any case, you simply apply a little flooring mastic to the undersides of the separated vinyl and press it back in place. To keep it there while it dries, set several books or a brick on the seam or tear for a day or so.
With the vinyl stuck firmly in place, insert the applicator tip of the sealer bottle into the seam or tear, and pull it along until the entire seam or tear has a coating of sealer. Then, allow it to dry completely before resuming traffic in that area.
Question: My husband and I have a running argument about a register in our bedroom. We don't heat our bedroom in the winter, so he covers up the return air register with tape. I say that the tape stops the removal of cold air from our room. He says if the hot air is shut off, the return air register should also be shut off. Which is the correct answer?
Answer: I agree with you, but it depends on what your husband is trying to accomplish. By sealing off the return register, he is isolating your bedroom from the central heating system, especially if the bedroom door is kept closed. Unless you keep a window open in your bedroom for air circulation, sealing the return register will result in the room's air becoming stagnant. The lack of air exchange can cause some discomfort, especially if someone smokes in the room.
By not sealing the return register, there will be air circulation within the room. The return air will create a negative pressure in the bedroom. In turn, this causes the air in the house to migrate into the room through the door opening or under the crack of a closed door.
The extent to which sealing the return register will reduce your fuel consumption is difficult to determine. We would assume that the effect is relatively minor.
Question: I am considering installing an electric attic fan in my roof. I've been told that because I only have small openings in the gable ends of my house, I'll need more ventilating holes for the fan to work properly. How much venting is needed for the turbine vents which are turned by the wind? Would this be a better solution to my problem?
Answer: The FHA Minimum Property Standards require that 1/150 of the ceiling area be free ventilating area. A 20-by-30-foot ceiling equals 600 square feet. Multiplied by 1/150, that equals 4 square feet of vents.
You can reduce this to 1/300 of the ceiling area if 50 percent of the ventilators are in the upper portion of the roof. They must be at least 3 feet above the eave or cornice vents. You can also reduce the square footage area by the same amount if there is a vapor barrier not exceeding 1 perm on the warm side of the ceiling. An electric powered fan will move air more effectively than a wind turbine.