Q. I moved into a new condo with contractor grade cabinets, they have been painted but with a latex which i heard is incorrect, i guess it should be oil based paint. What is the best way for me to remove the latex paint, and does anyone have any tips on painting cabinets? Thanx

A. I would leave them till you need to paint. The paint will last for quite a while unless you are extremely hard on your cupboards. Leave them and when they need a redo, then worry about it. I painted mine in my last house with latex and they were fine for two years and sold the house without painting them again.

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Q. Im remodeling my apartment and my roommate chose white to paint the walls in our entry way and living room? i get to choose the carpet or flooring (hardwood, etc) and color of the trim, does anyone know what color of trim, and what type of floor would go nicely with the white walls?

A. Lucky you! I'd rather be allowed to choose flooring and trim any day! That's a keeper whereas paint can be changed. As for what matched white walls, basically everything! White is not a color in decorating, but the absense of all color and that is why you can match it with anything. So, you can buy whatever pleases you! Do keep in mind that the lighter the floor color, the larger the room will appear and the darker the floor color, the smaller the room will appear. Also, lint, dust, etc., shows up more on dark floors. What you choose to use as material for the floor really depends on your budget. Hardwood floors are definitely the best for getting a return on your money. If you can't afford that, then consider these types of flooring: - laminate wood floor - vinyl soft floor covering - bamboo flooring (my favorite, by the way!) - ceramic tile (did you know that you can get ceramic tile that looks soooo much lilke wood, you have to touch it to know the difference? It's better than hardwood since it doesn't scratch and is very resistant!) Will you be painting the trim or using natural wood? If using natural wood, it is advisable to match the floor. Enjoy!

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Q. Our new house desperately needs new floor and new paint. My husband and I can't take enough days off from work so we decided to hire a professional to do one of these jobs (we'll do the other one ourselves). He thinks we should hire a professional to get the paint job done (we have a two-story house with 4 br and 3 bath). I'd rather hire someone to install the laminate flooring and tiles. Which one of these two projects do you think should be done by a professional?

A. Do the laminate and tiling yourselves. Laminate you can stop and start at your own pace w/o worry of a big clean up and it won t matter where you leave off. Tile projects on average can be done in a weekend with proper planning or even a weekend and grout at nite or the next weekend. Painting a 2 story is slow and can be dangerous. Its hard on the legs being on a ladder and you just shouldn t stop any place. And the clean up to maintain brushes and stuff. Any questions you can e mail me through my avatar. GL

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Q. We have laminate flooring through out our house except on the stairway, upstairs hall and the bedroom. My wife would now like it on the stairway and upstairs hall. I installed the flooring through out the house, but I am not sure how to install it on the stairway. Am I better off leaving it to a professional?

A. I would be concerned that it would cause a slip hazard. Maybe check into painting it a similar color and adding anti-slip sand. I would think this would be easier to DIY also. Good luck...

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Q. I bought an apt, that needs renovating. instead of having 1 contractor do everything, i'm hopefully going to find an expert flooring company and a seperate contractor for walls, painting and electric etc. what is the best order to do this?

A. Start at the top and work your way down. Everything that you do on the upper portions of your apartment will end up on the floor so you start from the top and work your way down.

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Q. Last week my washer malfunctioned and flooded my condominium floor. The floor, trim, and painting will be covered by my homeowners insurance company. However, an 18" tall portion of drywall was removed all along the perimeter of the damaged area by the floor restoration services company (cleanup/drying was requested and paid for by my insurance company). New drywall installation isn't covered by my homeowners policy, because coverage starts at the finish layer (paint in this case). My condominium association manager said that since the damage was caused by my washer and not a broken pipe, it is my responsibility to repair and the condo assoc. insurance will not cover it. Is it really my personal responsibility in this case? What is your opinion on this situation?

A.

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Q. Interior, ceiling and walls same paint. He is sprying one coat primer, and one finish coat over medium texture.

A. Whatever you feel is fair or both of you discuss it.I would make my own contract too though withholding payment until job is completed.

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Q. I have a family member that has been a full time employee of a local company for many years (we'll call the company "Bigco"). When a one time job came up at Bigco, my relative referred me to his employer. I began the job right away - painting a laboratory on Bigco's grounds. This lab was an inside a warehouse. In this warehouse broken glass and water were on the floor throughout. During the course of my work day I reeled in a hose over the warehouse floor, in so doing I cut my hand. Two days later I was hospitalized with a life threatening infection - flesh eating bacteria. I am, almost wo months later, just now recovering. Is the owner of Bigco liable in any way since the orignal injury happened there?

A. If you can prove that the flesh eating bacteria came from there and the company has knowledge of it or reason to know that you are in a hazardous area, but did not advise or provide you with nay precautions, then I believe they are liable. This is just my opinion, but maybe you should get a lawyer to advise you.

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