A. Your contractor was correct when he told you that gluing an engineered wood floor to a concrete slab is OK. This type of installation would not require a vapor barrier. If the right adhesive is used you should not have problems as it will act as a moisture barrier if the proper amount is used. Gluing down engineered hardwood flooring to concrete is done everyday, but one should do some moisture testing on the slab itself prior to the installation.

My presumption is that there is moisture present in the concrete slab and that is what is causing the buckling. If moisture levels are above the recommended percentage, the moisture problem would need to be corrected prior to installation (or different flooring selected). With the floor already covered, testing for moisture will probably be impossible on the existing slab. At this point, you should verify that there are not any moisture elements outside the home that could be adversely affecting the moisture in the slab. Some examples of this would be, improper drainage, clogged gutters or downspouts, or separation between the house and the grade.

The floor should have been clean of all debris and leveled if necessary - if you glue down an engineered wood floor and the sub floor is not flat and level, problems could arise. Another potential cause of problems with this installation method could be improper bonding of the adhesive (it sounds like this is what your contractor thought was the problem). Typically if the adhesive does not bond, a popping or crackling sound is heard. The fact that the floor is buckling, leads me to believe that moisture may be the cause.

A. Steel and aluminum siding are metal products which are usually painted. Steel siding is the most durable in areas of severe cold and snow. Both aluminum and steel offer greater energy efficiency than vinyl siding. Because they are metal instead of plastic, they can withstand more heat than vinyl, as in the case of fire. However aluminum and steel are more expensive and difficult to repair. Aluminum siding is often seen as the precursor to vinyl. Vinyl siding is made from plastic and unlike wood; it will not rot or flake. Vinyl is usually less expensive to purchase and install than most other siding materials. The drawback to vinyl is that it can crack, fade or grow dingy over time. Newer options in vinyl siding are available that have been improved, resist damage, and wear well.

With the metal products, you may hear “movement noises”. As outdoor temperatures change, or when bright sunlight hits the siding on cold days, a popping noise may be heard. One cause of this noise may be that the siding was nailed too tightly. The siding is made with elongated nail holes along the top of each piece. A nail should be placed in the center of each slot and driven loosely so that the siding can slide as it expands and contracts with temperature changes. When hammered down tight, the siding buckles when warm and snaps back when cooled. The noises may go away if the siding nails are loosened or if the siding is removed and reinstalled properly.

Siding companies typically promote one type of siding over another, but all major siding manufacturers make all three types of siding (steel, aluminum and vinyl). It would seem that a repair would be easier and more cost effective than replacement. However, it is not unusual to have difficulty finding or matching some metal siding, as many were installed 30-40 years ago and the manufacturer is no longer in business. On several of my companies remodeling projects we have been unable to obtain metal siding for a new room addition or for repair in areas affected by remodeling. We have had to install a complimentary material like wood, stone or stucco or we have had to replace the existing siding entirely with an available siding material in steel, aluminum or vinyl. We have also “borrowed” pieces of siding from inconspicuous spaces (behind a garage, behind landscaping, etc) to make the repair and then replaced that piece with a compatible, but inexact match. Unfortunately, if the siding needing repair is no longer available, some decision will have to be made to protect the home from potential damage.
 

 

A. A little research will tell you that knowledge about air duct cleaning is in its early stages and studies do not conclusively demonstrate that dust levels in homes increase because of dirty air ducts. This is because much of the dirt in air ducts adheres to duct surfaces and does not necessarily enter the living space. Air ducts are only one of many possible sources of particles found in homes. There could be many reasons that some rooms seem dustier than others. Cooking, cleaning, type and amount of activity, and type of flooring could all be contributors to the amount of dust in rooms. However, though there are no guarantees, duct cleaning may help reduce dust. If you should choose to have our ducts cleaned, make sure your air duct cleaning provider follows proper duct cleaning procedures. The service provider should use vacuum equipment that exhausts particles outside of the home, use well controlled brushing of duct surfaces in conjunction with vacuum cleaning to dislodge dust and other particles, and take care to protect the duct work. I would first consider if there are any other reasons that some rooms are dustier than others, and then I would have the ducts cleaned - Cleaning the ducts shouldn’t hurt and it may help, so I would give it a try.

 

A. I am going to assume that the crack that appears is in drywall. It sounds like you have done all of the proactive steps and preventative measures to help this situation. Spackling will only be a temporary fix, as the seasonal conditions change and the crack “moves”, so will the spackling. You may want to try removing this section of drywall entirely and re- installing. Unfortunately, this too will probably be susceptible to the crack in the future. Installing the wood strips to cover the crack will look like a repair/cover-up; I prefer your idea of a paneling. You would need to install furring strips first and then the paneling. There is always a possibility that the movement can and will transfer through any material you apply to the wall. However, the tongue and groove should help the situation and the fact that the wood will be a little more pliable than drywall will also help. This situation definitely calls for creative measures. I have seen some fabric wall treatments (as opposed to wallpaper) that could cover the situation and look good. You could also do a faux painting treatment that could help hide the crack for some of the time. Good Luck!