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Question: Good morning, Robert. I’ve read your articles for years but have never written in before. Time for me to, hopefully, get some help. In my home there are hardwood floors that are really old and beat up, fitting for the age of the structure.   Not much has been done to this home prior to our purchase a year ago and it shows, but this is our current issue: The laundry area is heavily damaged by water over the years. It is currently dry so it is not a water issue at this time, but we do need to tend to this floor. Is it possible to replace flooring to only one room? How would we do this and what is the best flooring to install in the place of this? Something more waterproof?   — Lynette L.  Answer: Lynette, this should be a relatively easy project, if you are interested in a DIY. Yes, flooring can be replaced in one room only, and you can, if you wish, go low-cost as a temp flooring until you are ready to do the rest of the area. Cutting the existing floor will likely be the most technical portion, as you will need to make a straight cut.   Be sure that the cut is made just under the center of the closed door. This position is so that the flooring in the opposing room is not visible. Remove the baseboards if they are present and begin lifting the flooring. After the demo, be sure to clean the area thoroughly, vacuuming the remaining debris/dust.   There are many low-cost materials out there, including self-stick tiles and planks. Take your pick and complete the install, noting that you will need a transition strip to go over the two different flooring materials. The big box stores should be able to help with this purchase, guiding you. Best of luck.  Robert Lamoureux has more than 40 years of experience as a general contractor, with separate licenses in electrical and plumbing contracting. He owns IMS Construction Inc. in Valencia. His opinions are his own, not necessarily those of The Signal. Opinions expressed in this column are not meant to replace the recommendations of a qualified contractor after that contractor has made a thorough visual inspection. Email questions to Robert at [email protected].   

Question: Robert, my name is Clarice. I live in an older home here in Saugus, and I need your help, please. I’m trying to figure out what is causing the horrid smell that is currently in my home. I can’t smell it all of the time, but every once in a while I am inundated with it and it’s disgusting. I’ve looked in every cupboard, on every shelf, behind every appliance and cannot find anything that may have died, but that is my only thought, that it must be this. If I can’t find the source, what do I do? This is unbearable. Thank you, I hope you can help.  — Clarice  Answer: Clarice, do you have an attic? My guess is that you’ve got a dead rodent either there, or perhaps in the furnace area. With current nighttime temps, I’m guessing you’re using your heater/furnace? Check in that area, using a flashlight. I bet you’ll find something there.   If not, access the attic space but use caution and wear a mask, just to protect yourself from dust, especially if this is in fact, the area in question. If a rodent has been up there and there are droppings, the dust is toxic. If you do find that the space is infested, you should call a licensed exterminator for service. You can always call the exterminator first, and have them do the investigation. I hope this helps, best of luck.  Robert Lamoureux has more than 40 years of experience as a general contractor, with separate licenses in electrical and plumbing contracting. He owns IMS Construction Inc. in Valencia. His opinions are his own, not necessarily those of The Signal. Opinions expressed in this column are not meant to replace the recommendations of a qualified contractor after that contractor has made a thorough visual inspection. Email questions to Robert at [email protected].  

Question: Hi, Robert. I’m a first-time homeowner, slightly handy but determined to learn and do as much on my own as I can. With that in mind, I have a quick question for you. Could

Question: Robert, I fear we have a very big issue. We live in Valencia with the rear of our home on a hill. We have a single-story home with a guest room that we rarely go

Question: Hi Robert, thank you for your articles and the information you share — it is so helpful. We’ve been able to save a lot of money by referring to your advice and being able

Question: Hi Robert, my name is Lisa and I’d like to know if you can tell me what to do about a planter I have against my home. During these last rains it

Question: Robert, I just discovered water on my fireplace hearth. We are in older Valencia with a concrete pre-fab chimney, still in good condition. I looked and the water is coming down the chimney from the

Question: Good morning, Robert. I’m sending this message before sunrise, as I’m seeing that one of our trees is leaning toward the house, with some of the roots lifting out of the ground. As soon as the

Question: Hello there, Robert.  I hope you’re doing well. I’m sure you must be so busy with this weather we’re having.  My question is in fact, weather related.  We have two windows leaking and I know that we have to wait until we

Question: Robert, we’ve had a significant roof leak these last two weeks, but the roofing company we used for tarping says that there is nothing they can do during the heavy rains other

Question: Good evening, Robert. I’ve seen commercials on TV about same-day bathroom remodels, specifically with jacuzzi baths. They claim to be able to give you a new shower/bath in one day. Is this really

News release  The city of Santa Clarita is hosting its next rain barrel purchase program, with pickups on Feb. 21.   Residents can pre-order up to two rain barrels per household for $45 each, plus tax, at city.sc/RainBarrel for pickup on Saturday, Feb. 21, from 9 to

Question: I have a question about electrical and what is possible, for a gift to my wife. I want to get her an infrared sauna, a really nice one that is both infrared

Question: Good evening, Robert. As a new homeowner and someone new to the area, I’d like to begin my home ownership journey on the right foot. I know there have been some big rains recently