Q. We were hoping to put down laminate flooring but have been told we'd have to heat the floor at all times as stepping on it if it's been exposed to freezing temperatures could cause it to crack (shatter?) open. Real hardwood flooring is expensive and we don't really want carpet or linoleom. Any suggestions or advice?

A. Most quality laminates are meant to serve interiors which are not environmentally controlled all year long. You just have to make sure you're getting the good stuff. Ask your seller about the laminate floor's AC rating, to make sure it's likely to be durable enough for what you've got in mind. For a residence, you shouldn't settle for less than an AC3 rating. Generally, the fiberboard core of a quality laminate floor will help it to weather temperature changes. Also, you're going to want to choose a type of flooring which is low-maintenance for a cottage. You don't want to be spending too much time with refinishing and waxing flooring when you're meant to be relaxing. Laminate flooring requires dry or damp mopping or a vacuuming, but otherwise retains its look without too much intervention on your part. Don't ever install hardwood flooring in an area which is not environmentally controlled. The wood will expand and contract radically when in non-controlled conditions. For hardwood, this spells disaster - warping, cupping, the works! The great thing is, laminate flooring has really come a long way in terms of look. You can get laminate flooring which looks almost exactly like solid hardwood - even a "handscraped" look, or a beveled edge effect. And you still get that look without having to worry about the practicalities of maintaining a natural product in a less-than-friendly environment when it comes to extreme conditions. Whatever you choose to do, enjoy your new floor!

Q. My husband and I are renovating our kitchen and I'm torn about what kind of flooring I want in this room. I love the look of hardwood floors but I've never had them in a house before, are they a good choice of flooring (hard to maintain)? Or what flooring do you have in your kitchen that you love? I'm so glad I asked this question! I hadn't thought about how easily wood floors could be damaged, and I really want something that will last, not something I need to replace in 5 years!

A. I wouldn't use wood in a kitchen, even though I love hardwood floors. There are too many ways to damage one-water leaks, dropping things, etc. I have ceramic tile in the kitchen/mudroom. With the variety of styles available, you should be able to find one you like easily. You can also get grout that matches or compliments the color of the tile. Hope this helps.

Q. My parents and I are re-modeling parts of our home and we'd like to know what kind of laminate wood flooring could be used on a concrete floor. Glue or glueless? Bear in mind that my parents are both home improvement people (Dad is a roofing supervisor; Mom works as a dept. manager for a local indie hardware store). However, they are open to advice and suggestions from others on what kind of laminate wood flooring to use on concrete floors.

A. Glue down laminate is obsolete now. They are all what they call ''floating'' floors now. Any major brand will suffice. You may just want to look and see how easy the planks go together before deciding. Some brands have a foam backing with a moisture barrier already glued to the back of them and some require that you buy the foam in a roll that has to be laid down first. Obviously the real cheap stuff is going to feel like walking on cardboard and the pricier stuff will feel like real wood. No laminate is intended for a full bathroom where water/moisture from a tub or shower is present.

Q. We aren't sure if our flooring should match the cabinets or be the color of the dark grain. Our furniture is dark so I want to pull it all together if possible. Also the grain in our cabinets is pretty busy so should we do a calmer grain pattern in the floor? Thanks!

A. Choose the darker grain color in a very plain pattern. that way it will match well and not give you a migraine. if it's really dark use your best judgement and ask a friend for advice. try to get several floor samples the color you like and several a couple shades darker or lighter.

Q. My husband and I have finally begun the framing process on our house. We are using flooring called "i Level" very simular to Advantech. It has the same 50 year warranty. We were wondering do we need to glue, nail and screw the floor down to prevent it from squeaking years down the line, or will only nailing do? and if the framers have laid a few sheets, is it difficult to have them pul it up and redo it if they havent glued it? I didnt want to ask the framers as they may tell me that glue and screws are not really needed.

A. I was told by a floor guy to do this because I live in a house that was built in 1925 and he told me that spreading flour on the floor rather heavy and sweeping it into the cracks works on old floors and new. I tried it because I already had squeeky floors and to my amazement it really worked ( I thought he was pulling my leg). What he told me was, that the flour is ground up so fine that it gets into the most smallest cracks and it stops the squeek and if the wood does begin to flex the flour acts as a dry kind of lube. Sounds far out there but I did it on my very noisy floor and all is quiet so far 4 years ago.

Q. Any experience with removing epoxy from concrete?

A. Yes, there are chemical strippers that will soften epoxy and you can scrape it off. I like to use soy based strippers that you can get from contractor supply stores. The key is to let the stripper do the work. Put it on heavy, cover it with plastic, and let it sit for a few hours or even over night. Or you can do it quick way and grind it off with a diamond grinder, but that can make a dusty mess.

Q. I have an invalid living in my house. He sometimes cannot control his bowels and makes a mess in the floor. I currently have carpet over hardwood floor. I need the carpet to be taken out and want to find some sort of flooring that can be mopped with Clorox or Lysol in water to destroy odor. I would like to avoid any type of flooring that would have to be glued to the hardwood. It appears that all vinyl flooring has to glued down. Does anyone have any idea what I can put over the hardwood that will stand up to some serious cleaning?

A. Try laminate flooring, it is easy to install by locking the pieces together like a puzzle and it floats(needs no glue). It also cleans like a dream, we just got it and love it. You can get the kind that looks like wood or tile. We have the ceramic tile type and it really looks like tile. GL!

Q. I am about to have some vinyl flooring fitted in my kitchen and would grateful for any suggestions as to what I can use for cushioning and to try and keep the floor as warm as possible under foot. I have had vinyl flooring before and it is still hard and cold when standing on the flooring. I have even tried cork tiles and this did not seem to make a huge difference. Would a laminate and wood flooring underlay be suitable or would this be a waste of time? I should add that I am in the UK.

A. An idea, There is a product by DRIcore subfloor which is designed to be put over concrete floors in basements, playrooms etc, this may be something you would want to look into, it would serve all your needs. Lowes carries this by the way, here's a link to the DRIcore website http://www.dricore.com/en/eIndex.aspx