DIY Network

Interview: Thermostat Relocation, Vinyl Flooring and Wood Heat Stains From "Ask DIY Home Improvement" episode DADH-210

What’s keeping you from your to-do list? If it’s know-how, you’ve come to the right place! Home-improvement expert Jay Baker is ready to give you some tips on relocating a thermostat, vinyl flooring and removing heat stains from wood.

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Q: (Ann from St. Louis, MO): The placement of the thermostat in my home as always bugged me (figure A). How tough is it to move?

Jay: It’s possible there is a stud to the left of its current placement. Grab your stud finder and locate the next stud in the wall to the left. If there is no stud, then moving this should be relatively easy. If there is a stud between the old and new location, then consider calling in a handyman who is used to fishing wire through existing walls.

Replace that old thermostat with a new, programmable one. It is easy to install and will pay for itself in a year or two. Take the old thermostat with you when you buy the new one. That way you will purchase exactly the right model. Be careful not to let the wires fall into the wall, so tape them to the wall as you work. Trace with a pencil the outline of the thermostat in its new position then drill a 1/2" hole inside the outline.

You will probably have to attach short pieces of new wire to the old wires so that they reach to the new location. Fish a thin coat hanger from the new hole to the old hole (figure B). Then, attach the wire to the end of the hanger using tape and put it through. Attach the wires to the thermostat as directed and mount it to the wall in its new position.

To fix the old hole in the wall, purchase an all-in-one drywall hole kit (figure C).

Figure A

Figure B

Figure C

Figure D

Q: (Pete from Thatcher, AZ): Can vinyl tiles be placed on top of a sheet of vinyl flooring?

Jay: This is a great question and the answer is "yes", as long as the previous vinyl is in good condition. You don’t want the new flooring to take on the texture of the old floor so use a skim coat of leveler (figure D) if the original vinyl has significant texture.

Q: (Carolyn from Toronto, Canada): My wooden dining room table has a white ring on it from a hot pan. Any ideas?

Jay: If a hot dish leaves a white stain on furniture, take a wet sponge and generously rub dry baking soda in circular motions on the mark. Another solution is to dampen a cloth with rubbing alcohol and dab it onto the white scorch. Allow it to dry and wipe clean. You may have to repeat each of these methods a couple of times to completely remove the white scorch.

If that doesn’t solve the problem the burn may be in the wood. You may have to use a light sandpaper and sand the wood until the mark is gone. Then re-stain and finish the area.