Vinyl

More this week on vinyl floors being discolored by rubber-backed rugs. I really didn't know how widespread the problem was when I first wrote about it because I don't have vinyl flooring, but it is indeed a problem. Lowe's employee Jerry McHale from West Lancaster said he had the same situation occur in his house, only the floor turned a deep purple, and it could not be cleaned. McHale and his wife had placed a rubber-backed floor mat inside the French door in their kitchen that led to the deck.

NEW YORK - In most ways, Sarah McCarthy is your typical high schooler. She has a job and college plans, but also a peculiar passion: She's a vinyl fan. That's right. She likes analog. And none of that hipster new stuff or a USB-ready turntable from Urban Outfitters. To this 16-year-old senior from Centreville, Md., there's nothing like the raw crackle, the depth of sound, her delicate hand on diamond-tipped stylus to spin the dusty stash of records she found in her grandfather's basement.

Dear Anne and Nan: A problem of utter importance has entered my dull and meaningless life. An answer is needed immediately! I need to know how to remove pen marks from vinyl. - Phillip M. Kittanning, Pa. Dear Phillip: Actually, this is not an insignificant question but one we are frequently asked, though perhaps not with the same desperation. You have a number of choices, and perhaps one of them will work. If someone in your household uses hair spray, try that. Or rub ink marks with rubbing alcohol.

Question: My mother, who believes that if you say it is so, it must be so, has a vinyl roof on her bay window that she wants to repaint. My Internet search found that it can be done, and that a high-quality, 100 percent latex paint should be used, but she needs to hear it from the master. Answer: The "master" defers to the Rohm & Haas Paint Quality Institute, which has never steered him wrong. The PQI says, "Yes, you can," with the proper surface preparation and, as you say, a high-quality, 100 percent latex paint.

Dear Anne and Nan: We have a shiny brown linoleum floor that is plagued with dull scuff marks. The scuff marks are not dirt, but are due to the removal of the shiny coating. Is there any way to correct these marks? - Holly Eaves, Pawcatuck, Conn. Dear Holly: It's hard to tell how serious your problem is from your description. If the linoleum or vinyl isn't seriously worn, dampen baking soda with water and rub the scuff marks in a circular motion until they are gone. Rinse, then wax. If your floor is newer and of the "no-wax" kind, apply an Armstrong product called "New Beginning," available wherever Armstrong flooring products are sold.

Those vinyl tiles used for flooring are popular and can be a fairly easy way for a do-it-yourselfer to successfully install a new floor. After you've done the work on such a project, it's always disheartening to have things go wrong. Here are some ways to fight back. One common problem is that a lone tile will start to curl along an edge. If you don't fix it, somebody will trip on it. The first thing to do is apply a little heat to make the tile more pliable. Either use a heat gun or press the edge with an iron.

They were still pressing 78 rpm records in the late 1940s when a Long Islander named Allen B. Jacobs took an office on Broadway, in what was then the heart of Manhattan's music business. Jacobs' new on-the-cheap label, Tikva Records, would eventually be pressing 12-inch LPs, just one change transforming the recording industry. But the changes that interested Jacobs were the ones he captured on vinyl, no matter what size. He started a record label - its name is Hebrew for "hope" and is also the name of Israel's national anthem, Hatikva, or "the hope" - that thrived on change and representing it, and then, when the change had become the status quo, died out. Now, the music Tikva sold has been rediscovered (rediscovered more than "found," as it was never really lost; Tikva records have sat all along in basements, attics, and bins at vinyl trading posts)

Among the topics unlikely to cross your mind this holiday weekend are the floor you walk on, the window you open, the bottle you uncap, the credit card you pull out, the shower curtain you still haven't cleaned, and the siding you paid someone too much to install. They are just things, and we usually don't think about them or concern ourselves with their origins. Well, everything begins somewhere. And all of these things began with the genius of one man. So today, if only just for a moment, when you crinkle a piece of food wrap or kick the tires, pause to consider the life of an inventor named Waldo Semon, who died Wednesday at age 100. And consider what he did. Waldo Lonsbury Semon invented vinyl.

Question: I own a 1995 Chevy Blazer with 47,000 miles on it. In 1997, I started to notice a clicking/tapping sound when I applied the brakes. After many attempts to have the noise heard by the dealer, it was finally heard and I was told it was a brake caliper. They made an adjustment and the noise went away, only to return several months later. The dealer then replaced the brake caliper bolts and the noise went away for a while, and then came back. I don't understand why this problem keeps recurring.

I was so excited to get my new refrigerator that, in my haste to install it, I tore the vinyl flooring in my kitchen. The tear is not very large, but it just doesn't look like it will lay back down flat. How can I try to fix this? Very small gouges or scratches can often be closed up with a special chemical seam sealer used by many installers. If you know the brand and pattern of your floor, your flooring dealer can supply you with the proper type of seam sealer. If you can't get any of this stuff, try using your iron.

They were still pressing 78 rpm records in the late 1940s when a Long Islander named Allen B. Jacobs took an office on Broadway, in what was then the heart of Manhattan's music business. Jacobs' new on-the-cheap label, Tikva Records, would eventually be pressing 12-inch LPs, just one change transforming the recording industry. But the changes that interested Jacobs were the ones he captured on vinyl, no matter what size. He started a record label - its name is Hebrew for "hope" and is also the name of Israel's national anthem, Hatikva, or "the hope" - that thrived on change and representing it, and then, when the change had become the status quo, died out. Now, the music Tikva sold has been rediscovered (rediscovered more than "found," as it was never really lost; Tikva records have sat all along in basements, attics, and bins at vinyl trading posts)

EASTER EGGS have always been a vibrant bunch, thanks to good old food coloring and a little imagination. This year's batch takes palette and pattern a step further. Inspired by mid-20th-century graphic design, these projects bring the era's bright hues, geometric forms and sense of whimsy to the eggshell. The technique used gives impressive results but is fun and easy enough to do with kids, who are sure to love the eye-popping patterns. The trick? Stickers and stencils that you make from adhesive vinyl and electrical tape.

NEW YORK - In most ways, Sarah McCarthy is your typical high schooler. She has a job and college plans, but also a peculiar passion: She's a vinyl fan. That's right. She likes analog. And none of that hipster new stuff or a USB-ready turntable from Urban Outfitters. To this 16-year-old senior from Centreville, Md., there's nothing like the raw crackle, the depth of sound, her delicate hand on diamond-tipped stylus to spin the dusty stash of records she found in her grandfather's basement.

Radiohead are masters of surprise. Going back to Kid A , the 2000 album that followed 1997's prog-rock landmark OK Computer with a left turn into ambient-electronic experimentation, the acclaimed British quintet have grown practiced at turning every release into an event that catches their fan base unawares. Last time around, with 2007's In Rainbows , the Thom Yorke-fronted band of Oxford townies got everybody's attention by releasing their music - at first, anyway - as a pay-what-you-wish download, embracing a music-should-be-free ethos they could well afford, having already spent a decade selling millions of CDs and packing arenas.

More this week on vinyl floors being discolored by rubber-backed rugs. I really didn't know how widespread the problem was when I first wrote about it because I don't have vinyl flooring, but it is indeed a problem. Lowe's employee Jerry McHale from West Lancaster said he had the same situation occur in his house, only the floor turned a deep purple, and it could not be cleaned. McHale and his wife had placed a rubber-backed floor mat inside the French door in their kitchen that led to the deck.

Question: I have inexpensive vinyl flooring in two bathrooms in my house. The house is now about 11 years old and I am having a problem trying to clean the floors - some of the area has turned yellow. I have tried several types of floor cleaners. I am seeking a solution to this problem. Answer: I looked on the Armstrong website for an answer, and rubber-backed bath mats or rugs might be the cause: Chemical compounds, referred to as antioxidants, are formulated into rubber materials to extend the life of the rubber and prevent brittleness.

Lying down with a pillow between your legs can do wonders for pain in the lower back, hips or knees - a common side effect of long flights, cramped car rides, or hours of walking tours. The newest Inflatable Knee Pillow comes to the rescue wherever you are - no bulk involved. The blue vinyl pillow is covered in a soft flocking, and it's contoured in the middle so it doesn't slip out when you move in your sleep. The lift it gives your back, especially when you lie on your side, will not only soothe strained muscles, but will make for more comfortable sleeping.

Aero pioneered quick-inflatable beds with built-in pumps that connected to an AC outlet. Then came camping versions that could be inflated in the wild by battery-powered pumps. Now comes the Raised Explorer Bed , which has a dual-purpose pump with a built-in flashlight. Made of puncture-resistant vinyl, the bed is 14 inches high, raising the user nicely above the floor of a tent or guest room. The soft, sueded sleep surface is a welcome buffer from the vinyl, and twin sheets fit on the bed. The pump runs on eight C batteries (not included)

Question: We're about to power-wash our white, vinyl-sided garage. I know from experience this may leave a rough, chalky finish. Is there a clear, vinyl-compatible sealer that can be applied to the cleaned areas? Answer: I've come across a number of ads by professionals who say they can apply sealer to vinyl siding, but I've not yet come across a do-it-yourself product. Most of what I know about vinyl siding I've picked up from the Vinyl Siding Institute, and after reading everything on its website, I've concluded that sealing vinyl siding might not be encouraged.