QUESTION: We have had natural hardwood floors for five years. During that time we had a rug under a coffee table. This week we removed the rug and the wood floor was a much lighter color. What can we do to have the floor return to its original matching finish?ANSWER: It probably would involve less work if you just let the area darken to match the floor that was exposed to the sun’s UV rays. I’ve seen homeowners use bleach to lighten wood floors, but I wouldn’t do it myself. There are, I am sure, products available on the Internet that might progressively lighten the floor, but most of the solutions I’ve seen involve refinishing all the floor.My advice is to leave well enough alone if it isn’t hurting anything.———

QUESTION: I plan to sell my house in the next year or two. Right now I am trying to make some small improvements to make the house more appealing.One area that needs improvement is the patio. The previous owners poured the 200-square-foot patio in one large chunk, probably about 15 years ago. There is a large crack that runs horizontally across the patio, which was filled with some kind of caulk that only serves to make it more noticeable.Is there any way to make this patio better, short of digging it all up and repouring it? Is there any way the crack can be repaired and the patio painted?ANSWER: The fact that the crack runs across the patio is a sign to me that the job was badly done and no amount of patching will fix it. The answer, then, is no, in my opinion, but I’d get a second one from a contractor.———

QUESTION: In the early 1980s we refinished our basement. We used a foam-backed carpet that was glued to the floor. The carpet has gotten wet and we want to remove it.Any ideas on how to remove the carpet and foam from the cement floor?ANSWER: A solvent and a scraping tool, but wear plenty of protection and make sure the work area is well-ventilated.———

QUESTION: Our dishwasher is around 10 years old, and we have a lot of calcium in our water (according to our plumbers), which leaves a brown residue anywhere the water sits for any length of time.The dishwasher worked fine until about six months ago, when the residue started collecting everywhere (the sides, the bottom, the racks, the blades). I’ve tried things that are supposed to clean dishwashers: wiping off everything we can reach, adding no-spot stuff, which I never needed before.In addition, over the last month or two the smell has gotten unpleasant. I’ve tried spraying everything with an ammonia-water solution, sprinkling baking soda inside, wiping the rubber ring in the center and applying the no-spot stuff liberally around it. Nothing helps.The dishwasher also started taking a lot longer to go through a cycle.I’m concerned that if we just replace the dishwasher, the problem will continue, since I don’t know what is causing it.ANSWER: Hard water will do these things. You’ll need to look into a filtration system before you buy the new dishwasher.

E-mail Heavens at aheavensphillynews.com, or write him at The Inquirer, Box 8263, Philadelphia PA 19101. Volume prohibits individual replies.