QUESTION: A rubber-backed bath rug has turned my vinyl floor yellow. I have tried scouring, bleaching, nothing helps. What can I do other than replace the floor?ANSWER: Unfortunately, not a lot. Small mats and throw rugs with nonskid backings have certain additives in the rubber, called antioxidants, that help the rubber stay supple and flexible for many years and many washings. These antioxidants can react with linoleum and vinyl flooring, producing a staining or discoloration that cannot be removed.Even if the flooring is laid as individual vinyl tiles, replacing only the stained portions is far from a perfect solution. The unstained tiles likely will have faded over the years, and matching them won't be easy — even if you have a box of the original tiles stashed away somewhere. Replacing the entire floor may be the best option.

QUESTION: "Can you tell me how to figure out how much paint I'll need to do the outside of my house?ANSWER: There's a standard way to calculate this: You must know the square footage of the area to be painted and how much a gallon of paint covers. A good rule of thumb for coverage is 400 square feet per gallon, though in my experience certain brands (Behr, for instance) cover better than others. But with special paints designed for exterior stucco surfaces, you'll get less than 400 square feet of coverage to the gallon because the paint goes on thicker, to get into all the crannies.To calculate square footage, measure the width of each wall, add the widths together, and multiply that total by the wall height. Next, estimate how much of this area will not be painted — such as windows and trim. Deduct their square footage from the total.Finally, divide the total square footage by how much a gallon is supposed to cover. Calculate the amount of trim paint separately.Inquiries can be sent to aheavens@phillynews.com or write to him at The Inquirer, Box 8263, Philadelphia, PA 19101.