Linoleum, vinyl flooring is not the same

Q. I read somewhere that vinyl floor coverings develop dark stains when there is moisture under the surface. A termite inspector recently found dry rot in my bathroom floor because of a leaking toilet seal. When the flooring was peeled back, the boards were wet and rotted; yet no stains ever appeared on the vinyl. Can you please explain this?

A. It may be that your home is very old, in which case your bathroom flooring may not be vinyl. During the 1960s, vinyl became the standard material for bathroom flooring. Prior to that time, linoleum was the material of choice. To most people, "vinyl" and "linoleum" are synonymous terms. Actually, these materials are essentially different in composition and physical properties. Vinyl is a petroleum byproduct, while linoleum is a derivative of linseed oil. When the underside of vinyl becomes wet, dark stains appear, but this does not occur with linoleum. My guess is that your home is more than 50 years old, and that the flooring is not vinyl. Whomever you hire to install the new flooring can probably confirm this.

Q. Lately, we've noticed an unusual burning smell whenever our forced-air heater is turned on. We read an article that warned about the dangers of carbon monoxide and that this can be caused by a faulty heater. How can we tell if this is happening in our home?

A. Carbon monoxide gas (CO) is entirely odorless; therefore, it is unlikely that the burning smell from your furnace indicates that kind of problem. However, questionable conditions involving gas-burning fixtures should be regarded as potentially hazardous and should be called to the immediate attention of a licensed HVAC (heating, ventilation and air conditioning) contractor or the gas company.

There is an array of circumstances that could possibly cause the burning smells from your heater. For example, there could be dust buildup on the heat exchanger inside the furnace; leaves from nearby trees could have fallen into the flue opening at the roof; the flue pipe could be in direct contact with the wood framing inside your attic; combustible items could be stored too close to the furnace; there could be rodent infestation inside the furnace; and so on.

It is also possible there are combustion problems inside the burner chamber, due to faulty fuel/air adjustment, lack of adequate combustion air supply, or congestion within the exhaust system. Faulty combustion or congested venting can cause combustion gases to vent into the dwelling, in which case carbon monoxide would in fact be an accompanying component.

Any of these conditions would be hazardous to you and your family. Therefore, you should discontinue use of the furnace until it has been thoroughly evaluated by a qualified professional.

Also, if you have not already installed carbon monoxide alarms in your home, it is strongly advised that you place them near all bedroom entrances, with at least one on each level of a multilevel home.

• To write to Barry Stone, visit him on the web at www.housedetective.com, or write AMG, 1776 Jami Lee Court, Suite 218, San Luis Obispo, CA 94301.

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