Here's a sizeable problem: Where to put the big-screen TV

Q. If you have placed your flat-screen TVs over the fireplace, are you happy with that location? Did I read somewhere that over the fireplace was not the best location for TVs? Ty Pennington's show incessantly puts the TV over the fireplace, so maybe it's fine. I would think I would be looking up all the time? I kind of like being eye level with the TV when I sit. Is there a recommended location?

-- e-mail A. This is another one of those personal preference questions. The TV needs to be where you are comfortable watching it. Someone might find it difficult to have it above the fireplace, and we would would prefer the TV more at eye level. However, when you go to the movie theater, there are people who prefer to sit all the way in the front, all the way in the back and those in the middle section. It is obvious that personal preference runs the entire gambit of seating options. We are also not sure we would not find the flickering flames below a distraction when both the fireplace and the TV were operational.

Q. Is it possible to turn the cold storage into a laundry room?

-- P., e-mail A. Anything is possible. It is a matter of how feasible or cost effective it would be. You are going to need any space that you use as a laundry room to be heated. You will have plumbing coming into that space and those pipes will need to be able to handle Midwest temperatures.

Q. I believe that we have a crowned or warped floor joist in a home that we're purchasing. The previous owners stated that the hump in the floor was there when they purchased the home 22 years ago. Windows and doors operate without a problem. We want to make sure that the house is structurally sound and to replace the flooring. I'm curious about the best type of professional to approach for a fix, a remodeling professional that specializes in floors/additions or another type of professional? Thanks for taking the question.

-- T.G., e-mail A. If this has been a problem for over 22 years and the windows and the doors and all is working, it is not likely to be a problem. However, you don't really know that it is not a problem or that the problem has in fact existed for 10 years, much less 22. We would first have the situation reviewed by a qualified structural engineer. Once they have had a chance to review the situation, you can then proceed based on their input and direction.

Q. I recently had new oak baseboards put in and now want laminate flooring. Can these baseboards be removed and used again?

-- D.R., e-mail A. You should be able to re-use them. You may not want to remove them, though. If the baseboards are throughout the house and are all set at same (horizontal) level from room to room, you may want to install the flooring with the baseboards in place and then add a shoe molding. Typically, shoe molding is used with the install of a hard floor, such as wood, laminate or tile. By doing this you will avoid the baseboards from changing heights as the floor coverings change.

Q. Why is one bathtub/shower getting tepid water and the one in the other room (five feet away) gets proper hot water, as does the rest of the house?

-- S.B., e-mail A. Providing that your faucet is a one-handle type faucet, it sounds like the faucet cartridge is damaged. If the cartridge is damaged, it will allow the cold and hot water to mix even if you try all cold or all hot. If you go on the Internet and check the faucet model, you maybe able to find the replacement cartridge number you need and possibly the procedure needed to remove the old and install the new. If that does not work, it may be time to replace the entire faucet. Or, you may want to replace the faucet based on how old the existing one is or how it looks. Of course, if you do that, you may want to replace all the shower, tub fixtures as many new styles and finishes have been introduced over the past couple of years.

Send your questions to the National Association of the Remodeling Industry of Greater Chicagoland (NARIGC), Attn: NARI Knows, 780 Lee Street, Suite 108, Des Plaines, Ill. 60016. Or, e-mail: info@narichicago.org. Visit the Web site at www.narichicago.org.