Q Every time you write about compact fluorescent lights, you don’t mention the mercury-disposal problem. Why not?
A Because when I’ve written about these lights in recent months, I’ve been asking your opinions about them.
It is obvious to me that the few people who ask me about the mercury problem already know everything about it.
A few years back, 2006 in fact, here’s what I wrote about CFLs and mercury (the information has been updated for 2010):
CFLs contain very small amounts of mercury sealed within the glass tubing — an average of 4 or 5 milligrams, roughly equivalent to the amount of ink on the tip of a ballpoint pen.
Mercury is what enables the CFL to be an efficient light source; there is currently no substitute for it, but manufacturers have been trying to reduce the amount used.
CFLs are safe to use in the home, according to the Department of Energy. No mercury is released when the bulbs are in use, and they pose no danger if used properly, though care should be taken when handling because the tubing is glass.
Don’t throw CFLs away with the household trash if better disposal options exist. For information:
Visit epa.gov (click on “Waste,” then “Bulbs/Lamps”).
Check earth911.org, which locates disposal options by zip code.
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Call the U.S. Environmental Recycling Hotline at 877-327-8491.
Find tips at lamprecycle.org. Also, some home center chains and other retailers take back used CFLs.
Contact your local waste-management agency for community guidelines.
If the bulbs break, visit epa.gov/mercury/spills to find out what to do.
Last resort: Place CFLs in a plastic bag and seal it before discarding. Never send a CFL to an incinerator.
Q In our dining room, there is something that I think is called rough plaster — it looks as though there are small nonpareils under the plaster.
What is the best way to cover over this and make it smooth? We thought about using wallpaper liner, then covering it in paint.
A This is a messy, painstaking job, and I wonder whether it wouldn’t be worth it to just pull out the old surface and then drywall. That’s what I ended up doing after trying it your way.
Let’s look at covering over the “stucco-ish” wall. It could be stucco or swirled spackle, which I’ve seen people do to hide cracks in plaster ceilings.
I would try to use spackling compound that tends not to shrink very much as it dries; otherwise, you’ll be filling it in for the rest of your life. Remember: Apply, dry, sand, apply, dry, sand, ad infinitum.
Now, the wallpaper-liner plan. Liner paper is a heavyweight paper with a smooth surface. It is typically applied over Masonite to hide shallow grooves in the surface, although you may have to use drywall compound (two or three applications probably, depending again on level of shrinkage).
It can be applied over textured walls before you apply regular wallpaper or paint (always prime first, and sand between coats for better adhesion and to get rid of lumps and bumps).
E-mail questions to Alan J. Heavens at [email protected].