Question: My new home has wiring for two phone lines. There is a two-line phone jack in one room that I use for my two-line phone.

I just purchased another two-line phone and want to plug this into another room that has only a one-line jack.

I’ve been told that all I have to do is put a special type of splitter into that jack, then simply plug the new two-line phone into this.

How is the single phone jack able to pick up both lines? And if this is true, what type of splitter do I need?

Answer: This type of splitter is not the same as the kind that merely enables you to plug two separate phones into the same line. It is made for picking up calls from two different phone lines (assuming the house has wiring for two lines, as most do).

This splitter has three jacks or openings in the front (as shown in the illustration). These usually have molded numbers marked on them such as “L1,” “L2,” and “L1-L2.”

The first two jacks are for single-line phones that will take calls from either line 1 or line 2.

The last one will take a cord from a two-line phone and enable it to answer calls from either line.

Question: There is a dark goo of some kind oozing into my toilet bowl and it seems to be coming out of the small hole located near the front of the bowl.

It does not wash away when the toilet is flushed, but it can be scrubbed away. It does comes back in time, however.

Can you tell me what the cause could be?

Answer: The only thing I can think of is a buildup of some kind in the waste-and-vent line connected to that toilet and to the vertical vent pipe that goes up through the roof.

It could be an accumulation of sediment or organic matter that is seeping into the bowl.

If so, the vent line may need cleaning out. But I think you should call in an experienced plumber to locate the source and to take the necessary steps to clean out that line.

Question: I want to cover the floor in my basement with carpet in one room and with wood flooring in the adjoining room. The basement is dry and has no dampness problems.

How do I attach the wood flooring to the cement basement floor and make it end up the same height as the carpet and padding in the room next to it?

Answer: There are too many variables to give a simple answer.

Assuming you will be putting down parquet squares for your wood flooring, this can often be cemented down directly over the concrete (if there is no moisture problem).

Once you determine the thickness of this finished floor you can decide how thick your carpet and padding should be to match this.

You may have to install an extra layer of exterior plywood under one of the floors to bring them both to the same level.

Questions about home-repair problems should be addressed to Bernard Gladstone, care of The New York Times Syndicate, 122 E. 42nd St., New York, N.Y. 10168.

2004 Bernard Gladstone