Show F I 1 R f A I 1 D F Aei AILING HOUSE by roger whitman L rozer roeer 13 whitman features DUSTY CONCRETE FLOOR question some time ago yot yoi wrote about a mixture for laying the dust of a concrete cellar floor wil you please repeat answer you can lay the dust b soaking the floor with a mixture ol of one part water glass in four parts ol 01 water make plenty of this mixture so that it can be poured on the floor liberally spread with a broom and the floor allowed to soak it up at the end of some hours wipe up any puddles that may remain you may have to repeat the treatment within a day or two but it if you wish to paint the floor later on water glass should not be used il you should wish to paint get a kind of paint that is proof against the effects of lime for ordinary floor paint will not last on a basement floor il if laid in the usual way a LEAKING FLUSH TANK question our old fashioned high type of wood flush tank is leaking could I 1 use wood putty to mend it answer caulking compound would last longer this is similar to putty not wood putty but never becomes hard or brittle this compound is much used for repairing outside leaks around window frames it is forced into the crack with a caulking gun inquire about this at your hardware store a how to build shower stall question I 1 am planning to build a s shower ower in in a space 32 inches wide by 24 inches long and 7 feet high what type of waterproof material can I 1 use that will be economical yet good must the floor be of cement or can something so methin else be used instead answer the base or receptor of the shower should be built of cement with a lead pan under it i t to prevent possible leakage to the floor below this work should be done by a competent concrete or tile man who has had experience in this kind of work or you can get a cement receptor the latter would be simple to install the walls can be of cement plaster over wire lath or you can use one of the pre finished dense fiber wallboards wall boards if the board boar d is used the manufacturers directions should be followed in making the joints watertight the smallest size shower receptor measures 32 by 32 inches your 24 inch dimension is rather skimpy for a shower stall a 0 a finished attic room question my attic floor is I 1 now am planning to convert one end of the attic into a finished room should the insulation be applied to the roof rafters or against the outsides out sides of the room should the insulation be removed under under the floor of the new room answer place the insulation on the ceiling and all four walls of the new room if you wish to be thrifty the insulation under the floor of the new room can be taken up and used in walls or ceiling new maple floor question what would you suggest tor for a new maple floor to be laid in a store where there will be considerable traffic and wear answer the floor can be given a couple of soaking coats of hot linseed oil raw after allowing an hour or so for soaking wipe off the excess and apply the next coat 24 hours later penetrating preservative oil finishes are serviceable and good looking on maple fireproofing Firc proofing paper question how can paper be made fireproof answer soak it in a solution of eight ounces of acid and ten ounces of borax in one gallon of water float the paper on the liquid until it is thoroughly saturated saturate and then hang up to drip and dry |