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Show FIRST-AID AILING HOUSE by Roger B. Whitman ( Roger B. Whitman WNU Service.) Settlement of New House A NY newly built house can be ex-pected ex-pected to show cracks in plaster walls and elsewhere thrpugh the effects ef-fects of settlement. Settlement occurs oc-curs as the foundations are forced deeper into the earth by the weight of the house, and also by the shrinking shrink-ing of timbering as it dries out. Settlement Set-tlement of the foundations can be prevented by adjusting the size and thickness of the footings to the character char-acter of the ground; wide footings for ground that is soft or that has been filled, and narrower if the ground is firm and solid. The greatest great-est shrinkage in timbers will be in the cross section; that is, in breadth and thickness. If there are many more layers of timber in the framework frame-work of an outside wall than in that of an inside wall, the outside wall will settle more than the other. The walls should be' so designed that they have the same thicknesses of timbers. Settlement will then be equal in all parts of the house, and there should be no cracking of plaster plas-ter or distortion of door frames. Some degree of settlement cannot be avoided, and cracking is worse when it is greater in one part of the house than in another. With equal settlement settle-ment there is no trouble. Bathroom Decoration Question: How can I cover or remove re-move an enamel combination of orchid and black from my bathroom walls? I should like to finish the walls with white enamel. Answer: If the walls are now tiled, the color can be changed only by sandblasting or with an acid treatment treat-ment that will eat into the glazed surface, which will then hold enamel. enam-el. - If the'surfaces are of plaster or a tile substitute, the enamel can be taken off with a paint remover. Another An-other method would be to cut the glaze of the enamel by rubbing with medium coarse sandpaper, which would give a "tooth" for new enamel enam-el to bond with. However, if the ' black is not removed, more coats ! of enamel must be used to hide it ' than would be needed over a lighter ' color. I Clogged Drain Question: The drain pipe, outside my house has very little pitch, and ( makes ,a right turn. It frequently I clogs with grease at the angle. The 1 only way to clear it out is- through ; a cleanout plug. Can you make any suggestions? . . '. Answer: One way to get around i that trouble is to install a grease ' trap under the kitchen sink, which I would separate' out the grease be-i be-i fore it could- reach, the drain pipe. jThe trap would 'require occasional cleaning, but this would be a much simpler matter than your present arrangement. A good plumber should be able to supply the trap and install it. Baseboard Crack Question: Through settlement, f there is a crack up to three-eighths-: inch wide between flooring and base-; base-; board. The house is 14 months old. : Is it time to close the crack by mov-i mov-i ing the quarter-round moulding? j Answer: You can do that job at any time, provided you do it cor- rectly. The strip of moulding should ' not be nailed either to the baseboard or to the flooring, but with long nails , put in diagonally to pass through the open joint between flooring and base-: base-: board, and into studs and other tim-; tim-; bers behind. This will, keep the ! crack closed, regardless of settle-1 settle-1 ment. j Porcelain Sink I Question: I am told that lemon i juice will injure a porcelain sink, , and that hot water in which potatoes pota-toes have been boiled will make a stain. Is this true? I Answer: Any kind of an acid will ' eat into ordinary porcelain on plumbing plumb-ing fixtures; but fixtures of good i quality, and especially sinks and drainboards, are finished with acid proof porcelain. Stains in sinks can usually be removed with a liquid bleach. Damp Ceiling Question: On one of our bedroom ceilings there is a spot which becomes be-comes wet in damp or rainy weather, weath-er, although there are no leaks, the water cannot get in. What will prevent pre-vent it? Answer: The plaster at that spot is evidently of a kind that absorbs dampness from the air. To prevent pre-vent trouble, put a coat of aluminum paint on the spot at a time when it is dry, decorating it with the rest of the ceiling. Smokepipe Spacing Question: What should be the space between the smokepipe of a combination coal stove and the wall? Answer: For a plaster wall the space should be 18 inches. If the wall is wood, the space should be greater,' or the wall should be covered cov-ered with a sheet of asbestos board. Heating System Question: My large single house has nine rooms. The hot air system sys-tem is in bad condition. Would it be better to have it repaired, or to install radiator heat? How can I get in touch with a reliable concern for this work? Answer: Whether or not the system sys-tem is still in good enough condition condi-tion to justify repairing can be told only by examination. Ask for recommendations rec-ommendations at your bank, and at j large real estate agencies. Names I which appear on all of their lists j should b oendable. |