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Show FIRST-AID rr-fo the AILING HOUSE by Roger B. Whitman id Roter B. Whitman WNU Service. Crust on Bricks QUESTION: In our new house the foundation is red bricks, backed with concrete. We have recently noticed a gray-white coating on the bricks. The bricks are also spotted with cement and paint. How can we bring out the color of the bricks without injury? Answer: The gray-white coating is the coming to the surface of mineral min-eral salts in the mortar brought out by rain. Eventually all of the salt will come to the surface and will disappear. Washing the wall with a mixture of 1 part muriatic acid in 20 parts of water will take off the coating and the spots of paint; it will also soften the hardened cement ce-ment which can then be scraped off. Pour the acid slowly into the water and use a wooden or earthenware earthen-ware container. The acid wash should be quickly followed by rinsing rins-ing with plenty of clear water. The acid being corrosive, you should wear rubber gloves and old clothes and shoes. Cleaning Gilt Frames Question: Gilt picture frames are badly blackened. Could I do a satisfactory sat-isfactory job of regilding? How? Answer: The blackening may be no more than dirt. Try cleaning with a half-and-half mixture of denatured de-natured alcohol and household ammonia, am-monia, applied with a camel's hair brush. After a few minutes, using the same brush, go over the frame with clear water to take off loosened loos-ened dirt. Do not rub. If the gilding gild-ing is actually damaged, it is better to have the frames regilded professionally pro-fessionally than to attempt to do the job yourself, for it requires experience. ex-perience. You might be able to patch small places with the kind of liquid gilding to be had at an art store. Stopped-Up Leaders Question: Our copper leaders are stopped up, presumably with leaves. Thty are connected with cast-iron pipe drains in the cellar. Is there any solvent I could use, or have you any other suggestions for clearing the pipes? Answer: If the leaves are clogging clog-ging the cast-iron drain, you may De BDie 10 dissolve mem oy pouring pour-ing down a solution of lye. Be very careful when handling this chemical. chemi-cal. This solution should be allowed to stand for several hours. Do not pour the lye into the copper leader; disconnect it. Should this fail, you will have to get a plumber with the proper equipment to clear the pipe. Chipped Porcelain Question: I had the misfortune to chip quite a large piece of porcelain porce-lain from a shelf on my new stove. I have tried repainting it, but the white paint turned yellow and then peeled off. How can I touch it up so that it will look right? Answer: There is no process by which chipped porcelain can be re-1 paired. The porcelain is applied at j the factory under very high heat, j which of course cannot be duplicated duplicat-ed at home. However, the people who sold you the stove can obtain a new shelf for you at no great ex-, pense, and it can easily be put on. You will find this more satisfactory I than any attempt at patching. Removing Wallpaper Question: How can I remove wallpaper wall-paper from a room that I want tu use for a kitchen? If the plaster needs repairing before being paint- , ed, how can I do it? Answer: Take off the wallpaper ; by soaking with water until the paste I has softened. Go over the paper I again and again until the water has ' struck through. If the paper sticks, ne a a Hrnart nuttv Icnif". Aftpr rirv. 1 ing, go over the wall with sandpaper wrapped around a block of wood to take off hardened crumbs and fragments. frag-ments. For cracks and holes in the plaster, use patching plaster, which you can get at a hardware or paint store. Full directions for use are on the label. Storing Books i Question: I want to pack for stor-' age some good books. If they are wrapped in newspaper and packed in wood boxes, will that be enough? Answer: If the boxes are to be stored in a dry place the only additional addi-tional protection would be to scatter handfuls of moth crystals in each one to guard against possible book lice and silverflsh. Do not on any account store the books In a cellar, even if it appears to be dry. Slamming Doors Question: I live in a large apartment apart-ment house, and am constantly disturbed dis-turbed by the noise of slamming doors in the apartments above and below mine. What can the landlord land-lord do to stop this nuisance? Answer: Hardened door-slammers are difficult Rcople to reform. Your only hope for peace and quiet is in door check. |