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Show I FIRST-AID AILING HOUSE ii MtiTim by Roger B. Whitman Roger B. Whitman WNU Features. Ton may not be able to replace worn or broken household equipment. This is war. Government priorities come first. So take care of what yon have ... as well as you possibly can. ThiB column by the homeowner's friend tells you how. Cracks in Varnish Question: Why should tiny cracks have developed on my furniture? My piano and dining-room furniture have these all over. These cannot be from low temperatures, for in cold weather I keep my .heat at about 76 degrees. Also, I have pails of water on all the radiators. How can the furniture be refinished? Answer: Cracks of that kind are very fine and usually only on the surface of the varnish. The cause is in sudden changes of temperature. Seventy-six degrees is rather high for ordinary living conditions, and when everything is heated to that temperature, the cracking appears when the temperature drops, as would be the case at night, or on the opening of a window. The damage can be overcome by light rubbing rub-bing with fine sandpaper, to be followed fol-lowed by wiping with turpentine to Temove the dust, and then applying a thin coat of varnish. Loose Windows Question: Our windows are very loose in their frames. How can they be tightened? Answer: The room side of the groove in which the sash slides is formed by a strip of molding that is nailed to the window frame. This strip can be taken off and replaced to press more tightly against the sash. When windows are loose, by far the best cure is to put on metal weatherstrips of the kind that fits into groves cut in the edges of the sash. This not only stops all rattling, rat-tling, but keeps out drafts and dust. For good results these strips should be put on by specialists, who have the necessary tools. Killing Tree Roots Question: Having cut down a large tree, how can the roots be killed so that we can plant another? Answer: Roots can be killed with salt and by other means, but nothing could be planted until enough time had gone by for the chemical to be carried deep into the ground by the rain. Your best move will be to dig out the roots to a depth of two feet or so. The roots that remain will rot out and not interfere with the new growth. As an alternative, you may find someone in your neighborhood neighbor-hood who has a mechanical stump-puller stump-puller and can do the job for you. Galvanized Gutters Question: Will you advise me regarding re-garding paint for galvanized gutters and spouts? They have been up for two years, unpainted. We want to put on the proper priming coat before be-fore having this metal work painted along with the house. Answer: After cleaning and removing re-moving traces of rust, if any, coat the gutters and spouts with a good quality red lead paint. Allow a week to ten days for this paint to dry. Follow with house paint. Insulating a Cottage Question: In building a one-story and attic wood cottage with four rooms and bath on the first floor, what kind of insulation (rock wool) would you advise? Could I do the job myself? Answer: Use any one of the standard stand-ard brands of rock wool, and since the house is in the course of construction, con-struction, batts should be used. All the work can be done by yourself. Use batts with a vaporproof paper covering. Dry Rot Question: What is the cause of dry rot? What should be done to check and prevent it? Answer: Wood exposed to continuous con-tinuous dampness stimulates a fungus fun-gus growth in the wood, which turns it into powder. A thorough circulation circula-tion of air or coating the lumber with a coal tar creosote or other chemical wood preservative will check the condition. All rotted wood must be scraped off before applying the preservative. Rust Remover Question: How can I remove rust from my smoothing iron? How can I take a rust stain from a silk slip? Answer: For your iron, soak the rust with kerosene, and rub with fine emery paper. At an automobile accessory ac-cessory shop you can get rust removing re-moving liquids that are very satisfactory. satis-factory. For the slip, you can use iron-rust soap, to be had at a drug store. Cleaning Brickwork Question: Carpenters burned tar p.-r,rr in a new fireplace, and the bricks arc black with soot. How can t be rerr.oved? .:-t-. rr: Scrub with a thin paste ,; - :: :-r? r.'vccr with water and |
