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Show FIRST-AID to the AILING HOUSE By ROGER B. WHITMAN (Released by Western Newspaper Union.) TOY SNAKES WILL KEEI PIGEONS FROM ROOSTING ON BUILDINGS TPHERE is a great fascination ir watching flocks of pigeons. ' Tc owners of buildings, however, pigeons pig-eons may mean trouble and unpleasantness. un-pleasantness. As the birds are protected pro-tected by law, nothing can be done to keep them off that will be in any way harmful and injurious to them, and there has seemed to be no way in which they could be kept from roosting on cornices and other parts. However, one eastern city has worked out a plan for the protection of its city hall, on which the pigeons have been roosting in great numbers. num-bers. This was the placing of toy snakes on cornices and other parts where the pigeons were in the habit of roosting. The effect was almost miraculous, for the birds took it for granted that the snakes were alive, and gave them a wide berth. The plan worked so well that it was adopted by other building owners, and to such an extent that the stocks of toy snakes in the city were quickly exhausted. Of course, the plan has no ill effect on the pigeons, pi-geons, but it should not be followed during the nesting season, when the parent birds might be kept from the nestlings. Fieldstone Fireplace Question: Our new house has a large fieldstone fireplace, the stones of which are held together by large gobs of black cement, which give the whole thing the looks of an adobe job. Could you suggest a treatment for this black, depressing cement, in order to lighten the effect? Answer: Rake out the black mortar mor-tar joints to a depth of a half-inch or more. Clean out all loose particles parti-cles of the mortar, wet the surfaces sur-faces with clear water, then refill the joints with a stiff mixture of 1 part Portland cement and 3 parts sand. If a light colored joint is desired, de-sired, use a cement color mixed with white Portland cement. All these ingredients can be had at your local mason material supply yard. Ninety-Five Degree Heat Question: A three-story frame house occupied by old folks is heated heat-ed with a hot air furnace up to 95 degrees. Is this temperature too high for safety? Answer: That is an exceptionally high temperature to maintain, and . naturally taxes the furnace to the limit. But if the chimney is in good condition and all inflammable material ma-terial is kept a safe distance away from the furnace, which is developing develop-ing such high temperatures, I believe be-lieve the house will be safe. A higher percentage of humidity in the air of the house may make it possible possi-ble to reduce the temperature. Repairing Furniture Question: I am interested in getting get-ting information on the restoration and refinishing of antique furniture. What can you suggest? Answer: Much interesting information infor-mation on this subject is published by the New York State College of Home Economics, Ithaca, N. Y. One is Extension Bulletin E-256, "Reconditioning "Recon-ditioning Furniture," and the other is Extension Bulletin E-295, "Refinishing "Refin-ishing Old Furniture." There is no charge for these to residents of New York state. Non-residents are charged 10 cents for E-256, and five cents for E-295. Cracked Enamel Question: The white enamel in my kitchen has cracked and looks as if it were covered with cobwebs. How can I make the walls smooth again? Answer: The cracks are probably only on the surface and are caused by applying hard drying enamel over softer drying undercoats. In using enamel, it is safest to use it over undercoats made by the same manufacturer. man-ufacturer. To improve your wall, cut through the surface with sandpaper sand-paper to destroy the gloss, and apply ap-ply another coat of enamel. Saw Sharpening Question: Is it proper to file a saw at an angle? Answer: Sawteeth must be filed at an angle, so that each one will have a cutting edge. The large saw manufacturers man-ufacturers publish instructions for the proper filing of saws, which you can get from a dealer or direct Floor Finishes Question: Oak and maple flooring is to be given a natural finish. How can they be treated? Answer: After sanding and cleaning, clean-ing, you can get good results with one of the new floor seals or with good quality floor varnish, followed by waxing. Rusty Nail Heads Question: In my house rusty nail heads show through the paint In repainting, how can this be prevented? pre-vented? Answer: Rub the nail heads with sandpaper until they are bright and then coat them with aluminum paint |