Show FIRST AID to the AILING HOUSE by ROGER B WHITMAN I 1 roger boeer B D whitman miu rea features tures BRASS BEDS NO LONGER POPULAR LARCAN CAN BE modernized ber BRASS RASS and metal beds are no longer as popular as they used to be and are likely to date a room that would otherwise be modern modem in effect one way to modernize them is to cover the head and foot with slip covers preferably matching the curtains and upholstery another idea is to make use of sheets of thin plywood cut to size and shape and cov ered with quilted fabric some of the large department stores have something of this sort in stock it is usually possible to cut a high head although to many people a high head is an advantage for reading in bed the metal on a brass bed is usually so thin that it can easily be cut with a hacksaw or even a triangular file strength and stiffness is given by the rods within these also can be sawed off A st strip rip of wood going from side to side can be fitted without much difficulty and will supply any stiffness that may have been lost through removing the metal in ma many ny designs the brass pieces are held only by screwed ornaments at the top with these removed the rods within can be cut off to any desired height paint or enamel is an appropriate finish and no sign will be left of the original effect the first step in this should be to rub the metal with sandpaper for the cleaning of the surface an and d also to provide a tooth to which the first coat can make a good bond all possible traces of grease can be taken off by wiping with turpentine government publications question you have spoken of price list no 72 of government publications does this cover all pamphlets put out by the government answer no it lists only those covered by its title publications of interest to suburbanites and home owners there are many more price lists of publications covering history geography wild life boril commerce agriculture and all of the other subjects in which the various government departments are interested these can be had on request from the superintendent of documents washington D C without charge basement game room question where can I 1 get plans and suggestions for a basement game room how can I 1 prevent the flooding of the basement caused by the backing up of sewers answer the home magazines have had bad many articles on bise ba game rooms which you can find in the back numbers to be seen at a public library ask the librarian to help you for your drain pipe you can get a check valve that will prevent the backing up of the sewer any plumber can tell you about it chimney lining question the flue lining of my chimney fell apart the man who cleaned away the pieces said that with an oil burner a flue lining was not needed should the chimney be re lined answer it is not needed if your oil burner js is properly adjusted and if the chimney itself is tight and in good condition if the mortar has begun to drop out and there are leaks you will get an odor of oil through the house if you have any doubts you will do well to have the chimney relished reli reclined relined re lined hed box elder bugs question in the tall fall box elder bugs corpe come into the house and last through the winter do they come down the chimney answer they may but are much more likely to get in through open joints around insect screens and elsewhere they are likely to appear in swarms in a house when that happens take them up with a broom and dustpan or with a vacuum cleaner and burn |