The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1892-05-13
About Whitewashing.

New York Tribune.
When the suriDR comes there is always
whitewashin 9, and often kalsomining to
be done. In the city. where one can send
for q prof essional worker, and put the
whole busin ess in his hands at q low price,
the matter is easily attended to, but In the
country districts this must be attended to
by tho housewife herself. or be done by the
few unskillful hands in her employ, whose
work will require her superintendence.
The first thing to be done is TO inspect the
walls and see If they will bear another coat
over the one W hich has already been put on.
II the wall has been whitewashed, and has
begun to chip off. 1t must be scraped before
another coat is put on. and this is quite O
serious undertaking. Itmeans the removal
of the old coats that have been put on the
wall. We believe there arc scrapers that
come especially for this purpose. 1t is bet
ter to remove everything. furniture and
ell. out of the room to be scraped. as the
fine dust of the old lime penetrates through
every thing. After the room has been thor
oughiy scraped the new wnitewash can he
applied. though 1t Is best to fill In or mend
any holes in the wall with plaster of paris,
wet with paste or water. 1t seems TO us
that the very best and sweetest whitewash
Is made by mixing ordinary slack-lime in
water, adding simply salt enough to make
it cling to the wall and blueing enough to
give 1t o pearl-white TINT Ordinary lam
dry blueing will not do for this purpose.
What 10 known as Mason's blueing is the
do better work aud give better effect than
any thing else.
1t is an easy matter to apply whItewash
and good whitewash brush does not cost
over 75 cents. 1t may be found in any
country store. A kalsomIners brush is q
moro expensive article. and satisfactory
one may cost as much as g.
A kalsomine wall which is to be rekalso-
mined should be washed. 1t is impossible
to apply kalsomine 10 a wall that has been
whitewashed. 1t would look streaked and
queer. An ordinary rule for preparing kali
sominc calls for ten pounds of Zinc-w hite.
mixed to thick cream with warm water,
half n poun0 of dissolved glue. all stirred
together. The kaleomIne must be applied
while 1t Is warm, adding a little hot water
when it is too thick to spread easily. Old
fashioned kalsominers always spread their
kalsOninc on us painters usually spread
their oil paint evenly In one direc tion row
after row. and this Is probably the easiest
way for one TO do W no is not expert.
It may lie just we'll for a beginner to
use common whitening. which less eX-
pensive than zinc-wb ite and which is ap-
piled in exactly the same way. For side
walls a pound of glue instead of half q
pound should be used. This is necessary
TO prevent the whitening bling off OIL the
hands and clothes when they are brough
in contact with 1T. The extra amount Of
two. but as there Is nothing that will pre-
vent old kalsomine from rubbing OFT. il is
always best TO paper or paint the sides of q
room. Where kalsomine is applied 10 a
fresh plastered wall. 1t should be sized
with glue and kalsomIned wall which ID
to be papered should be treated in the sam q
way.