Honolulu star-bulletin. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu, Hawaii]) 1912-2010, 1913-08-21
Saving MONEY
!, ON HOME REPAIRS

The high cost of living" has made
it imperative that the householder
should make every saving as regards
repairs on the home, for 1t Is often
possible to spend good deal OF
money needIessly IL proper care is not
exercised IN this matter.
We will start with the outside OF
the house, for it is here that money
is most frequently wasted by allowing
repairs on the foundations. roofs,
woodwork, etc, to be delayed until
much damage has been done.
The writer's house foundation was
OF brick, says a contributor to the
Modern Priscilla. In certain places
where the water from heavy rains
attacked it the cement between the
bricks had fallen out. A cheap mas
on's trowel and few cents worth or
cement allowed the damage to be re-
paired by an amateur. Where ce-
ment locsens in the chimney bricks
1t is also best to point" 1t up.
The reader may ask how it Is pos
sible for the average person to reach
the chimneys, and the writer will say
in answer that one of the best in
vestments he ever made for the pur-
pose of saving money was to buy one
of the extension" ladders, which can
now be had at many hardware and
other stores throughout the country.
The cost is only 20 cents per lin
cal foot, thus 80 foot ladder, costs
hut $6. / figure that | have saved In
a short time the entire cost of the
ladder. In addition to the purpose
named above we also use, 1t for paint
ing the roofs, valleys and cutters, and
also any painting upon the outside
Of the house itself; and for putting
up outside sash, ETC., it will also be
found to give desirable aid. One man
can easily handle an averaged sized
ladder of this kind, and as they come
In two sections, one half can be used
at a time for much work about the
home. A rope and iron catches allow
the ladder to be. adjusted easily to
any desired length by one person. In
addition to cementing up brickwork.
there are also other places about the
house where a little cement about the
house will greatly help. In many well
designed and planned homes the lead
ers which carry the water from the
cutters and roofs are cemented at the
ground level into the tile pipes, which
carry the water underground either
to the gutter, as is customary, or to
safe distance. In time the cement
looscns, then falls out, and foreign
substances get into the tile pipes UNI
derground and stop them Up, making
"a large repair bill.
Perhaps one of the most, If not the
most, likely place about the home for
decay to set in is in the joints OF
the woodwork, such as those found In
piazza ratings, columns, pcdestals. etc.
Much of this work consists Of small
pieces Of wood put together. and as
time passes, changes OF weather, etc.,
cause the pieces to spread apart.
hen the unprotected wood appears.
and decay rapidly sets in. But small
amount of white lead, and also some
putty to mix it with. will save con-
siderable damage If it is applied in
time. Then a little paint Of the right
color may be used to cover the joint,
net only for appearance, but for pre-
serving the mixture in the opening.
Wherever nail or screw-hole appears
IN the piazza floor. at once fill 1t up
with the material just mentioned.
nth care a piazza floor should last
for years.
Parts of the house, such as piazza,
floors, steps, outside cellar doors, rail-
lngs, and also all tin or metal work,
such as cutters, roofs, valleys, ETC.,
should be painted far more frequently
than the main part of the building. II
tinwork is painted once a year, 1t
will remain in excellent condition for
a long time. Not piece of tinwork
on the roofs or cutters has been re-
newed on house near where the writ.
er lives, for period of % years. The