Evening star., 1939-06-17
First Aid
For the
AHing House
BY ROGER B. WHITMAN.

BY ROGER B. WHITMAN.
Question: How can rust be pre-
vented from forming on furnace
during the summer?
Answer: Rusting is only one of the
troubles that can come to heater
during the idle months; as a mat
ter of fact, one idle season may dc
more damage to heater than many
seasons of operation. There are
several steps in protecting a heater
against damage. AS soon as the
fire goes out, any kind of a heater
should be cleaned inside; ashes re-
moved, and dust scraped and
brushed from the f1ues and other
inside parts. The inside should then
be given coat of oil. Lubricating
oil can be used, but nothing is bet
ter than crankcase DRAWINGS. Us
ing an inside spray, the oil is spread
on all inside surfaces.
Rusting is due to condensation
To avoid this trouble, it is best to
take down the smoke-pipe, to clean
1t and to store it in dry place All
doors and openings of the heater
should be left standing wide open
through the summer. If the smoke
pipe cannot be taken down, the
turn-damper should be left in the
wide-open position. Edges and
hinges of doors should be oiled.
Keep Boiler Filled.
II 1t is necessary to change the
MO to, IN, CT l,o
this should be done in the fall and
at the beginning of the heating sea-
son. When steam boiler is put out
Of commission in the spring, the wa
ter should be left in and more added
until it is completely filled; this
can be told by holding the safety
valve open. Radiators and pipes re-
main empty. A hot-water outfit is
left filled as it was during the win
ter. When starting up in the fall,
water should be changed only if it
Is noticeably dirty. Otherwise only
enough is drawn off from steam
boiler to bring it to the correct level.
Outside rust should be taken
of with steel wool, and the metal
1hAAbllSo NIlll lllSll lClIlkJtl as
phaltum or aluminium paint.
An excellent way to size plaster
walls before applying paint is to
mix in one pint of linseed oil to
the gallon of paint that you are
going to use, and put that on as
the first coat. Brush it in well and
allow time for thorough drying.
Protecting Dining Table.
Question: Our dining-room table
Is directly under a stained glass
window. and receives a lot of heat
from the sun. Should the table
be WaXed? Would the heat from
the sun cause it to melt or become
gummy?
Answer-In all cases it is best to
keep furniture protected frem di-
rect sunlight. A shade or blind
should be drawn until the sun has
moved. The table can be waxed
and polished. The wax is applied
In thin coat and rubbed we'll.
Oil-Stained Cement.
Question: Can you recommend
something to dry up cement
floor in the cellar which has been
stained with oil?
Answer: Cover new stains for
several days with an inch or two
of dry portland cement. Dry hy-
drafted lime is also effective. For
old stains wash with a solution of
two pounds of trisodium phosphate
to the gallon of hot water. Rinse
with plenty of clear water.
Faded Awnings.
Question: My awnings are three
years old and in good condition,
but badly faded. Is there some
kind of paint that can be used to
improve the appearance?
Answer: They can be painted
with good brand of house paint
thinned with one-fourth as much
turpentine. Apply the paint in a
thin coat and brush into the f1bers,
thick coat will cause sticking.
Paint should be thoroughly dry be-
fore folding the awning.
Moisture-Proof Wall Finish.
Question: Walls of our bathroom
and kitchen are painted. Would
there be any advantage in using
wallcloth?
AnsWer-Wallcloth is actually a
light form of canvas finished with
oil paints and in its best forms is
waterproof and washable. 1t can be
had in wallpaper patterns, and in
appearance cannot be distinguished
from wallpaper. When properly
hung, the walls are resistant to
moisture and can be washed. Grease
that is always present in kitchen
air will not penetrate and can be
washed off. The additional advan-
tage over paint is that there is no
chipping
Sticking Leather.
Question-Leather covered chairs
stick to and stain light clothing in
damp weather. I have used varnish
remover, saddle soap and wax, but
nothing seems to help. Would you
recommend varnish?
AnsWer-Varnish remover should
not be used on leather, for the SOL
vents would remove the natural oils.
You may have caused permanent
damage. Sticking of leather is usu-
ally due to the use of an unsuitable
leather dressing, furniture polish,