Evening star., 1939-06-24
First Aid
For the
Aninq House
BY ROGER B. WHITMAN.

Question: The roof of an apart
ment house, which manage, has a
three-ply tar paper and tWo-ply roll
roofing; put on seven years ago
The job was done in November
The roof is full of blisters, many
Of them extending down to the first
layer of tar paper. I would like to
do this roof over and would ap-
preciate your information on how to
60 about putting on new roof.
Answer-Laying a fiat roof in
very cold weather will very often
cause the roofing to blister and
separate because of the difficulty
in spreading the tar or asphalt.
Before laying the new roof, get in
touch with any one of the we'll
known makers of roofing and get
their recommendations on the best
way to lay it.
Wet or Dry Return.
Question: In a one-pipe steam
system with an oil burner, is there
any advantage in having a wet re-
turn line? My neighbor has wet
return, while mine is identical ex-
cept that have a dry return.
AnsWer-A wet return is filled
with water for it's entire length
to the level of the water in the
boiler. Water standing in the re-
turn may be chilled before it reaches
the boiler, which will reduce the
temperature of the boiler water. A
leak in wet return under the floor
is difficult to locate and to repair.
A dry return is under inspection at
all times. Water IN it returns to
the boiler with but little drop in
temperature. The one advantage of
the wet return is that it gives the
boiler greater volume of water,
which would be an advantage in
case of a steam leak. My own pref
efence is for the dry return.
Kitchen Sewage.
A correspondent asks about fill
ing pit feet long, feet wide and
3 feet deep with small and medium
sized stones. Into this pit he in
tends to empty the kitchen waste.
Answer-The pit would quickly
clog up with grease and refuse He
will do much better by building a
cesspool. Complete instructions on
building cesspools are contained in
Government bulletin, No. 1927,
Sewage and Sewerage of Farm
Homes Send cents in coin to
the superintendent of documents,
Washington.
Painting Metal Window Frames.
Question: 1 intend removing all
the old paint from the metal win
dow frames on my house. Please
advise me if you know of good
primer paint which will prevent
peeling
AnsWer-Remove all of the paint
that is loose by rubbing with sand
paper or steel wool, smoothing the
surface as much as possible. Then
wipe with benzine Gnflammable
or turpentine. For printing coat
apply top-quality aluminium paint.
When thoroughly dry and hard. fin
fsh with a good quality outside
paint.
LOG SCratCneS on Doors.
A correspondent sends the follow
ing for filling deep scratchings by
dogs in grain finished doors: Make
q putty out of fine sawdust, little
plaster of Paris and spar varnish.
Apply with putty knife. When
dry, sandpaper down, with the paper
wrapped around block of wood.
Apply stain and grain to match the
door. When this is dry, revarnish
the door. If it is done by a good
worker, the repair can hardly be de-
tected. (Note: For a complete job,
put pair Of boxing gloves on the
dog)
BliStered Paint.
Question: I built an extension on
my house last summer, and finished
1t with high-quality paint. In sew
eral places bubbles appeared. When
touched. a red deposit like rust
comes out. I am told that this is
caused by the paint. What do you
advise?
Answer-That effect cannot be
blamed on the paint 1t is from
moisture in the wood. Somewhere
there is leak that permits water
to run down inside the clapboards.
Collecting on cross-pieces, it soaks
into the clapboards from the back.
On being drawn out to the front by
warm air, it takes the paint with it.