The midland journal. (Rising Sun, Md.) 1885-1947, 1940-09-27
= RI r S T-AID
AILING HOUSE
Patching Concrete.
BY ROGER .. wHlTMAN

Patcnlng cement soon cracks out.
Answer: A crack should be cut out
with cold chisel to make room
for the patch. The cut should be
made wider at the bottom than
on the surface, so that in hardening
the patch will lock itself in. The
patching material should be one
part portland cement and three
parts sand, with only enough water
to be workable. Before patching, the
old concrete should be soaked with
water. The patch should be kept
wet for several days for thorough
curing. Where appearance is not
important, cracks can be filed with
roofing cement, which is most easily
applied by melting and pouring in.
Noisy Water Pipes.
Question: There is always air in
our water pipes, which are under
city pressure. It does no harm, but
! wonder il it has something to do
with the loud noise we always get
when drawing water. The noise can
be heard through the house and Ia
annoying.
Answer: II the air is from high
pressure or from pumping, your
neighbors are having the same trou-
BILE, and the local plumbers are so
familiar with it that any one of them
could put in reducing valve or an
air separator that will stop the
noise. If your neighbors are not
having the trouble, the reason is in
your own house, and is likely to be
from loose and worn washers in the
faucets. This should be looked into.
Rocking Chair.
Question: In removing rockers
from chair should they be knocked
of or sawed off? Should the legs be
all the same length from the bottom
Of the seat at the corners? Would
the chair then be too low for a
"slipper" chair?
Answer: Knocking the rockers of
may damage the legs of the chair.
Saving them off is safer. After
the rockers are off, further cutting
may be necessary to get the legs
of the chair to set squarely on the
floor. Make your measurements
carefully. The front legs of the av-
erage chair are a trif1e longer than
those in the back (one-quarter to
one-haH inch.) Whether or not the
chair will be too low will depend on
the present height.
Retaining Wall.
Question: How can build rock
retaining wall through which soil
will not wash away? Our ground is
on two levels with about a two-foot
drop. Is a dry wall practical?
Answer: A rock wall laid up dry is
entirely practical, and has the adj
vantage of allowing the seepage of
water through it; without seepage
dammed-up water will make trou-
BILE. The wall must 60 deep enough
into the ground to be below the frost
level and have sufficient strength to
resist the pressure of the earth be-
hind it. Do not skimp on dimen-
sions.
Vacunm Cleaner on Wasps.
A correspondent describes his
method for disposing of his attic
wasps with his vacuum cleaner. ION
a day when they were out OF their
nests and congregated in the sum
shine, a wide-mouthed tool was
ar-lied, and the wasps were instant
ly drawn in. This was easy, and
after they were all picked up, moth
gas was drawn into the cleaner
until the noise subsidized. The dust
chamber was then emptied into a
bucket of boiling water"
Stained Shingles.
Question: Please advise the cause
of dark spots like oil or grease on
shingles. They were finished with q
fine quality stain; the same quality
as the original stain. The spots APP
pear on the side walls subjected to
the hot summer suns rays.
Answer: It is possible the spots
are caused by excess Of oil in the
wood being drawn to the surface.
Try wiping the spots with turpentine.
This may remove the grease or oil
spots.
Round Table.
Question: Where can / get the
dimensions for a portable round Ia
BILE, to seat 10 persons, the kind Of
table used in hotels?
Answer: A space Of 2 feet is al
lowed per person, which would make
the diameter of such table about
6A feet. Height of the table top is
2 feet 6 inches, while the height of
the knee space is 2 feet inch.
Cleaning Furniture.
Question: How can spots and dirt
be removed from overstuffed furni-
ture?
Answer: If the color of the uphol-
stery material is fast, you can do
the Job with a shampoo prepara-
ton to be had at a department store.
Directions for use are on the label.
If the material is not fast, dry clean
ing will be needed.
Sunlight on Furniture.
Question: Our dining-room table
is directly under stained glass
:-<1<xx, ord rocoivaS a lot of heat