The midland journal. (Rising Sun, Md.) 1885-1947, 1940-07-05
FL r S TAI :
to the
AILINC HOUSE
Summer House.
BY ROGER 0. WHITMAN

are plasterboard. Upstairs bed
rooms have very narrow boards for
a ceiling. Personally, l don't think
the house, although small, can be
heated in its present condition. Do
you think the house could be insulat-
ed, and would pipeless furnace be
sufficient?
Answer: Make certain there is
wood sheathing and sheathing paper
underneath the outside wall cover
ing. Many summer houses have
been built without it. Sheathing
helps keep the weather out. Insula-
ton will help make any type house
more comfortable. At slightly
higher cost, a hot air furnace with
ducts connected to each room would
be preferable to the pipeless type.
Creaking Floor Boards.
Question: Occasionally at regular
intervals there is tapping noise,
which we discovered is a creaking
of the floor boards. The same thing
has happened in another room. How
can this noise be stopped?
Answer: The tapping noise may
be caused by the expansion and con-
traction of floor boards due to the
absorption Of moisture and to dry.
ing out. Nothing much can be done
to stop this, except to maintain
uniform amount of humidity in the
air. Creaking of floor boards caused
by loosening from the beams may
be stopped by driving finishing nails
through both thicknesses of the
flooring into the beam. Nails should
be driven in pairs at opposite an
giles. The heads of nails are driven
below the surface of the floor boards
with a nailset. Plug the nail holes
with plastic wood. Talcum powder
worked in between the floor boards
may also correct this condition.
Il Inherited House.
Question: The house, which we re-
Gently inherited, has five rooms up
stairs and four rooms downstairs.
We plan to alter it. Can the roof
be taken off and bungalow type
made of the building, with all rooms
on one floor? We haven't much mon
ey, and wonder if the FILA would
give us loan for femodeling. Can
plans be had on undermining
house?
Answer: The roof can be taken of
and the upper story removed. ]
strongly recommend that you en-
ploy the services Of an architect.
He will be able to plan all Of the
necessary structural changes to
be made, as well as rearranging the
rooms, and specifying the proper
materials to be used in making these
alterations. Loans on this type Of
work are made through local banks,
after the local FILA Office has ap-
proved the arrangements.
Tourist Cabins.
Question: Where can I secure
plans for tourist cabins?
Answer: All of the larger manu-
facturers of insulating boards issue
pamphlets on this subject; so do sew
eral Of the lumber associations.
! Ping-Po Table.
A correspondent has sent in the
following suggestion for finishing
pin-pong table: "Apply two coats Of
linseed oil, allowing ample time for
the first coat to dry thoroughly, and
coating both surfaces and the edges.
Finish with two coats of heavy dark
green house paint, which should last
for several years."
Wall Coverings.
Question: Is it advisable to use oil
cloth on the ceilings and wallpaper
on the side walls?
Answer: You may find it more
practical to use wall-cloth or wash
able wallpaper for the walls and
ordinary wallpaper on the ceilings.
Selling is more apt to occur on the
walls than the ceilings.
Stuck Doors.
Question: In two garages that I
know the hinge-type doors have
stuck at the bottom on the con-
crete drive in cold weather, although
entirely free in warm weather. Can
you explain?
Answer: That is not due to expan-
sion, as you suggest, but to the heav-
ing Of the concrete apron by the
freezing Of water underneath. The
condition is quite commons To get
away from it, drainage should be
provided under the apron. In many
cases deep bed of cinders is suf-
ficient.
Fumigati0n.
Question: Please advise me on the
fumigation of a house that we have
just bought.
Answer: Within city limits furni-
cation is generally only done by q
concern licensed to do such job.
Even where there are no regula-
tons, it is most advisable to have
the job done by an expert, both for
sureness Of results and for safety.
Wooden Steps,
Question: The wooden steps Of my
old house are in need Of rebuilding.
The side boards are buried in earth,
the dampness rots the boards very
quickly. My carpenter claims the