Evening star., 1940-11-02
First Aid
For the
Aiing House
By ROGER b. WHITMAN.


Question: have a calcinined
ceiling which is peeling. I should
like to take off all the calcimine
and give the ceiling coat of paint
What should / do after washing off
the calcimine?
Answer-After all traces of call
cimine have been, removed and the
plaster thoroughly dried give the
plaster a prime coat of flat wall
paint thinned out according to the
directions on the label of the paint
can The following coats of paint
should be applied according to the
directions of the manufacturer.
Paint Over Varnish.
observation-disclosures in my kitch-
en- was vanished. We gave it three
coats of paint, but this quickly
Clipped and the varnish shows.
What should do before I paint it
again?
Answer-In the first place, wood
work and all other surfaces in a
kitchen are covered with a film of
grease, which must be removed be-
fore painting; paint will not hold
over it. For another thing, paint
will not stick to glossy surface
such as varnish: the gloss of the
varnish should first be dulled by
rubbing with sandpaper or steel
wool.
Steaming Windows.
Question-HoW can I prevent my
windows from steaming up in the
fall when the heat is turned on?
Answer-During the summer and
fall all parts of the house absorb
moisture from the air. In the fall,
with the windows closed and the
heat turned on, the house dries out
and the house air becomes heavily
saturated. 1t is this that causes
windows to steam. The condition
is only temporary; it ends when all
the parts of the house become dry.
Stuck Windows.
Question-How can I open win
dows that are stuck with paint?
Answer-Run a putty knife into
the Joint between the window sash
and the side of the groove to break
the paint that has hardened there.
If this does not work the surest
remedy is to take off the molding on
the window frame that forms the
inside edge of the groove. The
sashes can then be moved suffi-
GENTLY to break the hardened paint.
If the windows move stiff1y they can
be eased by rubbing paraffine on the
bottoms of the groove.
Sink Drainage.
Question-Our kitchen sink drains
into a hole dug in the ground and
filled with gravel. The hole fills
with water and overflows. 1t does
not soak into the ground fast enough.
How can this be fixed so it will work
all winter?
Answer-You need dry well,
which will be more sanitary. Dig
a hole in the ground the size of a
berrel and line the sides with brick
laid up without mortar. The bottom
of the hole should be left bare.
Cover the top with heavy boards or
fiagstone. The water can then escape
from the hole through the bottom
and the sides as we'll. The inlet, of
course, comes in just under the top.
The dry well should be at least 15
feet from the house.
Cement Stained Brick.
Question-A cement porch was
laid in the rear of our house and
some of the cement splashed on the
brick veneer. This has now hardened.
How can it be removed?
Answer-Wet the cement with a
mixture of part of muriatic acid in
20 parts of water. The cement stains
will be softened and can then be
scraped off. Follow by flushing with
plenty of clear water. In making the
mixture pour the acid slowly into
the water while stirring. Wear old
clothes and rubber shoes and gloves,
for the acid is highly corrosive.
Heat Circulation.
Question-My house has very high
ceilings. Heat goes up and the
floors are cold. Is there any way
to drive the heat down? Would it
help to put in a false ceiling?
Answer-The simplest idea will
be to use a small electric fan. If