Evening star., 1940-08-10
First Aid
For the
Aiing House
By ROGER b. WHITMAN.

Of our new house is is feet wide and
has q drop of Is feet, with ter
race in the middle. The ground
around the house slopes toward the
front. and as result. rain washes
the dirt to the sidewalk. Would a
blind ditch along the top help to
prevent this? Would rock garden
on the slope hold the earth in
place? What should be done before
seeding this area?
Answer: A blind ditch along the
top would help. But the best
move would be to cover the area
with heavy sod. Seed would be
washed out before it would have
time to grow But the sod would not
wash, and it would hold the earth
i'll place. A rock garden against the
bank would be attractive, and would
save much difficult grass cutting.
Printing Coat.
@. We are going to remove the
wallpaper in one of our rooms and
paint the walls. What is the best
prining coat for plaster?
A. Thin the paint that you
will use with one-eighth as much
lnseed oil; that is, pint. TO the gal
lon. Allow plenty of time tor drying.
Sandy Cement Floor
@. What can I use on a poor
quality sandy cement floor in my
cellar? Is there any particular
paint that would help to bind the
floor or to keep it from becoming
dusty?
A. If the floor is in very poor
condition, topping coat of ce-
ment, about an inch and half to
two inches thick, might be advisable.
Slight sandiness in a cement can be
overcome by painting the floor with
synthetic resin or rubber base
paint, or by treating it with a solu-
tion of one part waterglass and
four parts of water. Mop On gener-
ously, soaking the floor very thor
oughly. Repeat the treatment after
day or two. Paint cannot be ap-
Piled over a cement floor treated
with waterglass.
Canvas Duff1e Bag.
a. am making duff1e bags
of canvas. What is the best thing
to use to waterproof them?
A. Brush the canvas with a
solution of pound of shaved par
afin in a gallon of clear gasoline.
The fabric should be stretched when
applying the solution. To avid fire
risk, do the work outside on cool,
cloudy day.
Paint for Cement Stucco.
@. My house is cement stucco,
II years old, in good condition
except for being faded, streaked
and dirty. Several painting con-
tractors have offered variety of ad-
vice and materials. What is your
advice?
A. Portland cement stucco, never
coated before with an oil paint,
can best be finished with ce-
ment composition paint. This
paint comes in powder form and is
to be mixed with water. This mate
rial, being made with portland
cement base, makes very satisfac-
tory finish for cement stucco sur
faces.
Squeaky Faucets.
@. Can you suggest a remedy for
soueaky faucets? They squeak when
turned on or off.
A. The packing under the cap
nut, through which the stem goes
down to the faucet, is probably
worn. You can get a replacement at
your local plumbing shop. AS sub
stitute, wind the stem under the cap
with candle wick.ng smeared with
hard grease or soaked in parafln.
House without a Cellar.
@. I am planning to build an all
year house in hilliy country. AS
economy Is necessary, am Won
dering if, from the standpoint OF
comfort, 1t will be absolutely es-
sential to excavate for a cellar. I
am told that good many houses are
built nowadays without cellars.
A. Many small houses are now
being built without cellars. They
can be made comfortable if the
concrete floors are insulated. This
is done by mop ing a coating OF
liquid tar or asphalt over the rough
concrete, then putting down sheets
of rigid insulating board, followed by
another coating of tar or asphalt;
a concrete floor finish is then put
down over the insulation.
Waxing Furniture.
@. I want to wax all my wood
III,
six months ago. Must all traces OF
former wax first be removed? Is 1t
wise to wax furniture in hot wealth
er. or is it better to wait until fall?
A. If the wax coating is very thick
1t can be taken off by wiping with
turpentine; otherwise, it can re-
main. Before waxing rub the old
wax we'll with cheesecloth; you may
find that enough of it remains to
make further waxing unnecessary
In hot weather, paste floor wax is
softer than in cold weather, ard
1t goes on more easily. Otherwise,
there is no difference.
Floors in Old Farmhouse.
@. 1 am buying an old farmhouse
built in It'll, in Al condition eX-
cept for the floors in two OF the
rooms. The old, wide boards have
been painted over and over again
with a hideous red paint. The owner
fears they won't stand being scraped
down to the original planks. Is there
any solution that would take off this
paint? ,,.,
I see no reason why you cannot
scrape the floors. Or you could re-
move the paint with paint-remover
solution: for instance, mixture of 8
pounds of trisodium phosphate in a
gallon of hot water. After the
paint has been removed, rinse with
clear water. When the floor is thor
oughly dry, smooth the surface by