Evening star., 1940-10-26
First Aid
For the
AHing House
By ROGER B. WHITMAN.

BY ROGER Is. VIII MAN.
@. Can you suggest way to in
sulate the floor of a shack which
has no basement? There are wide
cracks in the floor, so we know 1t
will be very cold this winter unless
something can be done to keep the
floor warmer. Is there any suitable
insulating material?
A. If there is enough space be-
tween the under side of the floor
and the ground blanket type of
insulation with a waterproof cover
ing can be placed between the floor
joists. But if there is not enough
working space underneath the floor
you can put down sheets of rigid
insulating board on top of the pres
ent floor and then lay finished floor
ing over it. Or the old floor can
be taken up, insulating board then
put down over the joists and the
floor relaid
Blackened Chimney.
@ Our house is painted white,
with a large chimney at the front
Black SCOT from the oil burner
makes streaks down the chimney. so
that the house is unsightly. The
oil-burner people have made all
possible adjustments and say that
the combustion is good What can
We dc? Would It help to put a
gutter around the chimney?
A. Excessive SCOT and smoke from
an oil burner show that something
IS wrong with the adjustment. For
one thing. the nozzle may be the
wrong size. Whatever the reason. i
Is certainly something that a good
service man should be able to COR
rect. With proper adjustment. a
gutter should not be needed. But
If YOU put one on. make it fairly
deep and attach it 5 or 6 inches
below the chimney top The space
between the gutter and the top of
he chimney should be painted black
Cottage Floor.
Q. In my cottage in the country
the floors are narrow pine boards.
I find that shellac and other fin
tshes do not give good results even
when Waxed. due to grit on peoples
shoes. l wish to finish the living
room floor now and would like to
have it a dark brown. Can I oil
this floor? How should I 60 about
It?
A. For a dark brown color YOU
can finish the floor with pene-
tratlng wax finish. This material
IS made in a variety of shades. Your
local paint dealer should be able to
supply this material Before refin-
ishing, remove all of the old finish
now on the floor, preferably with
an electric sanding machine. How
about an extra door mat to take care
OF some of the grit?
Tile or Stone Floor.
Q. Aside from being hard on the
feet. are there any disadvantages
In tile or flagstone floors in a home?
Are they hard on rugs? What is
the proper care. other than wash
ing? Should they be Waxed? One
sees them used in bathrooms, kitch-
ems. halls and sun parlors, but not
in other rooms Is the cost more
than for the usual oak floor, if one
considers the rehnishing required
for wood floors?
A. Tile or f1agstones are used in
many homes, provided the architec-
ture and decorative scheme of the
house call for this type of flooring.
Because of the density of the floor
Ing it is advisable to use felt cush-
ions under rugs. Tile and fagstone
floors are generally mopped with
soap and water, then rinsed with
clear water. Occasionally floors of
this kind are scrubbed thoroughly,
then oiled or Waxed. Ordinarily the
cost Of laying wood floors is much
lower. Tile and stone floors require
heavier floor joists in order to sup
port the extra weight.
Blisters in Flat Roof.
@. I recently had a new roof put
on my house. About four weeks
later blisterS developed. Is this a
usual occurrence or was there de-
fective workmanship or material?
A. Gas generated by the heat of
the sun accumulate in air pockets,
tween two layers of roofing felt
may be caused by having roof laid
In cold or damp wea tfer Slight un-
evenness or projection on the sur
face of the roof. such as piece of
gravel or a nail, may also form air
pockets Careless or insufficient
mopping of tar. pitch of asphalt is
also possibility.
Painting Time.
Q. What is the best time of year
to paint the outside of white brick
and clapboard house and what Is
the best type of paint to use?
A. Any time. providing the tenn
perature is above so degrees Fahren-
heit and the weather has been clear
and dry for several days to permit
the surfaces that are to be painted
to become thoroughly dry. Use any
good quality outside house paint for
the clapboard; do not use cheap
paint. The brick can be painted
with an exterior casein paint,
cement composition paint or an oil
paint made for brick and stucco
Cement composition paint can be
applied only over surface previously
painted with the same type of ma
terial If the brick has been white
washed, it should be cleaned before
repainting.
MercurOchrOme.
@. How can mercurochrome stains
be removed from white cotton