Evening star., 1941-02-01
First
Forthe
AIingHouse
BY ROGER b. WHITMAN.

@. My inside window Sills are
weatherbeaten, due to melting ice.
They were originally natural finish.
How should they be refinished?
a. Take off all OF the old finish to
the bare wood by scraping or with
sandpaper. For natural finish
Use clear spar varnish. If color is
needed, use varniSh stain. Get
varnish and varnish stain made of
synthetic resins, for these are re-
sistant to weather and moisture.
Wall-Board Joints.
@. How can wallpaper, put on in
sulating board walls, be kept from
cracking at the joints?
A. Every maker of insulating
board has his own method for filling
the joints. But none of these are
permanent. The filler will crack
with the swelling and shrinking of
the boards in changing seasons. A
surer method is to cover the joints
with a thin molding or wood strips,
which can be papered with the rest
Of the wall. Another idea Is to paint
them the color of the background of
the wall paper.
Blistered Walls.
@. My house was completed three
months ago. The paper on all OF
the walls has broken out with some
thing resembling a rash. Myriads
- H1ictarS hoUn
peared all over. What is the cause?
What is the remedy?
A. The paper was evidently put
on too soon and before the plaster
had time to dry and cure. 1t Is
usually considered that plaster walls
should not be papered until they are
at least six months old. Under this
condition it will probably be neces-
sary to take off the paper and to
smooth the plaster by sandpapering
before redecorating.
Knstty Pine.
@. We want to put knotty pine
on the walls of a Sunroom. How
should it be finished? Should the
trim of windows and doors have the
same finish, or should it be painted?
Alone good finish for knotty pine
Is penetrating wax, which can be
had at paint store. If you want
to keep the natural color, use the
penetrating wax clear; otherwise,
you can get it in all of the natural
wood colors. Trim should have
natural finish, the same tone as the
walls.
Noisy House.
G. m converted bungalow, noise
from the downstairs fiat is very ap-
parent upstairs. Would rubber
strips on door jambs cut the noise
Of slamning doors?
A. Thick rugs over pads on the
second floor should cut down much
Of the sound, although results will
be far from perfect. Trouble comes
because sound is carried through the
framework Of the house, a condition
that can be corrected only by recon-
struction. Whether or not rubber
pads in the door jambs will be effec-
tive can be told only by experiment.
Attic Insulation.
@. Where can I get information
On attic insulation?
A. All makers Of insulation pub
hsh booklets on the application of
their product to attics. There are
probably number of agents In your
city from whom you can get in
formation. Look also in the classi-
fed section Of your telephone book,
Substitute Storm Sash.
q. My landlord will not give me
storm sash for my apartment. Can
I get a good substitute?
A. Your windows need protection
BY misunderstanding as well as by
storm sash. Felt weather strips,
carefully applied, will prevent air
from leaking In around the windows.
Cellophane or sheet celluloid works
fairly well as storm sash; get sheets
large enough to cover the window
sashes, and apply them inside to the
frames, which will leave a space
between the material and the win
dow glass.
Rusty Water.
@. Why does hot water become
rusty when a fresh fire Is started
In a coal water heater after a period
OF idleness, and the water becomes
very hot?
A. In an idle period, loose sedi-
ment and rust collect in the water
Jacket, and will be stirred up by the
agitation Of boiling water. To get
rid Of 1t, bring the water to boil,
dump the fire, and drain off the
water In the jacket. After refilling,
the water should remain clean.
However, you should use regulator
that will prevent the water from
heating to more than about 14o de-
grees. Regulators are on sale by
mafl order houses and elsewhere.
Storm Windows.
q. Should storm windows be put
On all over q house or only on the
sides?
A. The purpose Of storm window
ID 10 inclose a body Of air, which
has the effect of raising the tenn
oerature Of the inside window. This
cuts down the loss of heat from the
room. For best effect, windows all
over a house should have the pro-
lection Of storm windows, although
they may be omitted on windows
facing south. 1t is of some ad-
to put storm windows on
the exposed sides of house, but
FOR complete protection, they should
be all over.
Filling an Opening.
q. Between our built-in sink and
the cabinet there Is one-quarter-
inch opening. We have tried to
close It with putty but this falls
out. What can we use?
A. Fill the opening with calking
compound, which you can get at
D hardware store. This resembles
putty, but never becomes quite hard