Evening star., 1941-03-08
First Aid
For the
AiingHouse
BY ROGER b. WHITMAN.

Plywood has long been in use for
eome details of house construction,
but until recently it was not proof
against the effects of moisture.
Now, however, it can be made with
waterproof CLUES, and is so proof
against the effects of moisture that
hullS of boats are made of it. This
greatly extends its usefulness in
mouse construction, as, for instance,
it is possible to use plywood for out
side sheathing. The great advantage
is in the size of the sheets, for it
can be had 8 feet wide and Is feet
In length. When boards of this
size are used for outside Sheathing,
the stiffness of the house will be
much greater than when the usual
sheathing methods are employed.
Plywood can also be used for in
terror walls. Up to the maximum
size of the boards, an interior wall
can be made with single sheet.
Plywood can also be used for a
sub-fioor. Plywood can be painted
or papered, or given a natural
finish~
Lead Water Pipes.
@. Is there any danger to health
IN using lead pipe for carrying
water?
A. Lead pipe should not be used
for carrying soft water, for the
water will become contaminated
and poisonous. The harder the
water, the less risk there is of this,
but even so. 1t may not be safe.
Plumbing codes usually prohibit its
use, in favor of galvanized iron and
steel, copper or copper alloy.
Drip From Rafters.
@. At temperatures around zero,
ice forms on the under side of my
roof in the attic and there is a
drip from it when it melts. Why is
this? What is the remedy?
A. This is only one of several
letters that have come in on this
same point. Warm house air con-
tains more or less moisture, and
when, in rising, it comes into con-
tact with the under side of cold
roof, there is likely to be conden-
sation. In very cold weather, frost
will form. The tighter the roof, the
more likely this is to occur. The
remedy is ventilation in the attic.
An alternative is to cover the under
side of the roof with waterproof
paper, stretched along the edges
of the rafters.
Fence Locations
@. MY house is one OF row.
My neighbors and myself would
like to divide the back property
into yards with fences, but we
do not know where each fence
should be erected. Can you inform
me?
A. That point is covered by your
city building regulations. A good
real estate agent should know, and
be able to advise you.
Care of Paint Brushes.
One of my correspondents writes
of having started to paint the wood
work in her living room. She had
to stop when night came, and in the
morning she found her brushes stiff
fened with paint and a skin on the
paint left in the can. She asks what
she did that was wrong. For one
thing, when painting is interrupted,
she should rinse out the brushes
with turpentine, wipe them off and
ff7ayNa in -ovnL n
protect them from the drying effects
of air. The paint cans should be
tightly covered. When the job is
finished, the brushes should be thor
oughly washed out in several
changes of turpentine and hung up
10 dry. The bristles will then remain
soft. Before beginning to paint, the
paint in the can should be thor
oughly mixed, for when standing on
the paint store shelf the thick parts
of the paint settle to the bottom and
are covered by a thin liquid. On
opening the can, most of the liquid
should be poured off into another
:an, and the remaining liquid stirred
into the thick paste. The liquid
should be returned, little by little,
and mixed in until the entire canful
of paint is smooth and evenly blend
ed. This, of course, does not apply
to varnish, varnish stain or other
clear finish.
New Furniture.
@. I have purchased some lovely
mahogany tables. How can I keep
their finish In good condition?
A. Keep them we'll busted and oc-
caSinnallV r1lh them with soft. dry