Evening star., 1941-11-22
First Aid
Forthe
AHingHouse
BY ROGER B. WHITMAN.

IN putting up a building of any
sort. 1t is never wise to have wood in
direct contact with the earth.
Sooner or later trouble will be sure
TO come from the rotting of the wood
through dampness or from attack
by termites or other insects. Some
kinds of wood such as cypress and
redwood are resistant to trouble
from rotting. but in time. even these
are not entirely immune.
In anything but shack, the parts
in contact with the earth should be
of masonry, with well-made poured
concrete the first choice. When
alterations to an old building or re-
grading around it may bring the
wooden parts into contact with soil,
1t Is best to replace the woodwork
with concrete. Sometimes it Is posi-
BILE to protect the wooden parts with
a concrete wall, but for safety, this
should be waterproofed with coat
ing of tar.
Stuck Windows.
@. My house was recently painted
on the inside, and the paint mas
stuck the windows shut. What can
I do so that they can be opened?
A. Run putty knife into the
Joint between the edges of the sashes
and the sides of the grooves in which
they slide. The sashes should have
a little side motion, and you can
break the paint by forcing them first
one way and then the other. One
way to do this is to drive the blade
of a heavy screwdriver between the
top of a sash and the bottom of its
groove.
Leather Upholstery.
@. What can I use to clean red
leather armchair? What kind OF
paint or stain can be used to touch
up the arm where the color has
rubbed off?
A. You can clean the leather with
saddle soap, to be had at any leather
or hardware store. Follow the direc-
tions on the label Worn places can
be touched up with leather dye or
with colored wax to be had at shoe
repair store.
Sawdust Insulation.
@. I have large quantity OF dry
sawdust on hand. Could 1t be used
to insulate an unused attic floor?
A. 1t would not be advisable. first
because of the fire risk; second. be-
cause sawdust will absorb and hold
moisture. Third. because sawdust is
attractive to mice and insects as a
nesting place.
Oily Film.
@, There is a film on my furniture
made by our Oil burner. How can 1t
be cleaned off without running the
finish?
A. Wipe with a cloth damp with
turpentine, followed by rubbing with
a drv cloth. A film sent through the
house indicates that your burner
needs readiustment, which should
be attended to without delay. As
things are now, the burner is not
working efficiently.
Rafting Windows.
@. We recently had new windows
put in our home, but the slightest
breeze rattles them terribly. What
is the cause and remedy?
A. The reason is that the sashes
fit too loosely in the grooves lr
which they slide. In putting in tht
windows the carpenter should have
seen to it that the grooves made
snug fit. Loose windows will admi
quantities of cold air. Meta
weatherstrips will not only seal th'
Joints. but will prevent rattling
Use the kind of weatherstrippint
that fits in grooves cut in the edge
of the sashes. If the carpenter vii
not make good on his job you car
get wedges with which the sashe'
can be jammed in place and KEEP
from rattling They are to be hae
at hardware and dime stores.
Hardwood Floors.
@. Last year my hardwood floor!
we're sanded. filled and given three
coats of varnish. They are really
beautiful and I want to keep then
so. I wax them quite often, bu
they seem to be going little dark
How can I keep them light?
A. Wipe them with liquid way
not water wax or non-rubbing wax
The darkening is in the wax nov
on the floor, which the liquid wa,