The midland journal. (Rising Sun, Md.) 1885-1947, 1941-03-21
Fl r s TAD :
to the
AILING HOUSE
20 Roger B. whitman--wNu service.)
BY ROGER .. WHITMAN

20 Roger b. Whitman--WNU Service.)
Concrete Cellar Floor.
QUESTION: wish to lay q re-
" inforced concrete floor in my
cellar, and a wooden floor on top.
Would you advise three or four
inch layer of concrete? Would a mix
ture Of ! part cement, 2 parts of
small stones or ashes keep the naois-
ture from coming through the floor,
provided put down thin layer Of
tar over the concrete?
Answer: A word of warning:
Never use ashes as base for con-
crete or as mix with concrete; use
clean building sand. Four inches or
more Of concrete should be laid for
basement floor. The following mix
is advisable: part Portland ce-
ment, 2M parts Of clean building
sand and parts gravel or crushed
stone of inch maximum size. Com
plete printed instructions on the lay
ing Of concrete floors can be secured
from the Portland Cement Associa-
ton at BAT Madison Ave., New York
city. Chicago Office at SO West
Grand avenue.) After the concrete
has dried thoroughly, and before
laying the wood floor, coat the ce-
ment with liquid tar or asphalt;
then put down a layer Of heavy as
pha1t saturated felt, overlapping the
sheets at least half the width. The
vryooI A01,. 10 <I,o,, Laid ~, ov~ ocv1bo1k
cement, which is spread on the felt.
Thing Kitchen.
Question: I have several questions
would like to have your advice on.
One: Do you advocate tile extend
ing to the ceiling behind the stove?
Would the heat from the stove crack
the tile? Two: What materials and
method Of placing the tile should be
used to insure its not becoming loose
after a time? Do you recommend
the use Of straight Portland cement?
Three: Are there various grades Of
tile?
Answer: It is not necessary to tile
the wall to the ceiling. II the oven
Of the stove is not insulated, the
stove should be moved far enough
away from the wall to eliminate
the risk of fire. Nowadays, most
ovens are insulated. Two: To de-
scribe in detail the method and ma
terials used for tile setting would
take too much space in this column.
Write to the Tile Manufacturers AS
sociation at 10 West 44th Street, New
York city, and ask for the pamphlet
that they issue, covering this ques-
ton. The pamphlet also describes
the various grades Of tile. It will
be sent without charge.
Concrete on Brick.
Question: We want to cover a
brick paved court with concrete.
What mixture should we use?
Answer: II the brick are laid di-
rectly on the ground, there Ii every
chance that heaving, as the ground
freezes and thaws, will crack the
concrete. This is not so likely to
happen if the brick are laid on a
foundation Of eight inches of packed
cinders-not ashes-or are on q
concrete bed. If this is not the case,
there is likely to be trouble. II you
want to 60 ahead, use a mixture OF
l part cement, IA parts building
sand, and parts finely crushed rock
or small pebbles, with only enough
water to make workable mixture.
Spaces between the bricks should be
cleaned out to depth of an inch or
more, to permit the concrete to
penetrate, and at the time Of pour
ing, the bricks should be well soaked
with water.
Cement Paint Stains.
Question: How can I remove
stains Of q paint made with white
Portland cement from a rubble-l
stone foundation, and from red slate
surfaced shingles? a,
Answer: To remove the stains
from the foundation stones, moisten
with a mixture of / part muriatic
acid and 20 parts of water; the paint
will quickly soften and can be
scraped or wiped off. Be careful of
this mixture, for it is corrosive.
Wear rubber gloves and old clothes.
You will not need much; ask your
druggist to make up pint.
Anything that will take of the
paint viii damage the shingles. The
remedy is to touch the paint with
outside paint Of shade that
matches.
Lining a Basement.
Question: In making basement
into a clubroon, Is it practical to use
wallboard for the walls? Can the
floor be painted?
Answer: The wallboard that is
like thick pasteboard will swell and
shrink with changes in weather, and
is not practical. You will do better
to use a kind of insulating board
that has a treatment making It re-
sistant to dampness; get it at a lum-
Der yard. Ordinary paint win not
last on a concrete floor, because of
the destruction Of the oils by the
lime in the cement. At large paint
afora Won should ho ah1o a. <<a& J. IT,.