Evening star., 1942-06-27
Aid
the
|AHingHouse
BY ROGER B. WHITMAN.

Q. I have recently purchased an
old two-f1at apartment house, and
am thinking of undermining the
entrance vestibule. What would
you suggest?
A. A simple treatment for the
walls would be covering them with
panels of stiff insulating sheets. You
could also use plasterboard which
can be had surfaced with wood
veneer to show the grain. Calling
at the interior decorating sections
of any of the large department
stores will give you many practical
ideas. For sle floor, linoleum should
be satisfactory.
@. How can lime and sand walls
be sized so that wallpaper will stick?
At the present we cannot afford to
have the wall replastered.
A. The wall is evidently too
rough for papering. A good paper
hanger could make it smooth by a
coating of plastic paint containing
gypsum. An alternative would be
to paint the wall instead of attempt
ing to paper it.
c. After vanishing a piece of
furniture. from which I had re-
moved the original finish, I find
small bubbles that seem to be
formed by a gum-like substance
What causes this and how can
prevent it?
A. The varnish may be too old.
The bubbles may actually be dust
that settled on the varnish before
1t hardened. At the time of doing
the job the varnish may have been
too cold; the temperature of varnish
and of the work should be at least
70 degrees. Air bubbles may have
formed in the varnish can by shak-
ing; varnish cans should never be
shaken.
How to Absorb Sound.
@. We have an upright piano in
our living room resting on a bare
section Of the floor In spite of
playing softly, the bass notes are
distinctly heard by our neighbor
below us. Would a rubber mat
placed under the piano absorb some
of the vibrations?
A. A piece of heavy broadloom
carpeting placed under the piano
may cut down the transmission of
the low notes through the floor
enough to satisfy your neighbor. If
this is not sufficient. place pieces of
heavy sponge rubber or cork under
each leg of the piano.
Q. have some hand-painted
pictures with gilt frames. The pic
lures as we'll as the frames are
faded and dirty. How can they be
cleaned to bring out the colors?
After cleaning, how can they be kept
clean?
A. II the pictures have any real
value l do not advise you to attempt
to clean them; for if it is not done
correctly the pictures are likely to
be ruined. A dealer in artist sup
plies can give you the names of
roStorers who make a business of
that work, and by far your best
move will be to have the lob done
professionally.
Q. Can wallpaper be removed
from plasterboard previous to paint
ing? Or could plaster be put on
top?
A. Removing the wallpaper from
plaSterboard is difficult matter,
for the paper that forms the sur
face of the plasterboard is likely
to come off too. Plaster cannot
be used over wallpaper. but you
can put on a plastic paint of kind
that Is made with gypsum. 1t
should also be possible to apply
casein paint over the wallpaper.
Lipstick Stain Removed.
@. Guests leave lipstick stains
on my linen napkins. 1t seems i'm
possible to wash the lipstick out.
Can you tell me how to do it?
A. Washing with hot water is
likely to set the stains. Anything
done to take them out should be
done before laundering. Soaking in
a spot remover such as carbon
tetrachloride should do the trick.
Q. Our kitchen chimney is outside
the wall, and inside plaster and
paint crack badly in that part of the
kitchen. How could this be stopped?
A. If the inside plaster is applied
directly to brick. the trouble comes
from the extreme changes in tenn
perature. Your best move will be
to cover the part of the inside wall
plaster that is next to the chimney
with One'or two thickneSSeS of stiff
insulating sheets or to apply the
plaster to lath on Turing strips.
For best results. the insulating
sheets should be on furring strips.
@. My asphalt shingle roof is IA
years old On the southern exposure
most of the granular surface is off,
exposing the black asphalt. Is there
any way to preserve the shingles
without radically changing the
color?
A. That condition can exist with
any make of asphalt shingles hav-
ing mineralized surface. Manu-
facturers provide liquids for reju-
venating such shingles; inquire of
any one of them.
Finish for Pine Floor.
@. What do you suggest for refln-
ishing pine floors? 1 am afraid OF
falling on a slippery waxed floor.