Dickenson County herald. [volume] (Clintwood, Va.) 1939-195?, 1943-02-11
CELLULOID AROUND SWITCH
PLATES WILL PROTECT
WALLPAPER

WALLPAPER
ONE of the little things that w0r :.
~ ries careful housekeeper is
the soiling of wallpaper around
switch-plates. Fumbling fingers in
the dark may leave marks that can
not easily be erased. This situa-
ton can be made easier through the
use of a sheet of thin transparent
celluloid, or Of heavy cellophane.
The switch-plate is taken off, which
can be easily done by releasing the
screws that show in the face. Usu-
ally there are two, but for plates
that combine two switches, or
switch and an outlet there may be
four. The switch-plate is laid on the
sheet of transparent material, and
piece cut out an inch or two larger,
all around. The inside is also cut
out to a size smaller than the switch
plate, so that when the plate is re-
turned to position, the inner edge
will be nipped, and the entire sheet
pressed against the wall. Being
transparent, the wallpaper pattern
will show through, and the addition
will hardly be noticed. Even
greasy and perspiring fingers will
leave no traces, or II they do. they
can easily be wiped out with damp
cloth.
Peeling Paint on Bathroom Walls
Question: The paint on our bath
room walls is peeling badly; we
should like to repaint but are afraid
that the same thing might happen
again. The worst spot is around
the sink, where water splashes on
the walls. es4~ ~ &c. -
Answer: Ordinary fat paint
should not be used in bathroom or
kitchen. For the best modern ef-
feet, finish your bathroom walls at
least halfway up with wall linoleum
or with tile. For the rest Of the
wall you can use wall cloth, which
is waterproof and comes in hand
some designs Another choice would
be glossy enamel. II you cannot
use linoleum or tile, wall cloth or
enamel can be used for all the wall,
except around the shower. There
the plaster of the walls should have
waterproof covering; wall cloth
will serve in this instance.
Damp Bedroom
Question: The room where my
two children sleep has no cellar I'M
der it and the floor always is damp.
What can we do?
Answer: II there is enough space
underneath for workman to crawl,
you could have blanket insulation at
least two inches thick, enclosed in
waterproof paper, nailed between
the floor joists. Before installing
the insulation, coat the underside Of
the floor and beams with liquid
tar or asphalt.
LinOleum ON Tile
Question: We have a white tile
floor in our bathroom but would like
linoleum instead. Must the tile be
taken out, or can the linoleum be
put over it?
Answer: The tile will not have to
be removed, but if there are any
Irregularities in the surface your
linoleum contractor will have to
level off the high spots first; other
wise, there will be excessive wear
at these points.
Painting Metal Lamps
Question: The finishes on my two
lamps, one brass and one bronze,
are stained and peeling. I should
like to paint them ivory. What
should ! do?
Answer: Remove all traces of lac.
quer from the lamps by wiping with
lacquer thinner or acetone. (This is
inflammable, so be careful Of fire.)
Rub the metal with steel wool, then
wipe with turpentine. Apply coat
of enamel undercoat or fiat wall
paint, and then finish the job with
a very good quality, quick-drying
enamel