Dickenson County herald. [volume] (Clintwood, Va.) 1939-195?, 1943-04-22
CELLAR CLOTHES CLOSET

Question: Last fall I built a cedar
closet in our cellar to keep clothes
protected from moths. Now I find
the clothes kept there have become
moldy. Our cellar is a little damp,
but the walls Of the closet are at
least five inches away from the con-
crete walls and floor. How can /
protect the clothes and get rid of
the mold?
Answer: You possibly might be
able to do moistureproof job on
the clothes closet by insulating all
surfaces with insulation board; then
cover all exterior surfaces with
heavy asphalt paint. But my adj
vice is to give up the idea Of storing
clothing in. the damp cellar. You
would find it much more practical
to lay in several garment bags,
the kind with zippers, if you still
can get them, and store your gar
ments upstairs. First, of course,
all clothing should be cleaned thor
oughly and the bags provided with
plenty of "paradi" (moth fakes)
and moth balls.
Furnace Smokes
Question: Our furnace has been
smoking for the last two or three
years when the door is left open. The
damper that is supposed to control
that part does not seem to function.
Have had it gone over by furnace
men, but they do not seem to be
able to cure the trouble. It draws
well when the door is closed, and
heats properly. What is the trouble?
Answer: When a furnace is in op-
Grafton all doors should be closed.
When draft is necessary the damp
err in the ashpit door should be
opened, but the door itself should
remain closed. If the damper does
not operate properly it may need
replacement. Ask the maker Of your
furnace to send you a copy OF his
instructions on the proper operation
Of the unit.
Painting Brick
Question: plan on painting a cot
tage built of common brick, over
which there is a coating of cement.
This cement has been painted sew
eral times. However, some of the
paint has peeled off in spots. Some
Of the cement has cracked and fall
en- off, which since has been re-
patched. What sort Of paint would
be best to use on this cottage?
Answer: Since the walls presun-
ably have been painted with an oil
paint, use good quality outside
house paint. Or if your local paint
dealer has a good brand Of oil base
brick and cement coating you could
use that. If the old paint has peeled
badly, it may be necessary to re-
move 1t first before repainting.
Roots In Sewer
Question: After having my sewer
pipe ''rodded'' out, the workman
informed me that the pipe was mat
ted with tree roots and would re-
quire digging up. An oil treatment
was suggested. What do you ad-
wise?
Answer: A pound or two Of copper
sulphate, dissolved in pail of warm
water, then poured down the sewer
may be more effective than oil. Of
course, if the pipe is matted badly
with roots, it may be necessary to
remove them first; then use the
chemical to prevent further growth.
II you can locate a plumber who
has a root-removing machine, with
rotary knives, the job can be done
without digging up the pipe.
Insulation
Question: Is it possible for lay
man to insulate a two-story four
family brick house? If so, what ma
terials are needed?
Answer: If the house has an attic
space under peak roof, insulation
can be put into this space by lay
man. But if the roof is fat pro-