Kankakee Valley Post, Volume 13, Number 22, DeMotte, Jasper County, 9 April 1943 — FIRST-AID to the AILING HOUSE [ARTICLE+ILLUSTRATION]

FIRST-AID to the AILING HOUSE

by Roger B. Whitman

Roger B. Whitman—WNU Features. Yos may not be able to replace won er broken household equipment. This If war. Government priorities come first So take care of what yon have . . , aa well ae yon possibly ean. This column by the homeowner's friend tells you how. CISTERNS r time is approaching when a cistern can be filled with water so pure that it will not develop smell or taste. The first step should be the thorough cleaning of the cistern. Next, the flow pipe from the roof should have a switch to permit the first part of a rainfall to be diverted, so that waste matter on the roof will be carried off. Switches for this purpose can be had from hardware dealers. The top of the cistern should be tight to prevent the entrance of surface water and to keep out small animals and insects. A ventilator in the top can be a pipe two or three feet long, with layers of cheese-cloth tied over the top, to permit the passage of air. Rains in the late fall and early spring should be allowed to enter the cistern, for these, as well as the melting snow in winter, are free from vegetation and other waste matter. I know of cisterns built in this way and filled by this method to supply pure drinking water far into the summer. Well in Cellar Question: Will a well in the cellar cause dampness or make the floors cold? There is no furnace in the cellar. If so, would it still be damp if I filled in the well? I can get town water. The cellar only is under the kitchen. Answer: A large body of water, such as the well, in your cellar naturally would give off dampness. A good, dry cellar with a concrete floor would keep your house drier and warmer than one having an earth floor, with a well in it. My choice would be to fill up the well and get the town water. If you do not wish to put down a concrete floor at this time, you should protect the underside of the upstairs flooring with a blanket type "insulating material nailed between the floor joists. Get the kind that is one or two inches thick—the thicker the better—and covered all over with waterproof paper.

Mahogany Cabinet Question: We have a mahoganystained cabinet which we should like to refinish with light gray enamel. Is there a "sealer” that we could use without having to remove the present finish? Or should we take off all the present finish? Answer: If the old finish is in fair condition you can finish the piece in the following way: Dull the gloss by rubbing lightly with very fine (000) sandpaper. Then clean the surface by wiping with turpentine, and apply a coat of shellac. When this is dry, dull the gloss again, wipe off the dust, and then put on a gray flat paint and finish with enamel. Tar Paper Roof Question: What is the best way to preserve a roof finished with roofing tar paper? Answer: When the roof surface begins to show signs of drying or slight brittleness, mop on a coat of a good brand of liquid-tar roof coating. If the roofing is asphalt, use liquid-asphalt roof coating. Never put tar over asphalt, or the other way around. Mending Aluminum Question: I bought an aluminum double boiler some time ago, and I prized it highly. To my anguish, the top section has four tiny pin holes in it Is there any possible way of repairing it? Answer: If you can get aluminum solder from a sheet metal and roofing supply shop, you can use it to repair the boiler. If you cannot get this, you may be able to locate a welder who can do a welding Job on aluminum.