S. DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE 



PREPARING THE BUILDING FOR FUMIGATION 



It is essential that the building be made as nearly gastight as pos- 

 sible. A modern concrete building having windows with steel frames 

 is excellent for fumigation purposes, since little effort is needed to 

 make it reasonably gastight. Doors leading to the outside should be 

 sealed (fig. 7) . Ventilators on the roof ( fig. 8) or outside walls should 



also be sealed over, 

 a n d any windows 

 that are not tight 

 should be sealed 

 around the edges. 



Old or poorly con- 

 structed build ings 

 present a different 

 problem. Both walls 

 and roof must be 

 carefully inspected 

 for cracks or breaks. 

 In certain types of 

 roofs the union be- 

 tween the roof and 

 the walls m a y be 

 faulty and need to be 

 tightened (figs. 8 

 and 9). Any loose 

 flashing around 

 chimneys and venti- 

 lators must be re- 

 paired, and ventila- 

 tors a n d skylights 

 must be sealed over 

 (fig. 8). In some 

 cases it is impossible 

 to tighten a window 

 by the ordinary 

 method of wedging 

 and sealing or strip- 

 ping, and the entire 

 aperture m u s t be 

 sealed over (fig. 9). 

 For this purpose a 

 fiber-r ein forced 

 waterproof building- 

 paper is excellent. It 

 can be obtained in 

 rolls 300 feet long 

 and from 3 to 7 feet wide. It is a simple matter to tack it over the 

 opening, and the edges can be sealed down with adhesive tape. If 

 this type of paper is not available, any good tough paper can be 

 used and can be applied by a paperhanger. Even newspapers or 

 old bill posters will sometimes suffice if several layers are used, but 

 the best paper for fumigation purposes is that impregnated with 

 fiber and tar. 



Figtjee 7. — Doors to •warehouse, and transom, sealed with 

 old bill posters cut into strips. Latticed warehouse doors 

 in warm climates can he effectively sealed with 3 or -1 

 thicknesses of such material. 



