The editor will gladly answer queries pertaining to individual problems of interior decoration and furnishing. When an immediate reply is desired, a self-addressed stamped 
envelope should be enclosed. This department will also purchase any of the articles here described for subscribers living at a distance, or will furnish the names of the places 
where they may be obtained. 
Treating Damp Walls 
O NE of the more or less serious prob¬ 
lems that confronts many a house 
owner lies in the dampness of the walls. 
Sometimes it is merely a surface moisture 
that seems to be absorbed from the atmos¬ 
phere in certain localities, the result of 
frequent and prolonged rains ; or it may be 
a more serious matter, due to some faulty 
construction or material in the house. 
Once it gathers in the plaster it is difficult 
to eliminate; it appears continually, stain¬ 
ing the surface treatment, peeling and 
buckling the best and most carefully ap¬ 
plied wall paper. 
The difficulty frequently rises from poor 
foundations. Often the loose rocks on the 
estate have been simply piled together to 
build,the cellar walls, and the dampness of 
the earth seeps between them, rises to the 
upper stories and into the plaster. The 
stone should be cemented, the cellar per¬ 
fectly drained and a good concrete water¬ 
proof flooring laid. 
Again it is a faulty roof that is responsi¬ 
ble for the trouble. It may need a few 
shingles, a better shingling or an entirely 
different kind of roofing. The tin-work 
along the valleys of the roof may be de¬ 
fective and cause leakage, or perhaps the 
drain gutters have sagged and collect the 
water in pQols that drip through the wood¬ 
work. Sometimes the rain and moisture 
filter through the window jambs; then a 
careful refitting of the frames and replac¬ 
ing of the shrunken wood is necessary. 
Imperfect work around a chimney con¬ 
struction is another source of the trouble, 
frequently causing the appearance of a 
damp line across the front or on either 
side of the chimney breast. 
After the obvious causes have been re¬ 
moved it is not hard to keep the walls in 
good condition. If the plaster is already 
much moisture-soaked it is better to tear 
it out completely at once, or it will event¬ 
ually crumble and fall. 
There are several methods, all good, to 
refinish the damp foundation wall. Some¬ 
times it will suffice to coat the walls with a 
waterproof paint. Many builders find that 
a mixture of tallow, oil and rosin applied 
hot to the wall will produce a thoroughly 
satisfactory result. Others advocate the 
application of a soap and water mixture 
supplemented by a coat of alum and water. 
Again it is advisable to back the plaster 
with a layer of roofing paper, leaving a 
perfectly dry air space between the wall 
and laths. 
Where walls seem irremediably damp 
and hard to dry out, use a cement of good 
quality, mixed thin enough to put on with 
a brush. Wet the outside wall and then ap¬ 
ply a thick coat of the cement. It may be 
In instances such as this panel board is the best solu¬ 
tion against the dampness 
necessary to add a second coat, but in the 
end the wall will be perfectly water¬ 
proofed. 
Instead of replastering, one of the many 
forms of panel-board now on the market 
can be applied. This costs less than re¬ 
plastering and papering, and a good quality 
is moisture-proof, it will not crack or de¬ 
teriorate, and is a non-conductor of heat, 
cold and sound. It is put directly on the 
supporting beams without plaster and 
finished with a narrow molding. 
When the old walls have not become 
moist enough to demand their being torn 
down, the panel-board can be applied di¬ 
rectly on a cheap framework built over the 
plaster. In localities where lumber is not 
inordinately expensive this may be found 
to be cheaper, quicker and entail much less 
labor than removing the plaster. 
Should you decide that it is better to re¬ 
plaster, do not make the mistake of paper¬ 
ing while the plaster is still green. This 
will often result in the paper buckling and 
having to be done over again. It is a 
good thing to kalsomine or paint the walls 
until they are thoroughly dry. 
If the wall has not been badly affected 
it is possible to use a thin tar paper. It 
costs fifty cents a roll and is put on like 
any ordinary wall paper. The regular 
paper is applied on top exactly as it is or¬ 
dinarily on the plaster. This has been 
found to be an absolutely satisfactory 
treatment. It will entail less expense to 
apply two coats of shellac on the plaster, 
which will generally make the surface 
moisture-proof. 
If but a very small part of the wall has 
been water-stained, such as occurs around 
a window or from the leaking of a pipe, 
it will be sufficient to give it a good 
scraping and sanding, coat with a flat paint 
and shellac. Then it is ready for repaper¬ 
ing or applying whatever finish may have 
been selected. 
There is a very little choice between the 
kinds of paper or paint in relation to their 
affectation by dampness. If the dampness 
is there it will eventually saturate either 
one. Certain colors seem more susceptible 
to disfigurement by moisture than others. 
Dark reds will stain very quickly, and all 
deep, bright colors change more than pale 
ones by the very fact that there is greater 
amount of pigment in them. 
It is well to try out several samples of 
the paper that are under consideration, bv 
wetting them and watching the results. A 
selection can then more surely be made 
from the ones which show the least effect 
of the water. 
304 
