V

j >1( t
■>
[/
o o < o In This Issue
Taping And Sanding............... 34
Removing Old Mortar From Bricks.. 35
Metal s Wood Fences.......... ...........
Installing Tin Ceiling..........
26
31
Disconnecting Hot Water Radiators 35
0>3

X
GeiliR^s Cominj* Next Month
o 1
\ REMOVING PAINTED WALLPAPER

By Barbara Schiller

Y HUSBAND AND I BOUGHT our brick and torian house. Right then and there we exam­
brownstone house in Brooklyn’s Park ined the designs available from one of the
Slope Historic District because local companies that still sells and installs
although sadly neglected, it had not these once popular ceilings.
been ruthlessly remodelled, It was structural-
ly sound and needed only cosmetic work to make E PICKED A CEILING AND CORNICE pattern
it as attractive as it once had been. that matched the feeling of the rest
of the 1690 detail in our house. It
WE KNEW SOMETHING HAD TO BE DONE about the would be installed at the appropriate
dining room ceiling. Crumbling from long-ago time in the work schedule. And at a price
water damage, its chipped center medallion cheaper than the complete plastering job the
hung dangerously by one corner. The master ceilings would have otherwise required.
bedroom directly above had also suffered its Plasterboard had not been considered an ap­
share of water damage and neglect. Then there propriate material for these two rooms.
was the double parlor--decorative rosebuds
were dropping like hailstones from the border A MARVELOUSLY SKILLED CRAFTSMAN installed the
trim of the ceilings, and there was a ceilings in the rooms (see p.31 for
large ominous crack. We put the rose­ do-it-yourself instructions) taking
buds away for safekeeping till the about six hours for each. The
time and money came to restore the shiny tin looked odd against the
ceiling. It was hardly an immediate shabby walls.
problem.
AFTER THE WALLS in the bedroom were
OUR ARCHITECT, Hal Einhorn, who spe­ patch plastered, we painted the
cializes in restoration work, suggest­ room. Suddenly everything looked
ed we replace the dining room and startlingly different. The same
bedroom ceilings with tin ceilings. transformation occured in the
We were not very impressed with that dining room.
alternative until we saw the one he
had installed in his beautiful Vic­ {Cont'd on page 29)

© Copyri^t 1079, The Old-House Journal Corporation 25

 -'

attitudes towards fences in the 18th and 19th

Part II ~ Wood centuries.

THE HOUSE BUILDER in the Colonial era must

By Frederick Herman, AIA have considered the fence as important a part
of the entire design as the doorway, window
HE MOST FAMOUS WOOD FENCE in history must framings, and other important wood architec­
be the one Mark Twain mentions in Tom tural details. Asher Benjamin, in his "Prac­
Sawyer. For the average homeowner that tical House Carpenter," published in 1830,
fence may not offer much in the way of a (which later became the builder’s bible) de­
guideline for fence design but it does point voted a whole plate to fences designed in a
to the ongoing maintenance problems, Classic manner. He advised that if the house
I AM GOING TO LIMIT myself in this article to
what are regarded as the traditional type of
residential wood fences, i.e., various types
of picket fencing. This type of fence is
usually referred to as a "good garden fence M
and is usually associated with the old house-- THE OLD-
distinct from such types as brush fences,
rail fences, and board fences. It also avoids Published Monthly For People Who!x)ve01d Houses
the question of fencing for contemporary houses
Editor R.A. Clem [.ebine
such as redwood fencing, lattice fencing,
basket weave fencing, board-on-board fencings Decora live Arts Edi tor Carolyn Flaherty
and other types whose purpose is perhaps more Circulation Director Paul T. Mclxtughlin
for creating private outdoor spaces around Circulation Assistants Joan O'Reilly
patios and pools than it is to fulfill the James Graham
traditional role of a fence--which is to mark Shirley Zucker
boundaries. Michael Carew
Midwest Editor Tom H. Gerhardt
HEN CONTEMPLATING the erection of a
W picket fence, two major considera­
tions enter into play. The first is
Contributing Editors Claire Wood Labine
R.A. Labine, Sr.
a question of aesthetics and appropri­ H. Weber Wilson
ateness, the second is "how to" get it up. Barbara Schiller

Published by The Old-House Journal Corporation. 69A Seventh Ave..

Brooklyn, N.Y, 11217. Tel. (212| 636-4514. Subscriptions $12/yr. in U.S.,
Selecting A Fence tl4yyr. in Canada: 120/yr. elsewhere. Printad at Royal Offset Co., 34 W.
15th St.. NYC 10011. Contents of the Old-House Journal* are fully pro­
AESTHETICALLY SPEAKING, there is no unanimity
as to the desirability or appropriateness of
tected by copyright and must not be reproduced in any manner what­
soever without specific permission in writing from The Editor. i
fences. There is quite a difference in the

The Old-House Journal 26 March 1979

 Thicket
J ‘Tence Pattern
If you wish to build a Williamsburg style
picket fence there is a full size pattern
available to help you. The pattern gives
four additional picket top styles besides
the most common pointed style. There are
also patterns for the posts« a list of
materials and complete directions for
installing, priming, painting, etc.
To order, send $2.50, plus 50^ postage,
tO! Easi-Bild Pattern Company, Inc.,
Dept. OHJ, P. O. Box 215, Briarcliff
Manor, N. Y. 10510. Ask for No. 315,
Williamsburg Fence & Gate.
Fence design from an Asher Benjamin plate

DOWNING DESIGNED HOUSES in a rural setting

were large and located on an elevated piece of and did not like marked off spaces, preferring
ground, at a considerable distance from the a natural, free-form look to the landscape.
road, the fence should be of the largest di­ Reality dictated, however, that fences were
mensions. But if the house were small and the often needed specially for houses in
fence would be near to it, then the fence suburban and city locations. Calvert Vaux,
ought to be small and low, so that it would an architect whose houses were similarly
not appear to be a principal in the structure. romantic and picturesque, occasionally in­
cluded a picket fence and did give some
fence designs.
19th Century Attitudes

N THE 19TH CENTURY, as the romantic and

picturesque styles of houses came into
vogue, (Italianate, Gothic Revival, etc.)
the influential architects who espoused these
styles were basically anti-fence. The in­
fluential A. J. Downing felt in mid-19th
century that, ’'Fences are often among the most
unsightly and offensive objects in our country

March 1979 27 The Old-Bouse Journal

 •4

T :
^ t
f
I.
- rt

P!

This 1890 photo depicts a square-picket

fence with a fancy wooden gate.

T IS TEMPTING to say that all one would

X have to do to get a properly designed fence

is to determine the age of one's house and
then copy a fence from an appropriate pattern
book. But the scale of the fence and especi­
ally of its posts and gates must be in keeping
with your own house and this remains a fine
point of judgement.

THE BEST BET IS TO START OUT with research to

see if you can find any old photos or records
showing what kind of fence might have sur­
rounded your property. If this yields a blank
then carefully study all available information
and select a design that is appropriate. To
play it safe remember that it is always better
to go with the simple than with ornate. It is
less apt to clash with the surroundings and in
addition it has the great advantage of cost­
ing less.

NEXT MONTH: Building A Picket Fence

The Old-House Journal 28 March 1979

 (Cont'd. from p. 25)
S IF TAKING THE HINT, half the ceiling ODAY THEY ARE MADE of tin plate and
'A in the front parlor suddenly fell down. manufactured on the automatic presses of
Now it was an immediate problem. We Barney Brainum-Shanker Steel, Inc., of
set about trying to find a plasterer Glendale, New York. This company has
experienced in restoration work. One had re­ been pressing tin ceilings from dies since
tired, another had moved to Spain, the third 1912 when there were 40 such companies.
had no telephone. The fourth gave us an
estimate that was much more than we could af­ THE-TIN CEILINGS are sold in 2x8 ft. panels.
ford and did not include restoring more than If ordered direct from the manufacturer the
the minimum of details. price range is in the neighborhood of $13 for
the ceiling sheets if less than 50 are ordered
WE CALLED THE TIN CEILING COMPANY again. The and $45 to $150 per 100 lineal ft. for the
ceiling for the 12 x 30 ft. space was done in cornices depending on size, pattern and quan­
less than two days and at a cost that averaged tity. A crating charge of $20 is added on
out to about ten dollars per square ft. for orders under $250.
materials and labor. Once painted, the ceil­
ing actually looked better than it had orig­ WHEN YOUR TIN SHEETS arrive, wash them with a
inally. solution of half vinegar, half water or with
mineral spirits/paint thinner to remove any
WE HAVE USED THE SAME PATTERN throughout our traces of oil from the stamping machines.
house. We had a choice of 19 ceiling patterns
and 9 cornice patterns. There are filler
patterns too. In the heyday of the use of ONCE INSTALLED, prime with oil-based metal
metal ceilings, the company that did our work primer. After that the tin ceiling can be
could have given us a choice of over 400 painted with any type of paint. If the
patterns and service of a staff of 20 draftsmen ceiling is to be left unpainted, use clear
to custom design the installations. lacquer on it.

THEY WERE POPULAR because they were easily IN CEILING SHEETS are increasingly
ordered through catalogs, easy to install and being used for walls in bathrooms
reasonable in price. These reasons are still and halls. For wall installations,
valid today. Their intricate designs give an lath rather than furring strips are
authentic feeling of the old days that cannot used unless the window and door frames pro­
be matched at the price by any other material. ject enough to use furring strips.
Now, thanks in good part to renovators of lofts
and brownstones, metal ceilings are back in THE OLD-HOUSE JOURNAL CATALOG lists addresses
fashion. and phone numbers for tin ceiling suppliers.

^ Orknce Back Tin Veiling

N IMPORTANT FACT to remember when using later on--Art Deco, Tex-
(0^tin ceiling today is that it was never ture was also an important
widely used as the original finish in the for­ design element as many
mal rooms. More often, it was used as an in­ patterns imitated stucco,
expensive way to conceal damaged plaster. brick or tile.
RuT THE BIGGEST dif-
METAL CEILINGS first came into use as early as
1868 and were actually corrugated iron. By K/ference in what was
the late 1880's they were in wide use but available then and now is
mostly for hospitals, schools, and commercial in the form that the metal
buildings. By this time they were small and sheets came-in. An entire
light metal sheets with stamped decorative room could be approriately
designs. covered with metal.

ADVERTISEMENTS PROMOTED the stamped metal THERE WERE SIDE WALL plates
sheets as being: Safer--they could act as that came in 6 and 8 ft.
fire stops in case of fire; Econoraical--they heights. There were spe­
were less expensive than plaster or wood cially designed patterns
ceilings. to be used for dados with
accompanying chair rails.
AT THE HEIGHT of their popularity, c. 1895- Cornice and freize designs
1915, several companies specialized in metal came in a variety of depths.
ceilings. Most companies could offer a choice
of over 400 patterns and the service of a FOR CEILINGS, besides the
staff of draftsmen to custom design your sheets formed of small and
installation. large tiles, there were
medallions in many dia­
THE MATERIAL was available in a great variety meters, moulded borders,
of styles--Classical, Rococo, Gothic, and square centers, rosettes.

March 1979 29 The Old-Boiise Josrnal

 These are two patterns still produced
today that quite suitable for use as
a dado. They are referred to in the
tin ceiling catalogs as "Molded Filler."

THE AVAILABILITY years ago of the various

wall panels, fillers, etc., meant that an
entire room could be covered in an architec­
turally appropriate manner with material that
was in the right proportion. And proportion
today is the problem. Since the stamped metal
sheets come in fairly small tile designs, they
just cannot be used to cover large expanses of
wall and, in some cases, not even large ceil­
ings. You will be introducing a rather strong
design element and it must be used with judge­
ment. This is particularly important when a
room already has a distinct architectural
style to be found in woodwork, plaster frieze,
mantels, etc.

HOWEVER, in most cases, tin ceiling can be

used as it was years ago--as an economical way
This photo of an office was featured in
a turn-of-the-century steel ceiling
catalog. Ceiling, cornice, walls, and
dado are all covered with various forms
of metal sheets.

LABORATELY DESIGNED beam coverings that

g
__ imitated an Elizabethan carved and beamed
ceiling were offered, known as "False Beams
and Wall Beams."

THE MOST COMMON use in homes of the metal

sheets was for bathrooms and kitchens. The
imitation stucco and tile were popular for
dados and wall filler. An odd use of the
material was for the underside of porch roofs.
Because of the water problem, this apparently
did not work well and it is seldom seen today.

THE STAMPED METAL was shipped from the factory

with a coat of paint--gray, white or red
oxide. Metal ceilings were then painted the
same way as plaster ceilings.

A MUCH OVERLOOKED WAY to utilize tin ceiling

is for dados in halls, kitchens and bathrooms.
There are still patterns available that have
the chair rail incorporated into the design.
A wooden chair rail could be added to those
patterns that do not have one. To simulate
the look of Lincrusta-Walton (an imitation
leather material that is no longer available)
the painted stamped metal can be glazed in
a tan-brown shade.

The Old-Bouse Josrnal 30 March 1979

 ing A Tit) Ceiling

N THIS CASE HISTORY, the owners had decided sheets overlap. You'll use 1-in. nails to

I to install a tin ceiling over a badly damag­

ed plaster ceiling. It was not a do-it-your­
self job, and the owners had found that it was
cheaper to have a tin ceiling installed than to
attach the tin ceiling to the furring strips.

AFTER THE FLAT SHEETS are attached to the ceil­

ing, a moulding strip is nailed to the ceiling
have a contractor put in a sheetrock ceiling. and the walls to provide a finish. After it is
And of course, the metal ceiling was cheaper nailed in position, any seams that don't lie
than having the old plaster removed and a new perfectly flat are tapped gently with a hammer.
plaster-and-lath ceiling put in. This use of When it is necessary to cut the metal to fit
metal ceiling as an inexpensive cover-up for corners and odd shapes, it can be cut easily
damaged plaster was one major reason why so with tinsnips.
much of the material was used in the early part
of the ZOth century. A PROFESSIONAL INSTALLER can put up a tin
ceiling so that all the seams lie perfectly
ALSO, from a preservation standpoint, a tin flat- If you're doing the job yourself, the
ceiling installation is reversible. That is, odds are that you'll end up with places where
at some future point the tin and furring strips there are small gaps where the sheets overlap.
could be removed and the original plaster re­ Not to worry. These can be filled with acrylic
stored. This assumes, of course, that no caulk before painting.
decorative mouldings or medallions are removed
in the installation process. WHEN PAINTING the tin ceiling, make sure there
aren't any oily patches on the metal left over
from the factory. If there are, wash off with
HE BASIC INSTALLATION steps are fairly

T
mineral spirits. Then use an oil-based metal
simple: First, install furring strips primer followed by the finish coat.
around the perimeter of the ceiling. Then
find the center of the room and put up furring
strips every 12 in. on center. You may have
to put some shims or old lath under some of OME SAFETY NOTES: The edges of metal ceil­
the furring strips in order to level the ceil­
ing. Use 3-in. nails to attach the furring
strips to the ceiling beams.
S ing sheets are quite sharp and can slash
your hands badly. Wear heavy work gloves!
Mike Beck, the professional installer shown in
the photos doesn't wear gloves because he has
TIN CEILING sheets are 2 ft. wide and 8 ft. developed a feel for handling the material
long. So you'll need additional strips of without cutting himself. But he strongly
furring every 8 ft.—and perpendicular to the urges that do-it-yourselfers not imitate his
strips you installed first—in order to have a casual manner of handling the material.
nailing surface where the ends of the metal
ALSO, A PROFESSIONAL like Mike is able to in­
stall a ceiling all by himself. But a novice
would certainly want a helper to assist in
holding the sheets in position while they are
nailed. And scaffolding, such as Mike set up
over sawhorses, makes installation a lot
easier and safer than would be the case If you
and your helper were teetering on stepladders.

mi'
SPECIAL THANKS for technical help
with this article goes to:
AA-Abbingdon Ceiling Co.,2149 Utica
Ave., Brooklyn, N.Y. 11234. This
company installs metal ceilings in the
New York metropolitan area, and also
sells metal ceiling material nationally.
C. A. Ohman, 455 Court St., Brooklyn,
N.Y., supplies and installs metal ceil­
ings in the New York metropolitan area.

March 1979 31 The Old-Bosse Journal

 d

1. Mike Beck of C. A. Ohman, Inc., pro­

vides a steady work surface for himself
by making scaffolding out of heavy
planks.

2. Furring strips are nailed around per­

imeter of room. Center of room is then
located, and lines are snapped for the
furring strips on 24-in. centers, These
have to be located quite precisely be­ i
cause the metal sheets are rigid and can't
be adapted to non-parallel nailing strips.

The Old-House Journal

 B. Metal cornice overlaps the edge of the
last metal ceiling panel, It is nailed
to the furring strips top and bottom with
nails spaced about every 12 in.

March 1979 33 The Old-House Journal

 through the wet compound, Don’t use too much
Restoring Damaged Plaster-Part II compound...or neglect to spread the compound
a sufficient distance on both sides of the
joint. Otherwise, you’ll end up with a seam
that has a noticeable bulge in the middle.
i
Taping & Sanding THE NEXT STEP is the worst. Sanding joint
compound is just plain awful work. It gets in
your hair, nose, ears and eyes—and forms a
paste in your mouth. Be sure to wear a hat,
goggles and some sort of mask to keep dust out
By David S. Gillespie, Chicago, 111. of your lungs. Hospital masks are available
at the corner drug store—and I usually buy
ORKING WITH TAPE COMPOUND to cover
the cracks around your patches, you'll several at a time.
find that the larger cracks will re­
quire at least three coats. So resign
yourself to this three-step process and don’t Finishing Off
try to shorten the time for the job by putting
the compound on too thickly.
SING MEDIUM SANDPAPER, finish off
rough edges and bumps, bringing the sur­
USING THE WIDE KNIFE in all but tight spots,
face down as flat as possible. I al­
fill the largest cracks, plus the seams between
ways carry a pencil at this stage to
plaster and drywall patches, with tape com­
mark places where another coat will be neces­
pound. Then cover the cracks with drywall
tape worked into the wet compound; make sure sary. This part of the job is entirely tac­
some compound oozes through the holes in the tile; your hands can detect low spots and
tape—that will ensure good adhesion. Be sure bumps that aren't visible to the eye.
also to work out all air bubbles from under
the tape. Then cover the tape with an addi­ IT IS ALSO POSSIBLE to avoid much of the mess
tional layer of compound. of sanding dust by "wet sanding." Use a damp
sponge to go over the rough spots. Since the
THE FIRST COAT should be applied so that it is tape compound is water soluble, you can get
all below or even with the level of the finish a lot of levelling in this manner.
coat of plaster. Avoid large bumps and bulges
WHEN THE SANDING has been completed, go back
in the wet compound, and do not leave any
areas where the compound sticks out above the over the surface with a third coat of com­
level of the old plaster. Remember: Any pound. Hopefully, you’ll need very little
compound to fill the remaining hollows and the
ridges or bumps you leave at this stage will
have to be sanded later. It is far easier to job should not take very long. Once that coat
has dried, lightly sand all the newly applied
remove imperfections while the compound is
still in the plastic state. compound. If you’ve worked carefully, you’ll
have a good flat surface at this point. Any
small irregularities can be filled and sanded
WHEN IT IS THOROUGHLY DRY, the first coat will
have shrunk and may have cracked in places. again.
Using a stiff wall scraper, knock off any
ONE FINAL TIP on painting: The tape compound
ridges and cut out with a razor blade any sec­
is highly absorbent, so seal it with a prime
tions of loose tape. Re-cement these loose coat before final painting. And use an off
pieces with more tape compound. Then apply a
second coat of tape compound, being careful to white or cream color on ceilings. Either
stark white or dark colors show any remaining
get a smooth even surface. If you applied
the first coat too heavily...or if there are blemishes to worst advantage.
a large number of irregularities in the sur­
face, you may have to sand between the first SURE, THIS TYPE of careful preparation is a
and second coats. lot of work. But when you see the smooth
result you’ll be more than amply rewarded.
And by saving as much as possible of your ori­
A Second Coat ginal plaster, you'll have retained a lot of
the important visual character of your house.
HE SECOND COAT, if applied carefully,
will fill all the cracks and major ir­
regularities left in the first coat and
begins the levelling process. If you
want to avoid many subsequent coats, be extra
careful with this step. Using the 12-in.
blade, work the compound in a thin layer over
Patching Problem Cracks
the surface. Use long, even strokes; short SOME CRACKS return like old friends be­
jerky strokes create too many ridges. cause they are caused by structural
movement and/or expansion-contraction.
JOINTS SHOULD BE FEATHERED 12 to 18 in. on Several patching systems are on the
either side of the joint r more if necessary. market to solve this specific problem.
Using light pressure, pull the knife across They use a glass fiber tape and syn­
the crack at a shallow angle to the surface. thetic resin adhesive. One such system
The blade should be nearly flat so that as is "Tuff-Patch" made by The Synkoloid
much as possible of the flat side skims along Co., 400 Colgate Dr. S.W., Atlanta,
the plaster. This is strictly a matter of Georgia 30336.
feel that you'll develop as you go along. The
surface should feel flat as you draw the knife

The Old-Uonse Journal 34 March 1979

 Touch-Up Tips
Save empty nail polish bottles,
Restorer’s Notebook Clean them
thoroughly, first with nail polish remover,
and then with soap and water, Let the bottles
and little brushes dry thoroughly.

WHENEVER you paint a room, piece of furniture,

etc., save some of the paint by filling one of
the clean bottles. (You can use a clean eye­
Disconnectiug dropper for dripless filling.) Then, whenever
you need to touch up minor scratches and
nicks, you have the paint right at hand for
Hot-Water Radiators quick, non-messy cosmetic repairs.
Anne Roquemore
Montgomery, Ala.
T HE ARTICLE "Sprucing Up Old Radiators" (OHJ
Oct, 1978) contained much useful information.
However, since several of the methods depended PoR TOUCH-UP PAINTING,
upon disconnecting the old radiators, I wanted I always try to save
to pass along some cautionary notes about the some of the paint I've used, But there are
potential problems when you disconnect an old some old original finishes in my house for
hot-water heating system. which, naturally, I have no paint reserve.

I AM REHABILITATING an 1874 house with a hot- SO I HAVE PURCHASED a set of artists acrylic
water heating system that was installed around colors—the paint that is sold in tubes at
the turn of the century. During the work, we artist supply stores. (I bought an extra-
removed each radiator. And we were sure we large size of the white pigment, since you
had done a good job reinstalling them—until use a lot of white to tone down some of the
we started the boiler to test the system. very bright colors.)

OLD VALVES that were once satisfactory leaked WITH THIS SET of pigments, I can quickly mix
terribly when the system was reconnected. We up a small quantity of patching paint to touch
had to repeatedly disconnect each radiator, up any surface. One happy discovery I made
sand the coupling faces and use liberal amounts is that the raw umber pigment--just as it
of teflon valve sealing compound before we comes from the tube--is perfect for touching up
were able to get a tight seal. the walnut graining in ray house. Another nice
feature of the acrylics is that they are water-
IN ADDITION, some of our radiators, especially soluble, so your artist's brush cleans up very
in bays, were connected by long runs of expos­ quickly with soap and warm water.
ed pipes that act as additional heating units.
Alice Kennedy
In removing the radiators, we unfortunately
San Francisco Calif.
cracked some of the old pipes and elbows. We
thought it would be an easy job to rethread
and reattach new pipe, but such was not the
case. Many of the old elbows were not stand­ Removing Old Mortar From Bricks
ard sizes, but were rather obscure angles
necessary to fit the radiators into the bays. [n THE PROCESS of restoring our 1750's colonial
Needless to say, these special couplings were house, we discovered a trick that worked very
no longer available. well for removing old mortar from antique
bricks. (Simply trying to bang the mortar off
AFTER SOME TROUBLE, we were able to fix some wit]) a hammer is a slow, painful job—as well
of our troubles by threading pipes at an angle as harmful to the soft old bricks.)
so that the pipe and the available elbows more
or less matched the angles of the bays. In WE BURIED the old bricks in a pile of oak
some cases, however, the radiators no longer leaves and left them out in the weather for
fit the bays the way they once did. about six months. After that time, the old
mortar was softened to a point where it came
LL OF THE ABOVE COMPLICATIONS made a half­ off very easily. Presumably, it is the acidity
day job into a three-day ordeal with consulta­ in the oak leaves that breaks down the sub­
tions with plumbers, friends and various ex­ stances in the old mortar. This procedure
perts . proved to be both simple and quite safe for the
old bricks.
OUR FLOOR SANDER, who has a great deal of ex­
Jane Freeman
perience with old-house restoration in the Brimfield, Mass.
Chicago area, put the subject in perspective
for us (after our ordeal was over). He ex­
pressed surprise that we had ever disconnected •s
our hot-water radiators. In his experience,
reconnecting a steam radiator system presents Got Any Tips?
few problems. However, old hot-water heating Do )'ou ha%f an) hints or short ruts that might help other old-
systems are a constant source of trouble if house owners? We ll pa> $15 for an) short how-to items that are
they are ever disconnected. used in this “Restorer's Sotebuok" column. Send your hints to:
i Marshall L. Silver, P.E.
Consulting Engineer
Notebook Editor. The Old-llouse Journal. 199 Berkeley PI..
Brooklyn. N.Y. 11217.

Highland Park, Illinois ii Ji

March 1979 35 The Old-House Journal

Products For The
Belpful PublicatioDS
Old House

The Carpenter* Gothic Style

* Stove
ARPENTER GOTHIC" is a new and line drawings, and an index
Cphotographic
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survey of the
and a selected bibliography.

style in the New England area. U CARPENTER GOTHIC" is $24.50.

Polish FOR THE PURPOSE of this book,
To order, send check to:
Watson-Guptill Publications,
fl Carpenter Gothic" is defined 2160 Patterson Street, Cin-
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ornamentation used on American
houses of varied architectural
ECAUSE SO MANY people are style, mainly before the Civil
B again using old-fashioned
stoves for cooking and heating,
War. So, while most of the
houses are quite gothic in de­
many people are again looking sign, there are also some stick
for an old fashioned substance and exotic houses included.
known as stove polish.
THE PHOTOS (mostly full-page
THE HOPE COMPANY manufactures plates) by Frederick L, Hamil­
a product known as Grill and ton are stunning. And the text
Stove Black. It's heat resis­ by Alma McArdle is informal,
tant to 1400°F, and easy to warm and informative.
apply--no brushes are required.
It will restore luster and ALMA McARDLE and co-author,
blackness to any cast iron Deirdre McArdle, trace the ori­
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recommended for black cast roots in the "picturesque re­
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of the classic form, and dis­
PRICE is $4.95 for a 16 oz. cuss the influence of Downing,
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28431, St. Louis, MO 63141. hardcover, with 150 b/w photos

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The Old-House Journal 36 March 1079