Handyman Guide > Preparing the foundation

Before the foundations are laid, a thought should be given to a heating plant. There are several brands of gas and oil floor furnaces that require no basement. These are secured to the underside of the floor with strong fasteners, and a register forming the top of the furnace set in a mortise cut the full depth of the flooring. These are comparatively inexpensive plants, producing considerable heat and equipped with automatic controls.


Should the homeowner contemplate having such a furnace installed, the installation should be done before the foundation walls are put in. It may be necessary to dig out under the house for the furnace, and if the sides are enclosed, this is all the more difficult. Also some sort of flue or chimney will be required and this will be connected to the furnace and run under the floor to the outside air. The flue can run up the side of the house or into a chimney.

If building up around the bottom of the house is not practical, or under existing circumstances, impossible, the under portion of the floor can be covered with insulation and this in turn covered with waterproof paper to protect it from dampness. This insulation will do a lot towards keeping the floors free of drafts.

Water pipes set in the ground below the frost line will not freeze but those exposed to the weather will, unless insulated.

As a precaution against severe cold weather freezing the pipes in spite of the insulation, it is a good idea to have a plumber install some conveniently located valves at low points in the system so that the plumbing can be quickly drained.

FIREPLACES

There is nothing quite like a fire burning in a fireplace to make a room comfortable during the winter.

Unfortunately, there are many fireplaces that cannot be used because they either fail to burn or they smoke to such a degree as to be unserviceable.

Improvement. The primary reason for most fireplaces not operating well is poor construction. Either the chimney is too short, or the dimensions of the smoke chamber and fireplace opening are not correct. It is sometimes possible for the home mechanic to correct the latter error by building up each side of the fireplace opening with bricks, but he should first have an expert on fireplaces make an examination and recommend the steps necessary to correct the faults.

The Draft. If the fireplace smokes fully when first lit, a lighted piece of paper thrust into the fireplace throat will warm the air and start the draft working.

Wood. The kind of wood used ill the fireplace will also have an effect bn how well the fire burns and how much heat it produces. Soft woods, such as pine, will ignite quickly and burn fast, without supplying much heat. These are best for starting the fire. Hardwoods burn slowly and will give considerable heat.


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Tools and Materials

Hammers - Handsaws - Screwdrivers - Chisels - Brace and Bit - Hand Drill - Brad Awl - Planes - Files - Measuring Tools - Rules - Squares - Marking Gauge - Levels - Pincers - Nail Set - Drawknife - Cabinet Scraper - Small Tool Kit - Putty Knife - Pliers - Wrenches - Paint Scraper - Sharpening Tools - Nails - Wood Screws - Corrugated Fasteners - Mending Plates - Bolts - Abrasives - Woodworking Glue - Splices and Joints.

The Workshop
Equipping the Workshop - Heating - Fire Precautions - The Workbench - Saw Bucks - Tool Rack.

Home Construction
Elements of the House - Building Materials - Lumber - Molding - Kinds of Wood and their Characteristics - Plywood Wallboard - Roofing Materials - Concrete - Mixing Concrete - Cement Mortar - Concrete Forms - Concrete Blocks - Cinder Blocks - Bricklaying - Fieldstone - Anchoring in Masonry - Soldering.

Furniture
Upholstered Furniture - Furniture Upkeep - Removing Stains - Removing Dents - Leather Upholstery - Cane Seats - Furniture Repairs - How to Repair Breaks - Levelling furniture - Remodeling Furniture - Polishes and Polishing - French Polishing - Painting Furniture - Sticking Drawers - Metal Furniture.

Painting
Paint Brushes - Storing Brushes - Varnish - Water Paint and Plastic Paint - Types of Paint - Paint Thinners - Mixing Paints - Preparing the Surface - Painting Flaws - Removing Paint - Exterior Painting - Painting New Wood - Repainting - Metal - Interior Painting - Calcimine - Painting Woodwork - Old Wood Trim - Staining - Fillers - Varnishing - Bleaching - Enameling - Painting Radiators - Painting Concrete - Shingles - Stoves and Stove Pipes - Whitewash.

Heating
Home Heating Systems - Chimneys - Coal Furnaces - Fuels - Burning Wood - Furnace Dampers - Starting a Coal Fire - Removal of Ashes - Coal Stokers - Oil Burners - Kerosene Heaters - Thermostats - Boiler Dampers - Fuel Economy - Warm Air System - Steam System - Vacuum System - Hot Water System - Radiators - Boilers - Maintaining the System - Insulating the System - Home Insulation - Storm Windows - Weather Stripping - Insulating Your Home - Blanket and Rigid Insulation - Unfinished Attic and Exterior Walls - Winterizing a Cabin - Preparing the foundation - Winterproofing a Cottage - Fireplaces - Reducing Condensation - Humidity.

Plumbing
The Plumbing System - Fresh water supply - Low Water Pressure - Hot Water System - Hot Water Heaters - Hot Water Tanks - Dirty Hot Water - The Sewage System - Sewage Disposal - Cesspools - Septic Tanks - Clearing Sewer Pipes - Clearing Drains - Plumbing Traps - Toilet Traps - Noisy Plumbing - Leaks in Water Tanks - Frozen Pipes - Clogged Water Pipes - Hard Water - Faucets - Shower Mixing Valves - Leaky Flush Tanks - Flush Valves - Removing Toilet Bowl - Leaky Pipes - Draining the Plumbing - Sealing Traps - Draining the Heating System - Types of Pipe - Insulating Pipes - Water Corrosion - Cleaning Fixtures.

Electricity
Definition of Terms - Ohm's Law - Alternating and Direct Current - Sources of Electrical Power - The Electrical System - Overloading the Circuit - Rewiring - Reading a Meter - Precautions - Fuses - Types of Cord - Splicing Wires - Replacing Plugs and Switches - Home Lighting - Electric Motors - Signaling System - Transformers - Burglar Alarms - Repairing the System - How to Install a Bell System.

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