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4 Sivan 5759, May 19, 1999 | Mordecai Plaut, director Published Weekly
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Home and Family
Do It Yourself -- With Yosef Krinsky

A silent and dangerous killer may be loose in your home. It is clear and odorless, but definitely a killer. Thousands of people are killed each year by this silent slayer, and many more have fallen victim to its side effects. It causes symptoms ranging from only a mild headache to muscle paralysis and serious neurological problems. It also has been known to be especially dangerous to an unborn fetus, elderly, and individuals with heart and lung problems. This killer is called CARBON MONOXIDE.

It is a product of incomplete combustion of carbon based fuels such as natural gas (from stoves or boilers), charcoal briquettes (from a barbecue), kerosene heaters, and firewood. The best known way of treating this problem is with prevention: a carbon monoxide alarm. This is a rather inexpensive ($30 or less in the USA and UK at Radio Shack or Tandy), device that installs on the wall or ceiling with just a few screws. In Israel Paz Gas offers one for $45.

Most smoke detectors do not detect carbon monoxide, and few home security systems have one incorporated into a home. The most common types available run off home AC or mains current or DC 9V battery. I prefer the latter. Even though a new battery will be needed every 9 months to a year, it offers protection when there is a power outage. If using the battery version, 9V lithium batteries are available and even though a little more expensive they can last years.

It goes without saying that a smoke alarm is always needed. These detect smoke, and some detect high temperatures as well, and are designed to save your life. They need to be installed throughout a home, and the batteries must be checked regularly too. Even in stone construction buildings, such as are common in Israel, this is necessary as furnishings can catch fire, and even certain types of paint too. It was common in the past to apply oil or lacquer paint to walls in Israel. This is illegal in most places in the world because it is highly flammable and will spread fire. (For superior washability on painted walls a quality acrylic paint properly applied is best.) Also keep in mind that most deaths and injuries in domestic fires are from smoke and smoke inhalation. Smoke and carbon monoxide alarms are necessities, not options.

Mr. Schapiro in Jerusalem writes: "Around the stove is a layer of fat or grease and it is difficult to remove, maybe a special paint could remedy this?"

If you have ceramic, metal, Formica, or a quality paint on the walls, washing with dish soap would do the trick. If the grease is still difficult to remove, WD-40 Spray can be applied directly on these surfaces and it would dissolve the grease. Later, soap and water can be used to remove the WD-40 . If the walls have been painted with an inferior paint, first clean the walls as above, then apply a quality primer/stain block and paint.

Many residents of Israel have asked recently, "Now that the elections are over, we have stickers and posters all over. Is there an easy way to remove them?"

The large paper posters can be removed by spraying with lots of water, then scraping with a painter's scraping knife. Bumper stickers need to be removed by hand or with the help of a knife. Then the remaining glue can be dissolved with turpentine or denatured alcohol. If public walls were spray painted, your local municipality should sandblast the area. For a quick fix, a matching paint to the wall could be applied over the graffiti.

Mrs. M. asks, "We recently had bedroom cupboards installed in our home. The only problem is that the handles seem to get loose quickly and subsequently get lost. Is there any way to make them more permanent?"

Locktite is commercially available for this purpose and is available worldwide. Just apply a few drops into the hole of the handle, then reattach to the cupboard with the screw. If for any reason you need to remove the handle later, it is possible with a little force. In a pinch, white glue can also be used but it will never be able to be removed.

Mr. Berman in Bnei Brak asks, "We live on the top floor of an apartment building. Every year we need to whitewash the roof as part of our contract with the roofer and to keep our apartment cooler. Is there any way to do this once every few years?"

Yes and no. If, according to your contract, you must hire the contractor to rewhitewash the roof, you may void your warranty by not having it done his way. There are acrylic based compounds that can stay on a roof many years with a single application. At Walls R Us, we prefer to use a white plastic coating that waterproofs as well. It has a life of 3- 8 years, and commonly lasts in Jerusalem for 4 years, maintenance free.

Today's Do It Yourself Hint: If cats have been using your garden for a litter box, Rabbi Y. Goldberg in Neve Yaakov recommends placing mothballs though out the garden. The camphor smell emitted from the balls keeps them from returning.

Yosef Krinsky, a third generation craftsman, is the CEO of Walls R Us - House Painting, Inc., Jerusalem Division. He can be reached at (02) 585-9559; common mail POB 27355, Jerusalem, Israel; email at wallsrus@hotmail.com; and soon at his new World Wide Web Site. Homeowners (and renters too) are invited to email their questions for a quick reply.

 

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