March 1970

Safety glass doors--new FHA requirement

Inflatable air bags: just how effective?

Those credit and pre-employment reports

Mistakes in credit and pre-employment reports have been the subject of concern recently with Congress and consumers. In one Senate hearing, committee members heard the story of a man who had been mysteriously turned down by prospective employers for five years.

Arbitration for consumer disputes?

Cleaning up the sweepstakes

Sweepstakes promotions, the kind that give you a numbered card saying "you may already have won," are under steady congressional fire. Committee investigation reveals that only about 10 percent of the prizes advertised and ostensibly "offered" actually are awarded.

A divider/hutch you can build

Here's a unit that's ideal for a living/dining room. In addition to dividing the two areas, it serves as an extra serving surface which is always welcome in a dining area.

The Smart Homeowner

When your dog has puppies

Helping a family of puppies into the world can be a delightful experience. But it's an undertaking that requires forethought. Already, too many homeless dogs wander the streets or await a grim fate at the city dog pound. Before you decide to let your dog have puppies, be certain you'll be able to find good homes for them.

How to install a prefab fireplace

If you've ever spent a winter evening mesmerized by the crackling, popping sounds of burning wood and the sight of flames dancing in a fireplace, you know how pleasant that can be. But if your house has no fireplace, what then?

How to repair trees

Before the buds on your trees begin to swell, check carefully to determine what pruning and repairs are needed. Ice and winter winds may have taken their toll, and you have too much invested to neglect your trees.

What a second income really means

Today, almost one-third of American families have two breadwinners. Even more surprising are these figures:

Good News

Beginning this month, we're offering expanded coverage in new products. Here's the latest in building, remodeling, home maintenance, automotive and recreational equipment, tools, lawn and garden equipment, and other items for home and family.

DINING New furniture/new approaches

No matter what shape your dining area is in --separate room, "L", or living/dining combination-- we'll show you how to get more out of it. The key is flexibility, to suit your varied dining needs. With space at a premium in most homes, why should the dining area be idle between meals? On these pages, you'll discover how to make it function full time and still rise to the occasion of elegant formal dining.

Good old concrete is something else today... IN SMALL PROJECTS

Time was when everyone thought of concrete as a good but most unglamorous building material. Not so today-- when it's used in the imaginative ways we show. From small projects to a whole house, concrete has a lot to offer.

Trees for problem locations

If you've had trouble getting a tree to grow well, chances are you have chosen the wrong kind for your soil or location. Since a tree represents a sizable outlay in money and care, it will pay you to cultivate the type that's best suited to the spot you have in mind. Take time now to study your property and determine what your particular problems are-- soil too wet or too dry, open space unprotected from cold winds, lack of shade. By analyzing your needs, you can avoid the disappointment of buying a tree that just doesn't measure up to the job-- and the expense of having it removed and replaced. Here are some tips to guide you.

Hedges that solve problems

Whether your problem is lack of privacy, or a less-than-idyllic view, or another landscape headache, chances are good you can solve it handily with a hedge. The initial cost is usually quite reasonable, and you can count on your hedge season after season. Here are some tips on which hedge to plant where.

Zinnias go on and on-- and cost so little!

If you plant different varieties of zinnias, you can cut bloom for months and months and still have a continuous color show in your garden. All it takes is a few packets of seeds-- a small investment for a big return. You can buy started plants of many flowers nowadays, but zinnias are seldom available-- because they don't transplant too well. But you don't need them started for you-- they're so easy to grow from seed. Choose the kinds you like and plant when soil gets warm to stay-- and as late as mid-July.

How to cope with computer billing

The uninformed consumer who sets forth to do battle with the credit-billing computer will encounter a formidable and obstinate foe. But an awareness of how credit computers function can cut a major battle down to a brief skirmish.

GARDEN IDEAS AND OUTDOOR LIVING

HOME BUILDING IDEAS SPRING/SUMMER 1970

NEW SEWING BOOK

NEW HANDYMAN'S BOOK

Where to take your car for service

How to make your own slipcovers

Estimating yardage can be done in two ways. You can follow a fabric guide such as the one here, or you can measure all sections of your chair or sofa and add two inches at every seam line. You'll also have to add allowances to be tucked in between chair frame and seat deck (ten inches at the back and five inches at each side).

HOW TO START YOUR FAMILY CAMPING

Last summer Harry and Jacque Taylor of Omaha, Nebraska went camping. They had never taken a camping vacation before; now they would be reluctant to vacation any other way. Their children Hope and H.C. (ages 8 and 3), share the parents' enthusiasm.

A BASIC GUIDE FOR NEW CAMPERS

A successful camping trip doesn't begin in a Maine forest where the pines drop their needles or in a secluded Pacific cove where the surf sends rivulets of water washing up the beach. It begins at home, preferably at a big table where you can spread out maps and information about places to camp and draw up lists of things to pack.

An extraordinary new face for an ordinary new house

Shades that go up from the bottom

... to apply ... vinyl ... covering

... you choose acrylic ... epoxy, or urethane for new seamless floor, ... preparation is the single important factor in ... a long-lasting installation minimum maintenance.

Shopping editor's choice

Discover the fun and convenience of shopping by mail! You can order with complete confidence any of the items shown: each company will refund your money if you're not delighted.

The man next door

Judy, ten, thinks our old toaster is great. With other machines, the toast pops out when ready, but our appliance sends up smoke signals.