138 A(jvicidtiiral Gazette of N.S.W. 



[Feb. 3, 1908. 



]»aft iciilai' :jiiii;^c. Mix a hatcli of stone liiin' inuitar, ii>ii]U tlii-cc |iai-ts 

 .san<l Id iiiir iif niislal\;'(| liiiu-. '^lli^ iiia\' lie iiiaili; u|) li\' (i)ieiiiiiL: iiui the 

 centre of tlir licap of saml ami placiiiL: the un.-lakcil fi'oh linic in the 

 centi'e : then sjirinkle eu(iU<:li water on to feiluee tlie lime to a powder, 

 add enuugh water to make it like milk, and 'jradnalh' mix in the sand; 

 knock the lot into a hea|i, cover with a little ili'\- sand, and k-ave it stand 

 for a week. Mix np this into a i;ront or liipiid inoi'tar, and pmir it over 

 the Avy stones until all the s[iaees are tilled in, and n-'xt day render or 

 plastt-r the top olT with a i-oat of cement mortal- .', inch thick, ruled slraii^ht 

 and t rowellcd ha vA. 



Rendering. 



This is the term j^ix'eii to ih:' 1ini>hinL: coat ajiplicd to walls or iloors, 

 and is usually d(Uie with I'emeiit mortar maile of two paits clean saml 

 to one part Portland t'emenl. workefl tot^cthei- throuiih a tine sieve before 

 hein.L;' wetted tor use. ('arc should he taken not to wet up an.\' luiwc than 

 can he used within a half houi\ as some cements set ipiicklv (an imiication 

 they are not the hestj. 



Mixing and Laying Concrete Floors. 



A few hints as to how to mix and lay cement i(Uicrete, esj)ecially for 

 siieh as ])ig'-sty floors, may piMve useful, and it is i^iven hei'e in the ho])e 

 that it may he so. 



Laying- concrete floors recjuires two distinct o]ierations — first, laying 

 iind ramming (lightly) the concrete in position, and then rendei'ing or 

 top-dressing' with cement-inortnr made of clean sand two pai-ts to one part 

 Portland cement, evenly laid and trowelled hai'd to a smoot h finish, t'onci-ete 

 that is to 1)6 so top-dressed must never he allowed to dry liefore the render- 

 ing is ]iut on. otherwise it will not adhere togethei'. aiul no floor should 

 be laid in large areas. l)ut in small, easily worked slahs, otherwise the tloor 

 is sure to crack in various directions. This is more likely with Iloors of 

 less than (i inches thick. 



To lav a concrete Hooi-. say 1 L' ft. \ H» ft. and 1 inches tliic'k. to he 

 top-dressed (rendered) to a smooth fini 

 tiiiished surface, and drive in pegs 

 at thefour corners; with a straight- 

 edge or levelling rule, laid on tlu' 

 top of these pegs, measure down 

 and cut out the soil to a hard, 

 even surface, using the spade or 

 square-mouthed shovel only, I 

 inches below the straight-edge in 

 every direction. This will make 

 room for a slab of concrete 4 inches 

 thick all over, 'i'lien di\ide the 

 area, say, into tw(d\e scpiares of 

 3 ft. 4 in. X .1 ft., thus— 



determine the heieht to the 



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