308 HOW TO MAKE A COUNTRY PLACE 



and cracked rough stone taken from old walls should not be used 

 in the construction of a fine house. Their proper place is in the 

 underdraining of land and roads. The old-fashioned method of cover- 

 ing the foundation wall with moisture-proof slate or blue stone slabs 

 before the house wall is built is still good. It is a fatal mistake to 

 tolerate stone cellar walls laid up dry, the surface only smeared with 

 cement. Moisture and rodents can only be balked by stones embedded 

 in cement, which is vastly improved by being mixed with crude oil. 

 Jogs and angles in foundation walls add largely to their cost. A pro- 

 jecting water table flush with a cement sanitary angled gutter a foot 

 wide on the surface of the ground will carry drip away from the 

 foundation. 



Ground Air. 



Nowhere inside the house must tile set in cement be laid directly 

 on the earth, however well drained or gravelly the soil (unless 

 possibly in a conservatory) as ground air and moisture will, under 

 certain weather conditions, work to the surface. I once injured an 

 otherwise attractive inglenook by overlooking this fact. 



Cement and metal under conditions will carry sound, therefore it 

 is desirable to deaden the floors with asbestos, seaweed, paper, hair, felt, 

 or other non-conducting material. All overhangs should be thor- 

 oughly deadened to prevent cold from entering the house. Mineral 

 wool is excellent for this use. 



Damp-proof Walls. 



An outside wall of brick or stone is made damp-proof by being 

 thoroughly painted on its interior and exterior where it is buried 

 in the ground with water-proof paint or tar, and must be furred for 

 plastering. Confined air makes a warm blanket. Air space will 

 carry sound unless curbed with baffles, but is a positive preventer of 

 condensation. Watch closely during construction for crevices in 

 walls and about door and window frames. Unless cemented most 

 thoroughly, a stone or cement house is a cold damp house. Air spac- 

 ing is its salvation. Wooden frames set in stone need special care 

 to keep out wind, cold, and moisture. Calking crevices with oakum 

 saturated with white lead decreases coal consumption. 



If necessary to lay brick in freezing weather, dry brick laid in 

 cement mortar, with but a small quantity of lime, and joints neatly 

 struck, gives the best job. Care should be taken that there is no jar 

 before the cement hardens, otherwise the brick will at once loosen. 

 In warm weather brick should be wet before being laid. The pic- 

 turesque appearance of rock faced brick is marred by affinity for 

 dust and liability to damage by friction. Its main advantage aside 

 from the effect of lights and shadows produced is that the broken 

 surface prevents the annoying window sill drip that always mars the 

 front of a brick building. 



Water-proofing brick walls with a colorless solution does not 



