Glasshouse Building 229 



To return to the actual building of the house, some form of gearing 

 should be fitted to the ventilators, and there are several good and cheap 

 forms on the market; but the bottom gearing is more difficult to do 

 cheaply, and the only thing to do is to have one worked by levers 

 fitted to a gas pipe running in bearings screwed to the louvre framing, 

 the movement being applied by means of a worm wheel and cog. 



The glazing can be let out piecework at 2s. Qd. per 200-ft. box of 

 glass, unless time is no object. Brass brads should be used for fixing 

 the glass and no top putties. The lowest panes should have three brads 

 at the bottom edge to make sure they shall not slip down. In some way 

 or other these bottom brads work out and let the glass slip down; and 

 the only suggestion I can make is, that the drip, freezing round brads 

 lifts them out a little at a time till they are quite loose. The best hinge 

 for ventilators and louvres is that supplied by Messrs. Paine, Main- 

 waring, & Lephard, of Worthing, whose patent it is. I am not aware 

 of any other patent makes, and so feel at liberty to mention this form 

 as better than the common cross garnet or the water - joint T hinges, 

 which soon wear or rust out. The ventilators can be glazed before 

 they are hung. Before the glazing is done a couple of wind stays 

 should be put in at each end of the house; these are made of pieces 

 of 1 -in.- by -3 -in. batten, the longer the better. These pieces of batten 

 are carried from the under side of the top end of the rafters to the 

 plate, as far back in the house as the battens will reach, and a screw 

 is put through into every bar where they cross; but the glass gauge 

 should be put in while the stays are being fixed to the bars, to make 

 sure that they keep the right distance apart. As the end rafters are 

 1 in. deeper than the glass bars the stays will have to be let in; this 

 makes all the stronger job. 



Allowance must be made for carrying oft' the rainwater from the 

 roof. A cheap form of gutter can be made of wood. Instead of using 

 the usual narrow drip, l-in.-by-3-in. batten is nailed in its place, and 

 to the outer edge of this pieces of l-in.-by-4-in. batten are fixed by 

 screws placed at every foot. The joints between the ends of the pieces 

 are made by making a saw-cut right down the middle of each end, and 

 then when all the pieces are in position short pieces of hoop iron are 

 driven up the cuts; when the gutter is well tarred there will be no leak. 

 Outlets can be made into the tanks, and the waste water from the ends 

 can be carried oft' into a drain. 



Where it is important to save all the water it is best to take the 

 rainwater from the end of the gutter through 2-in. gas. pipe laid under 

 the border to the first tank; then if the tanks are joined up the water 

 will fill all at the same time. If iron guttering is preferred, the narrow 

 drip is used and the gutter fixed to the plate under it. As soon as the 

 glazing is finished the last coat of paint should be got on, and for inside 

 work some special greenhouse paint should be used; it may cost a shilling 

 a gallon more, but it will last much longer. There is also a special 



