170 The Farmstead 



or stone structures must be broad and placed 

 deep in the ground, to sustain the great weight 

 placed upon them. However much pains has 

 been taken, the walls of the superstructure often 

 crack by reason of the unequal settling of the 

 foundation or by unequal strain on the walls, 

 due to the window and door openings. Once 

 the walls are cracked they become unsightly, and 

 cannot well be restored without being rebuilt. 

 Unless the windows are extra large the* house 

 will not be well lighted because of the thick 

 walls. (See Fig. 24, p. 108.)' The walls do not 

 heat and cool as quickly as do wooden walls, 

 hence brick and especially stone houses are likely 

 to be damp, since the warm air of the rooms 

 tends to part with its moisture when it comes in 

 contact with the relatively cool walls. This ten- 

 dency of the walls to condense moisture may 

 be obviated by studding and plastering them on 

 the inside, but all this adds to the expense. 

 Until building material becomes much less ex- 

 pensive than it now is, the farmer would better 

 build either a wooden or veneered house. 



OLD HOUSES 



Houses which were built some time ago and 

 before building paper and better methods of con- 

 struction were in vogue, are usually too cold 



