WINDOW PACKING. 91 



DOOR PACKING. 



The impossibility of making doors and windows at all times 

 quite air and water tight, arises from the swelling and shrinking 

 of the wood, by the alternate changes of the atmosphere, and 

 attempts to make them quite tight often causes a worse diffi- 

 culty, that of preventing their opening and shutting. It is be- 

 lieved that the plan here proposed will completely overcome 

 these obstacles, as relates to doors. Doors may be made one- 

 half to three-quarters of an inch smaller than the door casing, 

 and a round cord of gum-elastic sponge being inserted in a 

 groove in the door casing, and also in the edge of the door ; 

 the two cords together projecting somewhat more than the 

 space between the door and the casing, will make the door tight, 

 and allow it to open and shut, notwithstanding the variations of 

 the weather. 



WINDOW PACKING. 



Window frames may be packed by grooving the frame, and 

 fitting into the groove a cord of gum-elastic sponge. If fitted 

 into the bottom of the sash also, this arrangement will not only 

 make windows tight, and keep out driving storms, but also guard 

 persons against injury by the falling of windows. For further 

 explanation of this use of gum-elastic for this purpose, see Im- 

 proved Window Fixtures, Chapter 



