r9i i.] Labourers' Cottages. 115 
deal of the steam can be disposed of without it penetrating 
the rooms when the copper is inside the building. 
Provision should be made for storing some of the roof 
water for general washing purposes, either by tanks or 
wooden butts well tarred or pitched. 
The yards, walks, &c, should be paved, either with 
cement, concrete, or hard bricks, or gravelled. 
Damp-course. — There are several materials in general use 
as damp-proof courses. Of these, a double course of stout 
slates in cement 6 in. above the level of the surrounding 
ground and laid to break joint, is the one most commonly 
used, and is found to be very efficient. In certain districts, 
particularly in the Midlands, two courses of blue Stafford- 
shire bricks in cement are used, and if the two courses of 
brickwork above and below them are set in cement mortar,, 
an equally satisfactory result is obtained. Asphalte, as 
generally understood, is a mixture of bitumen and tar, and 
is proof against damp rising, but it is liable to squeeze out 
under pressure of heavy buildings in very hot weather.. 
There are certain makes of bitumen sheeting which prove 
effective for damp courses. On no account should asphalted 
or tarred felt be used. It is cheap and is used largely in 
speculative work, but it is inefficient as a damp-proof course^ 
and soon perishes. Its use should therefore be discouraged. 
Sills. — With regard to window-sills, stone is mostly used ; 
slate is also employed in certain districts. Croft granite stone 
for sills, steps, &c, has also proved satisfactory. It weathers 
well, and the cost is about one-half that of ordinary stone. 
Two courses of quarry tiles, set sloping and well bedded and 
pointed in cement, are also cheap and efficient. Then there 
are purpose-made sill bricks, but those of Staffordshire make 
are to be preferred. Cemented brick-on-edge-in-cement sills 
are frequently adopted, but unless the cement is of the best 
quality and the work well performed, they are liable to crack 
and disintegrate. 
Tiles and Slates. — Tiles and slates form the chief coverings 
for roofs. Of the former, plain sand-faced tiles and the 
the Broseley or similar nib tiles are the best. Pan tiles form 
a cheaper covering, and are sometimes used, but they are 
not a desirable covering for roofs of dwelling-houses. Tiles 
I 2 
