266 A JVew Material for Flooring, Sfc. 
asphaltates or bitumens, or any artificial compound of a bitumin- 
ous quality. 
Secondly — They may be formed, in combination with small 
pieces of wood, into large blocks for use. 
Thirdly — Any of the compounds before described may be used 
in combination with wood, in manner following: to form a floor- 
ing for the ground floors of buildings, which will be quite imper- 
meable to under damp, and exceedingly durable. The ground is 
to be first covered over to the depth of about an inch, with a layer 
of any of the four compounds before mentioned (being previously 
well beaten down and leveled), and then small square blocks of 
wood of equal sizes are to be set in this composition while yet 
warm, with the grain uppermost, and placed in regular order, 
side by side. Any interstices which may be left between the 
blocks are to be carefully filled up with the compound. Or, in- 
stead of using small blocks of solid wood, composition blocks of a 
large size, prepared as follows, may be employed: I take a num- 
ber of pieces of deal, from 3 to 5 inches wide, and from 10 to 18 
inches long, such as may be picked out of the woods imported 
from abroad under the denomination of fire-wood, and which, pay- 
ing a small duty, may be had cheap, and lay them in an iron 
frame or mould, in the direction of the grain, jointing them 
roughly together lengthwise, but so that they shall break joint 
transversely. I then cover them to the depth of one or more 
inches with any of the four compounds before described, in a hot, 
fluent state, and leave this coating to settle and cool, whereby it 
becomes firmly united to the wood beneath. On removing this 
mass or block from the frame or mould, and fitting it into a piece 
of flooring, it is placed with the wood uppermost, which remains 
ever after beyond the reach of a damp from beneath. For such 
a description of ground flooring no joists are requisite. The 
blocks may be made of any length or breadth most convenient ; 
but I prefer making them of about four feet in length, by two feet 
six inches in breadth. When a very strong flooring of this kind 
is wanted, I cross the layer of wooden pieces before described 
with a second of exactly the same description, but laid the reverse 
way, and upon an interposed bed of one or the other of the four 
compounds before mentioned. The two layers are then pressed 
together; and when the compound which unites them has cooled 
and set, I pour over the whole another coating of the same com- 
pound, so as to cover completely the second layer of wood. In- 
stead of the blocks being all of one sort of wood, or of one color, 
they may be of different wood and different colors, so as to give 
the flooring a tassellated appearance. 
