38 
buildings where blistering and scaling of 
the oil painted walls has occurred, if not 
due to age, then probably to the presence 
of salts in the mortar decomposed by the 
moisture absorbed by the plaster from the 
interior of the wall. Architects and build- 
ers familiar with these conditions know 
that an inner lining of ordinary brick, al- 
though isolated by an air space from the 
exterior walls of the building, is no guar- 
antee that the salts in the brick or mortar 
will remain inactive, for the reason that 
air from the interior of the building being 
usually warmer than the external atmos- 
phere, will find its way through the porous 
material of the brick into the air space 
and there in cold weather condense on the 
brick and be absorbed, causing decompo- 
sition of the salts, as previously described, 
with consequent damaging results if the 
walls are painted. This trouble is not un- 
common in buildings so constructed, even 
if kept heated, as suggested by the corre- 
spondent. On the other hand, if the lining 
is of hollow brick or tile, providing for 
two or more air spaces, there is seldom 
any trouble from condensation and its 
consequent evils, yet there are exceptions, 
so that in looking for a remedy one should 
not overlook them, but take every known 
precaution. Enough perhaps has been said 
regarding the causes of troubles of the 
nature of that now under consideration. 
Let us now consider the usual remedies. 
I have already intimated that trouble of 
this nature may be minimized or possibly 
entirely avoided by some plan of insula- 
tion, and yet experience has shown that 
that is not always effective; consequently, 
where possible, it is advisable to adopt 
other precautionary or remedial measures. 
Water-proofing materials and compounds 
of comparatively recent introduction are 
now extensively used and usually with 
very satisfactory results. For example, 
where it is necessary to plaster directly 
on the walls the interior of the walls are 
first coated with one or more applica- 
tions of water-proofing compound be- 
fore applying the plaster, the plaster 
again in some instances being painted with 
one or more coats of the compound before 
the oil paint or finish is applied. In one 
instance in which I am directly interested 
we have had considerable trouble with one 
room which is always heated. This room 
is lined with a 4-inch wall of common 
pressed brick of good quality isolated 
from the exterior stone wall on one side 
of the room by a space averaging about 
two inches. The walls are painted in oil 
colors. No trouble was experienced with 
the interior walls, but for several years 
the paint on the exterior walls of the 
building, notwithstanding the insulation, 
continually sloughed off, apparently due to 
the moisture in the brick, caused by either 
leakage or condensation, more probably 
the latter. In repainting we always took 
PARK AND CEMETERY. 
the precaution to dry the walls as much 
as possible with gasoline torches before 
applying the paint, but invariably with the 
same result. At last my attention was 
called to one of these water-proofing com- 
pounds and 1 decided to try an experi- 
ment. The paint was burned off the wall 
as clean as possible and two coats of the 
compound applied, with a view to filling 
and sealing the pores of the brick and 
mortar. This was followed by three coats 
of' oil paint. Complete success was neither 
promised nor anticipated, as to insure the 
best results water-proofing should be ap- 
plied on the side of the wall from which 
the moisture penetrates, but in this in- 
stance the result has been most satisfac- 
tory, for though it is four years since 
this work was done, we have had prac- 
ticaly no further trouble. I allude to this 
instance (not by any means an exceptional 
one) the more particularly to show, first, 
that the heating of the room did not prove 
a preventative, and, second, that relief may 
be obtained by water-proofing the walls 
even on the inside. This experience would 
suggest a remedy for the correspondent in 
the present instance if the walls of his 
chapel are plastered directly on the stone 
work. To burn off the paint in this in- 
stance, however, may be impracticable, and 
if the building is large, costly, so that 
the adoption of some other plan may be 
preferable. The plaster might be removed, 
as is done in some cases, the stone water- 
proofed by several coats of the best com- 
pound obtainable and then replastered. 
This is generally a reliable remedy, but it 
might be more practicable and probably 
more economical to fur, lath and plaster 
on top of the present wall finish. Casings 
of doors and windows could easily be re- 
set. Even then, if the building is not to 
be kept heated, it would be advisable to 
coat the walls with water-proofing before 
painting. It would not generally be con- 
sidered necessary to adopt this precaution 
on walls so constructed, but very little ad- 
ditional expense would be incurred. Again, 
if a brick lining was considered desirable 
for greater permanency, a hollow brick 
should be used and water-proofed before 
painting. I would suggest here that a very 
neat and appropriate finish for the in- 
terior of a cemetery chapel is a colored 
pressed brick of some quiet and harmoni- 
ous tone. This requires no painting and 
may be easily cleaned, although that is 
seldom necessary. 
If the walls of the chapel in question 
are lathed and plastered, the trouble is 
probably due, as already intimated, to salts 
in the mortar. A comparatively cheap and 
probably effective remedy would be the 
removal of the plaster, replacing it with 
adamant, -water-proofing as suggested, and 
finishing in oil paint. Unheated buildings, 
particularly those of ordinary structure, 
generally suffer to a considerable extent 
in our climate during very cold and damp 
weather, consequently if at all convenient, 
as it probably would be in the present in- 
stance, it undoubtedly would be econom- 
ical as well as perhaps remedial to keep 
the chapel heated. Any moderate tem- 
perature above freezing point would suf- 
fice for purposes of preservation. But if 
the chapel is used so seldom and it would 
be inconvenient and perhaps impracticable 
to keep it constantly heated, which might 
be considered troublesome and perhaps 
wasteful, then a fairly reliable remedy 
may be found in the foregoing sugges- 
tions. James Currie, 
Supt. Forest Home Cemetery. 
Milwaukee, Wis. 
Not knowing the exact conditions pre- 
vailing with your correspondent regarding 
the trouble he reports with the interior 
finish of his chapel flaking and scaling 
from the wall, it will be difficult to recom- 
mend a remedy. 
If the interior is a hard, smooth plaster 
finish, probably the best remedy will be 
what your correspondent himself suggests, 
namely, to maintain during the winter 
months a low, steady fire, to prevent the 
walls from becoming damp and freezing. 
If the interior plaster is a cement sand 
or rough cast finish, it would be a good 
plan to give same two coats of a good 
damp-proofing material ; of such there are 
several in the market, one notably manu- 
factured in Detroit, Mich. They can be 
applied with a brush and are very durable 
and weather-resisting. 
If interested, your correspondent can ob- 
tain more information direct from The 
Trus Con Laboratories, 1250 Trus Con 
Building, Detroit, Mich., or the Garden 
City Sand Co., Chicago. 
Frank Eurich, 
Detroit. Woodlawn Cemetery. 
In reference to paint scaling from the 
walls of receiving vaults and chapels, this 
will always occur where the frost is al- 
lowed to enter the building, and no way 
has been found to prevent this where oil 
or lead paint is used. My theory is that 
most wall finishes will cling to the sur- 
face by a small portion entering the pores 
of plaster. Where freezing takes place 
expansion displaces the finish. There are 
now on the market several compounds 
that are claimed to penetrate beyond the 
surface, but unless the interior is of Port- 
land cement plaster, I doubt whether the 
stain would penetrate. Your correspond- 
ent suggests that the building be kept 
heated. This undoubtedly would prevent 
most of the trouble, if not eliminating it 
altogether. It might not be out of place 
to state in the construction of chapels and 
vaults that no plaster finish should be 
used. Bellett Lawson, Jr., 
Supt. Elmwood Cemetery. 
Chicago, 111. 
