May, 1914 
HOUSE AND GARDEN 
417 
The top of a brick wall is capped with 
stone, terra-cotta, cement or brick set on 
edge. The stone and terra-cotta coping 
are more lasting. The old expedient to 
exclude trespassers, of imbedding broken 
glass and bottles in cement, is still occa¬ 
sionally seen. 
Like stone, the brick should be set in 
Portland cement mortar, and the same di¬ 
rections for color apply as above. The 
joints can be flush or raked out. 
The method of placing the bricks in 
the wall is called the bonding. The usual 
forms are common or American bond, 
English bond and Flemish bond. The 
illustrations show the varieties and also 
that through bricks at intervals are neces¬ 
sary to the strength. The common bond 
takes less brick than the other two, as 
only every sixth or seventh course is 
laid headers. The headers are the ends 
of the bricks exposed, while the stretch¬ 
ers are bricks laid the long or natural 
way. 
It is hardly necessary to say that con¬ 
crete is becoming more and more an im¬ 
portant material in fence and wall con¬ 
struction. One has but to look about one 
to see its increasing use everywhere. 
From the city dwelling to the farm, con¬ 
crete, either for posts, entire walls or 
foundations, is more and more in evi¬ 
dence, and when used judiciously and 
with proper care in the mixing, we doubt 
if a better material could be used for cer¬ 
tain places and conditions. 
One advantage of concrete is that the 
average person may in a short time learn 
to mix and set it. 
Concrete combines well with stone, 
brick, wood or iron. Its simplest use is 
for the posts of a wood or iron fence; 
we have already spoken of the wire fence 
with concrete. To elaborate the spaces 
between the posts may be filled in with a 
solid concrete wall, and, furthermore, 
brick and stone may be employed with 
the concrete for this purpose. 
While concrete has great crushing 
strength and is able to resist great weights 
placed upon it; in comparison it has little 
tensile strength. It is well, therefore, to 
provide this tensile strength by some 
other material. Steel rods are usually 
employed for this. They are placed where 
the tensile stress occurs. If a load is ap¬ 
plied, to a concrete beam, the tendency to 
bend causes the molecules in the upper 
part of the beam to be compressed and 
those in the lower part to be pulled 
asunder. The steel rod or rods placed 
below the center, by their great tensile 
cjualities, supply the needed strength. 
Posts should have two rods, placed verti¬ 
cally in diagonal corners, and walls can 
have either rods placed vertically or a 
steel mesh running lengthwise with the 
wall. If a wall is thick and not high in 
proportion to its width this reinforcing is 
not necessary. Expansion joints should 
be left in all continuous walls, and pre¬ 
cise information about these is obtained 
from the hand-books. 
The fine possibilities of stucco, plaster 
and cement houses are not always fully 
understood. Many such houses become 
soiled and stained, or are allowed to be 
narred by the cracking and disintegrating 
f the surface. But if you will get a copy of 
i§§f ^ 5 
i^ttg 
Applied with a Brush 
/ J|r it will open your eyes to the beauty, com- 
i W fort and durability possible for such houses. 
1 g Stucco and concrete, unless dampproofed or water- 
m proofed, absorb rain and moisture from the air. The water 
M leaves a deposit of soot and dirt, so that the walls become 
f streaked and stained. Moreover, in cold weather, the 
moisture freezes, causing cracks. 
Trus-Con Stone-Tex, a liquid cement coating applied 
with a brush, not only dampproofs the walls, but beautifies 
them. It gives them a soft, uniform, artistic color, in any 
one of several pleasing shades. 
Write for this handsome, well-illustrated Stone-Tex book. 
Sent free—postpaid, without obligating you. Write today. 
DampptnofmB J 
r MttwnrySurf^es' 
/'ON STONE-TEX 
static 
«'0,V* V 
ffpeaeti; 
WHY ULSTER REBELS 
Irish Land and Irish Liberty 
By MICHAEL J. F. McCARTHY, Author of “ Five Years in Ireland 
The ownership of eighteen million acres of Irish land changing from 
Protestant landlords to Catholic tenantry and the political changes 
promised and foreshadowed are the basis of Mr. McCarthy’s 
absorbing sociological study of “John Bull’s Other Island.” 
This is the first book of its kind devoted to a comprehensive 
survey of Irish life and character represented by the three types 
— the gentleman, the farmer and the laborer. 38 Illustrations. 
Svo. Price $2.25 net. Postage 20 cents. 
McBIRDE, NAST & CO., Publishers, Union Sq., NEW YORK 
In writing to advertisers please mention House & Garden. 
