in the United States. It is put on over the board'ng by furring off with 3-inch wood strips or iron rods, or it may be applied directly to the studding; wire or other metal lathing should be used in either case, and it is best to have it galvanized or painted. The plastering should be three-coat work, with one

third of Portland cement for all three coats, the last containing the coarse sand or gravel if a rough finish is desired. If metal lathing is not easily procured, a good result is obtained by lathing upon the boarding diagonally with 14-inch spaces and repeating the lathing diagonally in the opposite direction, all well nailed and secure. Upon this

we may plaster as upon the metal Fig. 47. Furring for Metal Lathing lathing.

on House Boarding

The framing studs should be set 12 inches on centers and, so far as possible, should run from sill to plate with no horizontal timbers to cause shrinkage. This frame should be rigidly braced to avoid cracking the finish. If house boarding is used it should be in narrow widths, from 6 inches to 8 inches, matched and laid diagonally, with two nails to each stud. Waterproof paper should be laid over the boarding, well lapped and tacked, and upon this paper vertical furring strips of wood or metal are placed to receive the metal lathing, Fig. 47. These strips should be placed not more than 12 inches apart and preferably upon the direct line of the studs of the frame. Upon these furring strips the metal lathing is secured in horizontal strips, doubled at corners or reinforced by a strip of metal lath, bent and applied over the lathing. If house boarding is not to be used, the lathing may be stapled directly to the studding, Fig. 48, or, better, the metal may be fastened over quarter-inch iron rods or crimped metal stapled to the studding.

Upon the lathing three coats of strong Portland cement mortar

are applied, finished with a troweled surface if a smooth effect is desired; or the finish may be of any degree of roughness, from a sand-floated surface to the extreme of roughness produced by throwing a strong mixture of cement and sand or wet pebbles against the finishing coat. It is also possible to apply the mortar by means of a machine which is made for the purpose.

In case no boarding is used, a heavy coat of mortar should be applied to the back of the lathing thus completely bedding it in mortar and forming a thick wall partly between the studs, in which the metal lath acts as a reinforcement, while the whole tends to stiffen the frame to a great extent, Fig. 49.

A coat of plastering is an excellent treatment for the exteriors of old wooden houses. When an old house is to be covered, every part should be thoroughly examined and treated according to defects which may be found. Leaks in roof or gutter which will admit

Fig. 49. Backing Coat of Plaster Where
Boarding Is Not Used

water back of the mortar coat must be repaired, loose clapboards or shingles secured, and window casings examined and treated according to taste and judgment as to whether they should show outside the coating or should be cov

ered. Good results are often obtained, if the clapboards or shingles are sound, [by stapling the metal lathing directly to the face of butts, the serrated space behind giving a key; but a safer method is to fur vertically with wood or metal.

Concreting the Cellar. When the last of the inside plastering has been completed, the concreting of the cellar should be begun so that it may be drying out with the plastering. For this the best cement must be used, mixed in proper proportions, puddled, and troweled to a perfectly level surface. A good mixture for cellar concreting is 1 shovelful of Portland cement, 3 of sand, and 6 of broken stone or screened pebbles, with a top dressing of cement and fine stone from which the dust has been screened.

Waterproofing. If the house is located in an especially wet place, it may be necessary to use other than the ordinary means of a well-built wall and strong concrete floor to withstand the pressure which ground water sometimes exerts against the cellar. In this

event a waterproofing compound must be combined with the cement, and in extreme cases a lining of tarred felt should be used, mopped to the outside of the walls and previously run under the wall on top of the footing, Fig. 50, to be continued over the whole cellar bottom on a rough bed of concrete. This surface is then mopped with pitch and over it is laid the finished concrete of the cellar.

Fireplaces. While the plastering and concreting are drying out, the fireplaces are usually finished. These are to be of bricks and should be built with a splay of from 6 to 8 inches to the sides. (See Fig. 36.) The back lining is built up plumb for about six

Fig. 50. Section of Cellar Wall Show-
ing Method of Waterproofing
with Tarred Felt

HEADERS,

Fig. 51. Section of Fireplace
Showing Construction

courses and then inclined toward the front until an opening of about 2 inches only is left, Fig. 51. If a flat arch or level bricks are used for the opening there should be provided a wrought-iron bar or, better, two bars, which must be let up into the underside of the bricks so that they may not be seen. Care must be taken to see that fireplaces are set in the exact center of chimney breasts and rooms; also that the faces of the bricks are in the required position, usually flush with the plaster line, although this may be varied to allow for differences in the form of mantel desired.

Dampers and Throats. Cast-iron dampers and throats for fireplaces may be bought and set into place, the commonest type being the tip-and-slide damper, Fig. 52. This consists of an iron frame

Fig. 52. Tip-and-Slide Damper for
Fireplace

containing a sliding damper for use if little draught is required, the entire inner section tipping back to open the whole width of the fireplace. Care should be taken that the flue is not drawn in so quickly that there is not room to tip the damper, and that the damper is set high enough so that the usual hanging toggle does not show. More complicated dampers have the opening and closing controlled by a rod connecting with a milled head or thumb piece on the surface, and so-called "throats" combine the damper with a short upstanding or slanting duct to connect with the flue.

PLUMBING

PIPING

Soil Pipes. As soon as the plasterers have removed their stagings from the house, the plumber can at once complete the piping. In some cases it will be necessary to run the main soil pipes concealed behind the plaster, but it is much better if they can be in plain sight. Extra heavy pipe is called for, to be plain and painted on the outside with red lead. These pipes should be tested for sand holes before delivery; since they are plain, any imperfections in the casting may be readily seen; this would not be the case if the pipes were asphalted, as they usually are. The joints of the soil pipe will need special watching to see that they are not slighted in any way. All the joints must be made of oakum, driven in tight, and finished with melted lead which will be poured around each joint and then thoroughly calked after the pipes are in position, Fig. 53. It is never advisable to complete the joints before securing the pipes in place, for the jar of this handling may loosen the lead. The pouring-in of melted lead will not secure a tight joint as the lead shrinks away upon cooling and it is necessary to force it again into contact with the pipe. This is the object of calking, and if well done the lead in the joint will show marks of the iron all around.

Lead Pipes. Lead pipes will be most easily examined on delivery, when the ends of the coil will be stamped with some figures or letters to denote the weight per foot. After the pipe has been cut it will be next to impossible to tell by appearance whether or not it is the right weight. All lead pipe which is not new or which shows unequal thickness should be rejected. The running of lead pipes must be carefully watched and boards should always be put up, against which or upon which the pipes may be securely fastened. Lead pipes which are run vertically should be fastened by hard metal "tacks", which are soldered to the pipe at intervals of about three feet. Unless this rigid fastening is made, the pipes will "crawl" and droop because of alternate contraction and expansion. Horizontal pipes may be secured by bands but should have a continuous strip of wood to support the entire length, or they will in time sag and form a hollow place, from which the water cannot be drawn when pipes must be emptied. The pipe should be made to rest upon the straight support and never be allowed to take an upward bend in its level course, as this soon becomes filled with air and would eventually stop the flow of the water unless punctured at the highest point.

LEAD

OAKUM.

Fig. 53. Section Showing
Joint of Soil Pipe

All the joints in lead pipes should be wiped joints, as specified, and no cup joints, which are more easily made but are not so strong, should be accepted. The joining of lead and iron pipes must be made by wiping to the end of the lead pipe a strong brass ferrule which can be calked into the iron pipe. The superintendent must watch carefully to see that this is done for it is a great temptation to many plumbers to putty the lead pipe into the socket of the iron pipe.

Brass Pipes. For a hot-water system, brass pipes should be used since they are not affected by the alternate warmth and chill of the water which would cause lead pipes to sag between the supports. Indeed, if the additional expense is not too great, it is worth while to make all the supply pipes of brass, which can be obtained either plain or coated inside with tin. If brass piping is used, it