Iowa voter. [volume] (Knoxville, Iowa) 1867-1874, 1871-06-29
Damp Dwellings.

AS general rule, it may be laid down
that there is no auxiliary SO powerful in
diminishing the amount Of such moisture
as cannot be actually shut out from any
part of building, as free circulation Of
air. 1t is to be remembered that the at
mosphere is almost always in such state
that when 1t comes into contact with free
moisture it will absorb some of it. Let.
therefore, openings communicating with
the cavities and vacant spaces of house
be freely provided. The hollow space in a
roof, the space between floor and ceiling,
and the hollow under a floor, should ali
enjoy free circulation Of air. It is even
desirable, in building hollow walls to at
tempt TO promote circulation of air in
the cavity, and in all these cases it should
be remembered that two openings are re-
qusite to each hollow in order to give
much hope of current or change of air.
Where there is no ventilation under the
lowest floor of house, the joists and
timbers will soon begin to decay. This
may be accelerated by covering the floor
with oil cloth or kamptulicon or similar
nonporous coverings. Ivy or creepers
against external walls, and even trees
growing close to them, tend to promote
moisture by eating off circulation of air.
engagements for water-supply or drainage
will be pretty sure to lead to- damp. As
general rules, no drain should ever be
permitted to pass under any part of q
dwelling. house; and when this cannot be
prevented, the drain should be so laid
without being covered up with earth, that
every part oft which is under the floor of
the house can be reached at once. The
water pipes on the other hand, should be
kept we'll within the house for warmth's
sake, and, where they leave it, should be
at level of not less than three feet at the
least below the surface, for protection
against frost. Whenever practicable,
water pipes should be left where they can
be seen and got at. Iron Is preferable to
lead for their material, and the arrange
ments should always include the means of
shutting off water supplies In very frosty
weather.
1t only remains to suggest to those per-
sons who unfortunately find themselves in
damp house which they cannot leave,
that they ought to use as many remedies as
they can, rather than only one at time;
that, as far as possible, what is done should
be done in dry weather; and that the re-
pairs or remedies attempted should be car
ried out with good materials and labor,
in the most thorough way possible. and
under vigilant supervision. Damp is
most insidious, finds its way in at very
small and very out of -the-way inlets, and
when once established seems very 10th to
be disturbed Those who build for them
selves will, we hope, not overlook the
very just importance of the simple precau-
tons necessary to keep their houses dry;
but we should be especially gratified If
these observations induce some of our
readers who rent houses to bestow some
little pains ia ascertaining, before they
take a house, if these precautions have
been attended to or not. 1t Is wise to try
to select wet day for looking over a
house, for if the day be fine, and the
weather dry, damp spots as well as many
other defects may be easily overlooked.
Let the intending tenant look for the ex-
listing of damp courses, dry areas, and ven
tlation under floors; let him avoid q
ground floor that Is not little raised
above the earth outside, unless he is sure
there is good cavity under it we'll venti-
lated. Bricks that are manifestly porous,
or which change color very much when
rain falls, parapets with no cOpings, walls
where the pointing Is not thoroughly
sound, caves without cutters, and the like,
are to be looked upon with great distrust;
and an unsound roof or ill-arranged gut.
tiers (of which, by-the-bye, few non-pro-
fessional persons can form a good opinion)
ought to be looked upon with as much
disiayor as dning-room of the wrong
shape, or drawing room that looks
gloomy. In one word, in choosing house
in which man intends himself and his
family to live, he should look out for the
indications Of damp as pointing out the
presence Of one Of the most serious enc
mics to his comfort, If not to the continu-
ance of their life, which he can have to
encounter Tool Journal.