Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1888-10-27
Danapness in KOuses-Its Effect ON
Health.

HOW TO PREVENT 1.-THE EFFICACY OF PAINT.
From the American Architect
The Wiener BGuindustriezeftun0 is strongly In
favor OF painting the outside OF brick or stone
buildings, as means OF repelling dampness from
them. 1t Acknowledges that many scientincper-
sons oppose the painting OF walls OF masonry, on
the ground that ventilation through them Is thus
prevented, but IL believes that where the transfer
OF air through the walls exists It's value Is more
than counterbalanced by the facility with which
the masonry becomes saturated with moisture. In
support OF It's observations 1t cites the example
OF Two houses, standing side by side, facing the
rainy quarter OF the compass. One Oh the houses
has the front painted Ill oil; the masonry OF the
other Is LETT bare, and alter heavy rain Is almost
black with the water which IL has absorb. In this
house dwells family OF persons not
constitutionally subject to rheumatic or
pulmonary complaints, or catarrhs, out since TAX
ing possession OF the building every member or the
family inmate or the house been iii with rheu.
matlSIn or catarrhal III eCJiSn while the dampneS5
OF the air In the rooms Is Indicated the peelng of
OF the paper from the walls, and by the persistent
smell OF tobacco smoke, a certain sign, We are III
formed, OF moist atmosphere. The painted house
Is inhabited ny u family Of conSumpGlve tendency,
yet no member OF it, or oIner ininaVe of the house.
has suffered from pulmonary or rheumatic disease,
although, after very heavy ana continued rain.
the cellar has been flooded with water. SO far as
ventilation by open windows Is concerned, the
two houses have been similarly treated, ana the
only difference between them appears 10 consist
In the paint on the outside walls.
Inc same useful Journal also mentions device
for keeping walls dry which may be OF value.
WHcIC uilSA wal, pidoIcIcu VI tuc piiChWOAA
Ike all walls In vienna, shows dampneSS on the
inside, after being exposed TO RAIN the piaster1ng
should be TeIaNyed, the mortar Scraped out OF the
joints OF thODbrickwOrk 10 the depth OF half an
inch, and the whole then painted over with hot
coaltar or asphalt. After this Is hard, new coat
OF plaster may be spread over IL, and finished as
II there were no c0al-tar under IL. II The new
plaster should not adhere TO the asphalt as often
happens, a rough surface should be given IL by
throwing sand over IL while the asphalt Is still
warm, or, We might add, by throwing hot sand at
IL even after the coating mad become cold and
hard. This gives q texture 10 which hard nnish,
or other second or third coat or plaster Will cling
indefinitely. II coal tar is used, with ordinary
plaster over 1t, the dsagreeabe smell Of the COAL
Tar or asphalt Will come through the plaster coat
into the room, but this may be prevented almost
entirely by mixing the plaster with cement or
hydraulic lime.
The Massachusetts, state board OF health once
SJructiOn OF clearinghouse on consumption, and
found that the proportion OF conSumptiye patients
was greatest in stone houses, and next In brick
houses, and that 1t was smallest in wooden houses.
Dry as our Climate Is, therefore, II Is by no means
Impossible that paint might with advantage De
applied more 10 masonry with Us than IL now Is.
A hundred years ago IL was fashionable to paint
brick buildings While, ana many charming Old
structures REMAIN 10 attest the value OF Inc coat
or paint In preserving the masonry, and It's pleas
ant and hoinellke ELECT as foil 10 the vines and
shrubs with which even city houses are now CON-
monty adorned. III II should prove, as nigh easily
be ascertained, that the painted brick houses pre-
serve their Inhabitants more eIectually from sick
ness and premature death than the unpalnUed
ones IL would be worth While To revive the ancient
fashion, and, with our greater resources in the
way or materials and Ideas exterior colOring might
ture OF the twentieth century it was 10 That Of
the twelfth and thirteenth.