Phillipsburg herald. [volume] (Phillipsburg, Kan.) 1882-1905, 1889-05-31

you may know Just how much the eXcava-
ton will be. It often happens, when this
precautiOn is not taken, that there is more
excavation than ordinary, and the contrac-
tor will refuse to do the work required,
without extra pay; and rather than have
an extra, the house is located either too
low or too high from the street-an error
that can never be corrected except at
considerable cost. To ascertain the exact
excavation, it is necessary first to know
the grade of the sidewalk, and from this
measure back the distance desired from
the street line, allowing a fall to the street
for the water of not less than one inch to
three feet. This will give you the grade
line at your foundation wall, and the eX-
cavation will thus be easily calculated, as
the wall is usually 2 feet inches above
the grade, and as much below as the eel
lar is required deep, allowing three inches
for concrete on cellar bottom. Having
fixed the distance of the house above the
street and its elevation above the
same, see to it that the top soil is
carefully removed at such dis
tance from the house as not to be
covered up by the poor soil when
thrown out, and IN such deposits as 20 be
most convenient for top covering when
ground is finally graded. This pIecautiOn
viii save moving dirt unnecessarily. The
poor soil should be thrown out and de-
posted far enough away from the wall so
:
or act as a dam to keep the water from
running away from the building. AS much
OF it as possible should be deposited
where it is wanted to remain. Handling
dirt twice over is expensive, and this gem
orally falls upon the owner, if ineXpsri-
enced. The specifications generally call
for a trench to be dug under the wall
few inches wider than the wall itself and
eight to twelve inches below the cellar
bottom; this trench to be filed with con-
crete Of which the wall is to be built.
This is q very important matter, as upon
a good foundation depends the stability
of the house. 1t too often happens, how
ever, that the contractor hUrries over this
part Of the work, as he can easily escape
detection By putting In but three or four
inches Of concrete only Of the width Of
the wall If this work be done in the late
autumn, the inside of foundation wall
should be we'll banked up with earth to
keep ont the frost
THE LAW As TO PARTY WALLS.
A party wall in law is the wall dividing
lands of different prOprietors, used in
common for the support Of structures on
both sides At common law an owner
who erects q wall for his own buildings
which is capable Of being used by an ad-
joining proprietor, can not compel such
proprietor, when he shall build next to 1t,
to pay for any portion Of the cost Of such
wall On the other hand, the adjoining
proprietor has no right to make any use Of
such wall without consent Of the owner
and the consequence may be the erection
Of two walls, side by side, when one
would answer all purposes. This CON
Yenience Is often secured by an agreement
to erect a wall for common use, one-haIf
on each others land, the parties 60
divide the expense; II only one IS to
build at a time, be gets return from
the other party Of half what it costs him.
Under such an agreement each has an