The gold leaf. [volume] (Henderson, N.C.) 1881-1911, 1910-02-10
ment blocks may be used in the same
manner as the building tile.
Roofs and Floors.

ment blocks may be used in the same
manner as the building tile.
Roofs and Floors.
There are many roofing materials
that can be used in place of shingles.
Some of these can be purchased a little
cheaper. but in lasting qualities they
are little better than good shingles.
The life of shingles can be increased
three or four times by treating them
with creosote as described in article
1. The only trouble with this Is the
discomfort of handling the treated
shingles.
For floors there is nothing better
than cement Cement floors are much
more durable than any other kind and
cost only a little more to start with.
For the smaller buildings the floor can
be built first and the building set on
it with no other foundation. Heavy
buildings. like barns, should have solid
stone foundations. The hog house floor
may be built to extend out about
twelve feet on each side, thus making
a clean feeding floor for the fattening
hogs or a summing place for the early
pigs.
The foundation for a cement floor
should consist of six inches or more
CT cinders or gravel. If the location
is not high and we'll drained a line OF
tile should be laid through this mate
rial to carry away any water that may
collect On this foundation a layer Of
concrete should be laid three to five
inches thick, according to the purpose
for which the floor is to be used.
Horse stable floors need to be much
stronger than those for a hog house
or machine shed For most farm pur-
poses the best proportions to mix this
concrete are one part cement, three
parts clean sand and six parts broken
stone or gravel This should be spread
smoothly and tamped. AS soon as it
has set for a few hours it is ready
for the finishing coat.
A finishing or wearing surface is nee
essary where the floor is subject to
much use 1t is also smoother and
easier to keep clean. 1t should be
made of one part portland cement to
one and One-half parts sand and be put
| on to a depth of from one to one and
one-half inches. AS soon as it has be-
| gun to set it can be grooved into blocks
| about six inches square to prevent the
| animals from slipping. The floor
| should be covered with about an inch
| of sand and sprinkled daily for two or
| three weeks. when it will be ready for
| use.
| Cement Tanks.
Cement tanks are durable and COM
| paratively cheap. Several small ones
| in the different yards, connected with
! the we'll or with an elevated tank by
| underground pipes, are great con-
| Venience. The water in small tanks is
| changed often and hence is kept fresh.
Where the pumping is done by wind
mill there is danger of a small tank
going dry during a calm, but with a
storage tank or a gasoline engine to
! pump this trouble is eliminated.
A foundation of gravel or cinders
should be made much the same as for
floor. Rough boards can be used to
| make forms. These should be creased
on the inside, the concrete mixed to
the consistency Of jelly and poured in
| and tamped. Woven wire makes good
reinforcing for small tanks. For lar
ger ones steel rods will be needed. The
eight parts cement, two parts sand
| and four parts gravel The side walls
Should Slope outward toward the top.