Chap, III. SLATING.

677
Eoofing felt is specially prepared for hot climates. Non-conducting felt is formed
entirely of hair, and is uspd for covering boilers, steam pipes, &c., for the purpose of pre-
venting the radiation of heat. When applied to boilers, a cement of 2 parts of white
lead,
1^
parts of red lead, 4 parts of whiting, is mixed with boiled linseed oil ; after
being spread over the felt, the whole is patted down on the boiler, and in a short time
the felt firmly adheres. No cement is needed for steam-pipes, the felt being wrapped
round and secured by twine. Sheets of this felt are made 32 inches by 20 itiches
; and
of the followirg weights:No. 1, 16 oz.; No. 2, 24 oz. ; No 3, 32 oz. ; No 4, 40 oz.
;
No.
5, 48 oz. This dry hair or inodorous felt is also useful for deadening sound, by
cutting it into 2 or
2i
inch strips, and laying it on the joists under the floor boards
;
also
as lining to walls and floors; and for lining iron houses to equalise the temperature.
22lOe. Felt is also applied for forming roofs of temporary buildings. It has been
suggested for permanent buildings, but to that employment of it we must withhold our
approval. The rafters may be about 2 inches by Ij inches, placed 20 to 24 inches apart,
laid at a pitch of 2 or 3 inches to the foot, and covered with ^-inch boarding. The tVlt
is to be stretched tight, overlapping 1 inch at the joints, nailed with two-penny fine
clout nails, fir.>-t heated and cooled in grease, about
1^
inches apart ; copper nails are
preferable. The whole roof is then to have a good coating of hot coal tar and lime, in tiie
proportion of 2 gallons of the former to 6 pounds of the latter, well boiled together,
put on with a common tar mop, and while it is soft some coarse sharp sand sifted over
it. The gutters are made of tv\o folds, cemei.ted together with the boiling mixture.
The coating to the roof must be renewed every fourth or fifth year, according to the
climate. The felt is found to last better, if it be not made to adhere by any mixture to
the boarding.
221(|/". Felt for sheds, or occasional purposes, n;ay be put up without boarding ; the
rafters in this case would non exceed 3 inches by Ij inches, placed at a distance of
30 inches apart. To prevent the felt bagging, battens, or slighter rafters, of about 2 inches
by 1 inch, are placed between the others. To such roofs the felt must be laid from eaves
to eaves, nailing through the overlap into the main rafter. The pitch of this roof should
be about 6 inches to the foot. The
"
ventilated
"
slating will bear an economical contrast,
provided the smaller size of slates be used, and is more durable.
2'210r.
Another modern material for roofing is Willcsden paper and canvas. Two-ply
paper is used for underlining slates, tiles, leaky roofs
;
for interior lining; fixing against
damp walls, under floors, and for interior decorations. It is waterproof, and does not
smell. 100 square feet of it equals 16j lbs. The 1-ply paper is used for underlining, fixing
against damp walls, waterproof wrapping, packing, stencil paper, &c. The canvas is
water-repellant and rot-proof. The scrim is waterproof, and useful for shading green-
houses, ferneries, &c., and for fixing to damp walls to protect ornamental wall-papers.
2210^. Slating is sometimes laid lozengewise, but it is much less durable than when
laid in the usual method. It is introduced for the sake of ornamental efiTect. The ends
of the slates wre als > rounded, or cut angleways to a. point, or the angles only cut off; oi,
if the slates be of a small size, they are set angleways over courses with square ends.
These are all shown in an excellent article in Viollet-le-Duc's Bictionnaire, s.v. Ardoise.
Slating is also made to have a decorative effect by forming zigzag patterns with red
coloured slates among blue slates
;
or a few courses of the one above a larger number of
the other.
2210?. James Wyatt, R A., arranged a system for forming roofs with slate slabs
without boarding or battens. In this the slates were all reduced to widths equal to the
distance between centre and centre of the rafters. On the backs of these last they are
screwed by two or three strong inch-and-half screws at each of their ends. Over tho
junctions of the slates, on the backs of the rafters, fillets of slates about two and a half
or three inches wide, bedded in putty, are screwed down, to prevent the entrance of rain.
The handsome regular appe-arance of this sort of slating gained it at first much Celebrity;
but it was soon abandoned, on account of the disorder it is liable to sustain from tho
slightest partial settlement of the building, as well as from the constant dislodgment of
the putty, upon which greatly depended its being impervious to rain.
2211. Subjoined is a succinct account of the different sorts of slates brought to the
London market, and enumerated in the order of their goodness and value.
221 1. Westmoreland slates. These are from 3 feet 6 inches to 1 foot in length, and
from 2 feet 6 inches to 1 foot in breadth. They should be nailed with not less than six-
penny and eight-penny copper or zinc nails (iron nails should never be used); and a ton
in weight of sized slates will usually cover al out two squarts and a quarter. The weight
of the coarsest Westmoreland is to that of common tiling as 36 to 54.
22116. Welsh rays arc next in goodness, and are nearly of the same sizes as those last