“But previously, the bottom and fronts of the gutters will be attached by means of angle-irons, L, sunk-in flush, and which are let into the wall at the bottom of the course, A. These angle-irons will come on the outside, and not on the inside of the gutter. At regular distances, in the gutter-front, we shall bore the holes for the little spouts, M, which serve as overflows.
“The down-spouts, placed in the angles of the building, will pass, at their upper orifice, through an opening contrived in the cornice, as shown by the detail, N. A funnel of lead will connect the bottom of the gutter with the orifice of the cast-iron down-pipe, and will be soldered, of course, only to the bottom of the gutter, resting loose in the part which enters the down-pipe.
“In order to obtain the necessary falls in the bottom of the gutter, we shall run in a thickness of plaster, with stops of wood for the drips at the end of each length of the lead lining, as you see at O. These sheets of lead should not exceed 10 feet each in length.
“The ridges of the roofs and dormers shall also be of lead doubled and folded, as shown by the sketch, P. Two strips of lead, b, are first nailed on to cover the slate, d; then the upper half of these strips are rolled and folded into the sheet, i, which covers the ridge roll. This last piece of lead is, besides, held by screws, whose heads are covered by a bit of lead; thus there is no danger of its being displaced by the wind.
“I describe to you here only the principal points in the roof-plumber’s work, which requires very great judgment and extreme care. You will be able to study it practically in detail when we have good plumbers at work. Some of the Parisian plumbers possess remarkable skill. They will also attend to the arrangements for the supply of water in the house—the water-closets, baths, &c. But I have an important piece of advice to give you: Lead laid on oak that has not been steeped in water oxidizes very rapidly. The acetic acid which this kind of wood contains changes the sheets of lead placed on it into ceruse in a few months, especially if the wood is not sufficiently ventilated on the opposite side. I will therefore point out to you the only kinds of wood that should be employed for the gutters and ridge rolls. We will take old wood from the remains of the old mill, which when cut up will be in the condition required, for this wood has long ago discharged its sap.
“Your business, as clerk-of-works, when the plumbers begin their operations, will especially consist in having the metal that is brought in carefully weighed, and having the clippings safely put by in your presence. These men, accustomed to occupy themselves with their craft, work somewhat after the fashion of artists, and are inclined to disregard material interests; they leave their lead and tin about in every corner. You must be aware that we ought not to expose our country fellows to such strong temptations.
“You must therefore weigh all the materials as they come in, and then the clippings. These will have to be put by in your presence in a place securely locked. The difference between the weight of metal that comes in and that of this residue is the amount with which we are chargeable, as lead work is paid by weight.
“The joiner’s contract you have brought me promises, I believe, that the flooring, doors, and window-frames shall be sent at the end of August?”
“Yes; and as regards the floorings, the contractor tells me that, having a good store of wood, he could begin laying them on the 1st of August.”
“That would be too soon; we must let the whole building dry a little first. He is an energetic man; if he begins on the 1st of September he will have finished by the 1st of October. We will have the painters in then, and by the 1st of December our house may be considered finished.