Rensselaer Union, Volume 7, Number 24, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 4 March 1875 — Building Brick Chimney-Tops. [ARTICLE]

Building Brick Chimney-Tops.

As chimney-tops are exposed to the alternate influences of wet and dry, freezing and thawing, more than any 4 other part of a brick edifice, it is important that the bricks and the mortar should be of the best quality. Many brick-ma-sons at the-present day do not appear to know that when mortar is made of lime and, loam , for building chimney-tops both the. bricks and mortar will absorb rain until the entire top is thoroughly saturated. Then in cold weather, before the water has evaporated, the brickwork is frequently frozen through and through, by which means such bricks as have not been burned to a dark cherryred color will be disintegrated by the frost and the mortar will bulge out at the joints. If the chimneys are not covered with copestone or brick-work rain will flow on the inside; and if the chimney extends down through the attic the wall on the side of the brick-work will be seriously damaged. In many instances we have known such a volume of water to fall down the inside of a large chim-ney-top as to saturate the bottom bricks to excess, and then pass down beyond the closet, or rather foundation on which the chimney rested, to the serious injury of the walls beneath. We have in mind a chimney-top standing on a closet in the attic of a farmer’s dwelling which collected such a volume of w T ater every protracted storm that a colored liquid would flow down through the bottom of the chimney, and they were obliged to keep a wash-tub beneath to collect the droppings. After a bushel of sand was poured down in the top of the chimney no more liquid passed through.

The brick of every chimney-top should be so thoroughly burned that they will not disintegrate if allowed to lie on the ground from year to year. Then when i laid they should be soaked in water until i they cease to absorb it. When dry brick are laid in mortar the moisture of the mortar will be absorbed so readily by the bricks that the union between the mortar and bricks will be simply mechanical, and there will be comparatively little strength to the mortar, for the reason that it dries too rapidly. But w’hen wet and hard-burned bricks are laid up in mortar made of clean sand — say four or five parts, one part of good lime just slacked, and one part of prime cement—the mortar will unite with the bricks, dry slowly and become almost as solid as the bricks. We know of large chimney-tops which were built in the foregoing manner in the year 1805, and which are in good condition at the present time, havihg never been repaired during that long period. When a chimney collects so much water that it soaks through the sides or bottom to the injury of the wall, a brick arch should be over the top, or a copestone should cover it,-. supported at the four corners by pieces of brick, so that there will, be a free passage beneath the stone of not less than four inches on both sides of the chimney. Half a dollar’s worth of good cement, in connection with good lime and clean sand, will often save an expense for repairs and damage to walls amounting to ten dollars or more.— Manufacturer and Builder. Cure for Chilblains.—On retiring at night rub the parts of th*- fo*>t affected with sperm-oil and hold the foot near a good hot stove or grate until the heat seems to burn; then remo e it ‘o cool a lit le. Then heat it again, and do so three or four times ev< ry i ight for four or five nights and I will insure a perfect cure. I cured myself in tl at way ten years ago and I have not lx ea troubled since.—Cor. Cincinnati ‘limea.