Page:Every Woman's Encyclopedia Volume 1.djvu/175

 '53 WOMAN'S HOME This will be one of the most important sections of Every Woman's EncycloP/EDIa. It will be written by the leading authorities, and will deal, among other things, with : | The House Furniture Choosing a House Heating, Plumbing, etc. Glass Dining-tooin Building a House The Rent-purchase System China Hall Improvmg a House How to Plan a House Silver Kitchen Wallpapers Tests for Dampness Home-made Furniture Bedroom Lighting 7^ est s for Sanitation, ttc. Draivitig-room Nursery, etc. Housekeeping Servants Laundry | Cleaning Wages Plain Laundrywork Household Recipes Registry Offices Fine Laundrywork How to Clean Silver Giving Characters Flannels How to Clean Marble Lady Helps, etc. Laces Labour-saving Suggestions, etc. Servants' Duties, etc. Lroning, etc. HOW TO CHOOSE A eoU^lS Continued /ro)n pa^e i. Pari i By W. S. ROGERS, Civil Engineer The Character of the Street— The Need for a Front Garden— External Appearance— Dampness- Flues — Drainage — Garden and Outhouses Neighbourhood VY/hen, owing to the smallness of the house- hold or slenderness of means, one has to seek a house of moderate rental, a difficulty will be found in regard to the class of people that may be one's neighbours. In town and suburban districts the street takes its character from that of the majority of its occupants, and persons of refined tastes would find it impossible to Hve up to their usual standard of comfort in a district tenanted by people inspired by a different set of ideals. Amongst the disconcerting factors to be reckoned with are the presence of noisy children in the roadway, street music in generous abundance, hawkers of sturdy lung- power, and disturbances from early risers and late homecomers. One could hardly mistake the character of an established neighbourhood, but in a new suburb, before the majority of the houses are occupied, it might prove that the pioneer tenant had misjudged the class of householder that would follow him, and in a few months he would regret his choice. By diligent search, however, one may find quite admirable little houses sandwiched in between others of more ample proportions, D 66 and generally such houses are free from the objections that attach to those of the same rental repeated in endless perspective. Some landowners have recognised the difficulty, and provided variety of size when developing their estates. Position Relative to Roadway Other things being equal, the house- hunter is advised to select a house not too close to the roadway. A forecourt has many advantages apart from questions of horticulture. It is a barrier against road- dust, which in thoroughfares used by motors is fast becoming a bane to the housewife, filtering into the rooms through every open- ing, and appreciably adding to her daily round of work. Street nuisances become less distracting when heard from a distance, and undesirable callers are sometimes de- terred when they find the front door remote from the side-walk. The House from Outside Questions of style and external decoration, although they do not necessarily affect the comfort and convenience of the house inter- nally, cannot be ignored. The advent of the L