own fire risk but adds greatly to insulation from both heat and cold.
Fires that originate in the cellar frequently travel upward in the
dead-air spaces behind lath plaster. For houses already built, the
best means is to pack the walls with pulverized asbestos. There are
contractors who specialize in this work and have equipment for doing
the job quickly with minimum cutting and inconvenience.

An electric fire detector in the cellar acts much like a burglar
alarm. There are several now on the market. The principle on which
they work is thermostatic. Sensitive to increased heat, an alarm bell
sounds the moment fire develops. The White House has one of the most
elaborate systems of this sort, which was installed shortly after the
executive office fire of a few years ago.

Checking chimneys comes next after leaving the cellar. All chimneys
should rest on a solid foundation in the ground. Those carried on
wooden beams are never safe. The normal settling will produce
dangerous cracks in the joints of the brickwork. Likewise, unused
stove-pipe holes should be closed with bricks and mortar cement.
Chimneys connected with open fireplaces ought to be equipped with
spark arresters. These are simply bronze or brass wire of sufficiently
fine mesh to catch any sparks. Placed at the top, they also serve to
discourage chimney swallows from nesting in the throat of an
old-fashioned chimney, to the doubtful pleasure of the occupants of
the house.

For the roof there are slate and non-burnable shingles as well as a
system by which weather boarding under wooden shingles can be replaced
with panels of fireproof plaster sheathing.

If there is any doubt regarding the condition of electric wiring it
will be real economy to have a licensed electrician inspect it and
replace any which is obsolete or not in accord with insurance
regulations. Also, if steam or hot water pipes go through flooring or
are close to the wooden trim, there should be at least three-quarters
of an inch clearance. Otherwise, the heat dries and carbonizes the
wood. Then slight additional heat may produce spontaneous combustion.

Then there are more elaborate rebuilding projects such as installing a
fire sprinkler system in the cellar.

A built-in incinerator located in the cellar with chute opening in the
kitchen is excellent for the immediate disposal of trash and rubbish.

Two stairways connecting living and bedroom floors are always better
than one. Either sta