[Illustration: (For Finials, see page 74.)]
A roof for your house is indispensable, and because it is so, let it
be a good one. No part of your house is subject to the same amount of
exposure, and there is no part independent of its protection. If you have
built for the personal comfort of yourself and family, do not slight
the roof because cheap, plain material is the most convenient. There is
really no economy in doing so. It is outside, to be sure, but, like the
chimney, it is a necessity. As we cannot ignore it, we must try to make
it, as a part of the house, attractive. No money spent on the house will
add more to its selling value than that expended in taste and material
for the roof.
[Illustration]
The difference expended in favor of good material adds to every part
of the structure. The roof is about the first thing the prospective
purchaser sees. He cannot help it; it is right before his eyes. His first
impressions are the hardest to overcome.
A good roof must be, first, rain-proof; second, fire-proof; third, light
in weight; fourth, durable; fifth, ornamental; sixth, not liable to get
out of order. You can have your house covered with such a roof, and not
pass the limited boundaries of economy.
Read carefully the pages of this little book devoted to roofing materials
and sundries.