In the construction of lintels in either the wall of brick or stone, the introduction of either wood or steel is necessary for strength. Where the openings are less than 4 feet in width, timber lintels are used at the back of the lintel or arch, which are cut to serve as a centre for a rowlock or keyed arch. Any face brick may be supported by using a small steel angle. Where lintels are wider than 4 feet, steel I-beams, channels, or angles must be used. Where the span is more than 6 feet, it is necessary to build in bearing plates for the support of the ends of lintels. _The Ideal Brick Wall_ It would be well to mention here the new type of brick wall which is being advertised widely by the Common Brick Manufacturers Association. This wall is claimed to be very suited to the small house, and no doubt it would be, if it were possible to secure the co-operation of the local mason. This type of brick wall is built hollow, and arranged as shown in the drawings. There are no continuous mortar joints from the exterior to the interior through which moisture can penetrate. There are many features of advantage which the following table shows, but, unfortunately, not all mason contractors will give the owner the advantage of the reduction in cost which this wall permits. [Illustration: 8" IDEAL WALL 12" IDEAL WALL COMMON BRICK] For 100 square feet of wall, 8 inches thick, the following materials are required: FOR SOLID BRICK WALL 1,233 bricks. 2.6 sacks of cement. 2.9 bags of hydrated lime. .7 cubic yards of sand. 9 hours of a bricklayer’s time. 10 hours of a mason’s helper’s time. FOR IDEAL ALL ROLOK WALL 904 bricks. 1 sack of cement. 1.2 sacks of hydrated lime. .3 cubic yards of sand. 8 hours of bricklayer’s time. 6 hours of a mason’s helper’s time. _Hollow-Tile House_ The past decade has seen an increasing use of hollow terra-cotta tile as a building material for the walls of the small house. It has many advantages which have made its popularity increase, such as its larger and lighter construction unit, reducing the labor of setting, its cellular wall features, and its availability. There is much information published by the manufacturers describing the correct construction, but always, of course, with an eye to advertising the material. However, there has been much conflicting testimony made concerning the practicability of hollow-tile construction, and some of the disadvantages should be noted. As a rule, they have proved to be strong enough to support the weight of the structure imposed upon them, but in the Southwest, where tornado winds are prevalent, these walls have been criticised because of their lack of stability and their porosity. Hollow-tile walls have been thrown down while those constructed of brick have stood, and driving rain-storms frequently make the inside of the walls wet.