(1.) It is said to absorb moisture and to smell offensively, but this has often been refuted.[81] (2.) It is said to be difficult to cleanse without the aid of water, as dirt adheres to the wood, and lingers in the joints. (3.) It is not easy to open it or repair it, for the purposes of gas and water pipes, etc., and rather a large surface has to be removed for this purpose, and it has to be left a little time after repairs before traffic is again allowed on it. (4.) The wood swells if wet, and cases are on record of the side kerbs of streets being raised, and lamp posts thrown down, by the pressure of the wood thus swelling.[82] With regard to the cost of wood paving. This must vary in different localities, according to the value of labour, of materials, and in the manner in which the work is done. The practice of most of the companies engaged in this class of work is to make a fixed charge per square yard for the pavement, including the concrete but excluding the excavation, and they also guarantee to keep the pavement in repair free of charge for one or two years, and then for so many years after, at so much per yard per annum. About 14_s._ per square yard is generally the first charge for constructing, and 1_s._ per square yard is the annual charge for maintenance. Upon the subject of cost the following tables[83] may be useful. TABLE SHOWING THE ACTUAL DURATION AND COST OF CERTAIN WOOD PAVEMENTS IN THE CITY OF LONDON. -----------+----------+----------+-----------+-----------+----------- | | | | Total Cost| Average | | | First Cost| of Repairs| Cost | | | per | per Square| per Square |Date when | | Square |Yard during| Yard per Situation.|laid New. | Life. | Yard. | Life. | Annum. -----------+----------+----------+-----------+-----------+----------- | |Yrs. Mths.|£ _s._ _d._|£ _s._ _d._|£ _s._ _d._ Cornhill |May, 1855 | 10 2 |0 12 2 |0 17 4¹⁄₂|0 2 11 |July, 1865| 6 8 |0 11 6 |0 8 9³⁄₄|0 3 0¹⁄₂ | | | | | Gracechurch|Nov. 1853 | 11 7 |0 12 8 |0 17 1¹⁄₂|0 2 6³⁄₄ Street |June, 1865| 6 0 |0 11 6 |0 6 11 |0 3 0³⁄₄ | | | | | Lombard |May, 1851 | 9 4 |0 9 6 |0 6 0 |0 1 7³⁄₄ Street |Sept. 1860| 10 7 |0 9 2 |1 0 2 |0 2 9 | | | | | Lothbury |May, 1854 | 12 3 |0 12 6 |1 8 4³⁄₄|0 3 4 |Aug. 1866 | 6 1 |0 12 6 |0 3 5³⁄₄|0 2 7¹⁄₂ | | | | | Mincing |July, 1841| 19 1 |0 14 4 |0 13 4 |0 1 5¹⁄₄ Lane |Aug. 1860 | 13 0 |0 9 2 |1 2 6³⁄₄|0 2 5¹⁄₄