Mr. Loudon gives descriptions of two methods, the one for building houses in general fire-proof, and the other for imparting that property to houses already built. He considers the two main points for consideration to be, to have staircases of iron or stone, or both combined, and to avoid having any hollow partitions or floors. A house having a stone or iron staircase, and having all the partitions either of four-inch brick-work, or of brick nogging, in whatever way it might be set on fire, could hardly be burned down, if ordinary exertions were made to extinguish the flames. One apartment might be set on fire, but before the flames could spread to the one under or over it, or to a staircase adjoining it, the fire might be extinguished. In a house so constructed, there would be no piece of timber that was not in close contact with mortar, at least on one side; and all the strong pieces of timber, such as joists, rafters, quartering in partitions, &c., would be closely embedded in mortar on two sides. Where the partition could not be made entirely of brick, the interstices might be filled up with a mortar prepared of clay with a small proportion of lime. The same material might be filled in between the joists, and where it was desired to render the roof fire-proof, the rafters might be made of iron, or the space between wooden rafters might be filled in with thin mortar. This mode of proceeding would lengthen the time required for the drying of a newly-built house, and would also add somewhat to the expense; but it is conceived that the increased safety would more than counterbalance these inconveniences.