This historic book may have numerous typos and missing text. Purchasers can download a free scanned copy of the original book (without typos) from the publisher. Not indexed. Not illustrated. 1877 Excerpt: ... door from A to B, so as to communicate direct with sitting-room. The present staircase I remove entirely and convert the space into a bedroom, 10 feet long and 5 feet wide. The present front door and frame I remove from c to D. I then put in c an ordinary window-frame and sashes, keeping the line of window-sill of adjoining window and making it to correspond in appearance with the window over it on first floor. The front door E is not touched, but serves as the new front entrance for the right-hand flat, the present door and frame of that set being used for the entrance-door of the upper sets (f to o on plan), the opening F being treated like the opening c. Further, the ground-floor rooms would retain the existing waterclosets in back gardens or yards, and the present defective water supply thereto from waterbutts (which frequently won't hold water and want cleaning out, having no covers) would be superseded by water from cisterns which I place over cisterns on first floor, thus giving excellent force of water (so much needed). I need not, I think, describe the first floor, because it is so very similar, and a reference to the plan which I have given of this floor will, I trust, fully explain" it. I believe this mode of dealing with existing houses would at once get rid of the wretchedly small back room on every floor of every house so altered, and I can scarcely conceive a greater advantage, nor would the reader if he had had my experience of such rooms. Some rooms like this, only 6 or 7 feet in their greatest width (being of course smaller where the chimneybreast with fireplace projects into the room) and 10 feet deep, I have seen occupied by a man, his wife, and four children, having to cook, wash, eat, drink, and sleep in that one room. Well may d...