t, we lost a good
partition of feather-edge boarding. It was between two of the
bedrooms, concealed beneath several layers of wallpaper. When
stripped, two or three cracks were found through which one could look
from one room to the other. These could have been filled with wooden
shims but the workmen did not stop to think of that. They ripped it
out and put in a tight and modest partition of that ultra-modern wall
board. It was well done mechanically and is still in place, but we
mourn that original paneling of native white wood and continually keep
an eye out for some like it.

Eventually, when all the mistakes of ignorance and lack of supervision
have been corrected, we will have spent several times the total of the
architect's fee. So we are out of pocket and, except for relocating
the water piping, we are still looking at and repenting most of the
results of our false economy.

Thus, an architect is all-important with a house problem whether it
involves a minor or major undertaking and it is logical to ask exactly
what he does for his fee. Consider, for instance, his functions and
services when a new house is to be built. As a beginning, owner and
architect meet, inspect the site, while the architect, like any good
diagnostician, asks questions. These deal with the type of house the
owner thinks he wants, the number of rooms, baths, and so forth and,
finally, the amount of money he is prepared to spend. He offers few
opinions of his own at this interview but rather tries to read his
client's mind so that preliminary sketches and plans will approximate
that mental picture.

A few days later, tentative sketches of a house designed to suit the
location are submitted. Out of them grow the revised ones. It is
highly improbable that his initial suggestions will suit you in every
detail. It takes time and interchange of ideas before this can be
accomplished. When they reach the stage where they represent the house
you want, the architect prepares a complete set of working drawings,
including floor plans and side wall elevations. These are drawn on a
scale of one quarter of an inch to the foot. As soon as the drawings
are finished, he drafts the specifications or bill of particulars as
to materials to be used in the construction of the house. These with
the plans form the basis on which contractors may submit bids for the
work.

First, however, owner and architect should go over this material
together. Making changes