The Kansas herald of freedom., 1855-05-26
house Building.

eqg yratis.
House Building.
In this age of building houses with
concrete and composite walls. it may be
well enough to see what further can be
lone in the way Of dispensing with lum-
er,-ther oss great need of. Kansas. 1t
subject which has often engrossed
s1r attention, but nothing has ever ap-
pesEed practical unta We read tie. follow
,ng valuable article, furnished by spe-
cial correspondent of the Pittsburg Dis
patch, giving the plan of making foors
aud plastering houses in India.
One story houses can be erected on
this plan. and by using Messrs. WARREN's
Composition Fire Proof RooGDg-the
cost of which is not greater than shingles
good residences can be made without
the use of lumber, save for doors, win
dows and door castings. and support for
the roof, and lath for the ceiling.
But to the article alluded to which is
headed ''Floors and Plastering of Hou-
ses."
1.-THE groundfoors of all houses in In
dia are made of either lime or clay
Occasionally flag stones are used; and |
have seen few made of bricks a foot
square. --The flag stones, however, are
too damp. and rot the carpets in the rainy
season, and. consequently are unhealthy:
and the bricks and stones both allow the
white ants to come up through the crew.
ees and destroy carpets and furniture at a
fearful rate. The clay floors are only
used in the houses of the poorer natives,
where there is little to destroy, and re-
quire to be daily attended to. In the
better houses the lime floor is almost ex-
clusively used.
"fo make good floor the foundation
ct the house is first filled up with clay to
the door-sills. The clay is then beaten
down very hard with fiat stone mallets,
being partially wetted to make it pack
closely. On the clay are then put brick,
or limestone nodules, to the depth of three
or four inches, again. nearly filling the
place of the clay that has been beaten
down a little, mixture of coarse lime
and the very smallest limestone nodules
is spread over them; leveled and beaten
hard. The next process is to add an
ether coat of more pure lime, using a
water-levef. This is placed upon the
ground very wet; and an army of boys
and girls is set to work beating it lightly
with little sticks. They form line; and
proceed from one side of the room to the
other, beating it all as uniformly as they
can, until it becomes very hard. The
mason constantly tries the level, and adds
Or diminishes lime as it is needed. After
this process has continued till the floor is
very solid, it is made as smooth as pos
sible by the masons, and not suffered to
become quite dry. 1t is then finished by
rubbing in pure white lime, Incorporating
It with the surface, and adding and pol
and White. With the upper coats of lime
are often mixed the coarsest brown su
gar, the -four of peas, and anything that
smoothness. hardness and nolisb The
ADVANTAGES of this lind of tioor arc drv-
ness. Durability and preservation of car
uets-tboaol yreat care must he taken To
zee tba. It ;s5 t5oyouobIv drv hefore anv-
thing is laid down mon Il
..Tha n,.s,o.,. la a.. ali. :.
as;u,;lar 800. ~ ea .,e ., wis In, =,
60. .,' n'a',her; coas ol coarse i,.ne
aaa. ~ s.Ily Ieaci' anu siler sne s'''l,
M VI "hise fuoDeo ia anu Pohsneu-
.neIe Is no more durable plaster In the
"o1lu; ~ ~iehse,nus 'he rainy seasons
a T.