The Ottawa free trader. [volume] (Ottawa, Ill.) 1843-1916, 1857-03-14
Iaritultnr al
nv Artificial Stone House.

EDS COUNTRY GENTLENAN-l wish tn say
some words to your readers upon the hes.
and cheapest material for building houses,
and the mole of use. ! like the material
used and recommended by Fowler and
othcrs-artificial stone walls, made Of lime.
sand, and stones--that is, cobblc stones:
fragments Of brick. coal cine ers, &c. But
object to the usual method of using Is In
what are called "grout" houses, cement
houses, &c. 1t is sloppy and ennoytns
work to build It up in troughs, as IS usualiy
done. The fluid runs down over tue walls,
and each layer does not harden fast enough
to build on, as soou as IS c!ten wished
Iuse the same material, and propose 10
obviate these objections by neater and
pIessanter mode OF use, which snail be easier
and stronger work than the usual mode.
make nv material Into blocks of stone,
and build my house Of these. Thus, make
cheaply some 20 OF so boxes, OF sides only,
without top or bottom, Of proper size, say
two feet long, one foot high, and Il to Is
inches wide. These are the dimensions oil
the future blocks. Make up, of a morning,
sufficient material in q bed. fill up oil the
boxes, smooth the tops, and go oil Next
morning lift of the boxes; let the blocks
stand to dry and harden; set the boxes in
Q new place, and fill up as before. DO this
under . shed, or If outdoors, cover over the
blocks during the first rains, and they will
soon harden enough to use. In this way
any Irishman may, in twenty I've mornings
at 50 cents or less, each, Asar cat stono
enough for large house.
Then build your house, as any one would,
Of stone. The blocks for FIRST story may be
IA or 16 or Is inches wide, and Tor second
story, 10 or y, narrowing the mould boxes
by mailing beard or two inside. or saving
the ends narrower. Walls 50 built are dry !:
but they may be made still more so, and
warmer If possible, and still cheaper, if any
one could wish it, by putting wooden cy-
Under or two into the mould-box, and knock
ing it out after the box is lifted of, thus
masking dead air in the wall Besides thi-.
the wall is Of course - &c fIrred and Il .--':
and plxstered inside. or course some blocks
are TO be made solid, for corners and ends
Of the walls.
Given the dimensions Of ycur house, and
one can easily calculate the number Of
blocks needed, and any farmers boy may
make them.
In laying the wall, If, in order TO bring
flush wall for door or window, il should be
necessary to leave a few inches between.
some blocks, the space ma he easily flied
by pieces of brick or regular stones well
mortared in.
commend this as the best plan for build
ing a cheap and durable hoTse-be,ter than
brick, as good as stone, and lasts forever. Ii
nice finish is needed, cement and color the
outside wall, and lay it off ty lines, like
stone, as indeed it Is.
If any one doubts this plan, try it sn a
smoke-hOuse, or hog pen, or shed Of any
kind, or, indeed, stone wall.
No rats infeSt this house, no storm can
shake it, no wind whistle through II. Day,
tight, warm in winter and cool in summer,
it is the cheapest, strongest, and bes:.
A good proportion Of the ingredients
which Fowler and all others recommend,
is-say 10 bushels or barrow leads OF time,
90 OF sand, and 20 of stones. &c, and any
quantity of water. | take It for granted
your readers understand something OF the
gravel wall plan. write merely to advo-
cate the block stone plan-:he same ma;sri-
al, but la different shape. One can sec how
cheap pus; be the walls OF :. house with
only ove-;enth lime, and that so cheap, and
the other materials nine-te.ti.s. which cost
ing nothing. j. E 5 Barre, Uass