Wyandot County Republican. [volume] (Upper Sandusky, Ohio) 1869-1903, 1871-11-23
Don't Begin to Build in Autumn.

The Technologist for October has the
following on Building in Autumn: :
There are several strong objections against
beginning to erect building with the III
tention of finishing it next season, or even
completing the edifice before cold weather.
Masons have often persuaded their en-
pioyers to dig the cellar and then let them
carry up the foundation walls late In au-
tumn, so as ia be ready very early the
nest season to erect the superstructure,
Every intelligent mason knows that the
practice is not a good one. Yet, as ma
sons are always crowded with foundation
work in the former part OF The seasoh-
which Is the proper time to do such work
III they can ihflite an employer to COM
meiice the foundation of building in the
fall, the masons will gain the benefit OF
paying job, and frequently two jobs, as a
cellar wall erected just before cold weather
will often be so seriously damaged by bear
ing and settling that a portion-perhaps
nlf of twill have to be relaid the next
season.
When a foundation wall is built with
mortar filled in the interstices-which Is
the only correct way to prepare fouhda-
ton for any building-the mortar near the
middle of the wall will not become really
consolidated during period of six
months, if the weather be favorable.
But, if new wall is exposed to cold
weather only a few weeks after it has been
built, the green mortar at the middle will
be frozen before it is dry, which will dam
age the wall by bursting the layers of
stone or brick asunder, and by destroying
the solidifying principle of the lime or ce-
ment. After green mortar has been frozen
and thawed two or three times, there will
! be no more strength in wall than if the
stones and bricks had been laid in NOR
tar made of ashes, sand and clay.
In most instances, the earth beneath a
! foundation wall will be frozen more or
less, which will destroy its compactness to
such an extent that the wall will settle un-
evenly, often cracking from top to bottom
before the superstructure is erected. Be
! sides this, the bank of earth outside of the
wall will expand by freezing-especially
where it is not of dry and gravelly char
acter-so that the whole wall will be thrust
inward so far beyond perpendicular posi-
ton that most of it will have to be taken
down and rebuilt Cellar walls are fire.
quently thrust inware by the frost, even
when a heavy superstructure rests on
them. 1t is sometimes as important to
exclude frost from cellar, to prevent
freezing the earth outside of the walls, as
to keep vegetables from being frozen. The
! disadvantages of shorter days also, and
more stormy weather than we are liable to
have in the former part of the season,
must be encountered when one commences
to build in autumn rather than in the
spring. If the foundation wall is built
early in the season with good mortar, the
entire structure will have ample time to
solidify before cold weather, so that it will
resist all ordinary thrusts of the earth dur
ing the freezing process. When one com
mences in the latter part of the season,
there will usually be more or less unavoid
able hindrances when building almost any
sort of edifice Hence, if builder com
season, he will be able to meet hindrance'
without much, if any, real damage.
1t is always Objectionable to allow the
foundation walls to stand any considerable
time without the superStructure. The
most complete preparation should b'
made before the ground is broken. Al
the lumber should be delivered and stucl
up under shelter, so that it may have
long time to dry and become seasoned be
fore it is worked. Then, as soon as tn
frost is really out of the ground in tn
spring, dig the cellar, carry up the fouda
ton wall, erect and enclose the super
structure as soon as practicable, let
stand to season, settle, and shrink unit
. autumn; then plaster and finish the insid
before cold weather.
By building dwelling in this manner
all the shrinkage and cracking of tn
woodwork and the cracking of the wall
will be avoided; and the walls will be ia
, more firm than if the plastering had bee
! done in hot weather, when the mortar wi
1 dry too rapidly to make a strong wal
7 Building architectural structures, like tn
formation of character, is job of lif
. time. In building a cottage or palace,
i hennery, piggery, or spacious farm barr
= a beginner should avail himself of IL
+ practical experience of such builders
: have purchased their wisdom at the cost
: rate of damaging and expensive mistak,
$ in beginning to build in the latter part
e the season.