The Bolivar bulletin. [volume] (Bolivar, Hardeman County, Tenn.) 1865-1888, 1871-11-03
Don't Begin to Build in Autumn.

There are several strong objections |
against beginning to erect building |
in autumn with the intention of fin |
ishing it the next season, or even
completing the edifice before cold
weather. MasOns have often persua
ded theiremplOyers TO digt cellar and
then let them carry up the foundation
walls late in autumn, so as to be ready
very early the next season to erect the
supeTstrUcture. Every Intelligent ma
son knows that the practice is not a
good one. Yet as maSOnS are always
crowded with fOundation-wOrk in the
former part of the SeaSOn-which is
the proper time to do such WOrk-if
they can induce an employer TO COM
mence the foundation of building in
the fall, the maSOns will gain the
Benefit ola paying job, and frequently
woiobs, as u cellar-wall erected Just
before cold weather will often be so
seriously damaged by bearing and
settling that pOrtiOn-perhaps all of
twill! have to be relaid the next
season. When a foundation-wall is
built with mortar filled in the inter
stices-which is the only correct way
to prepare n foundation tor any build
ing-the mortar near the middle of
the wall will not become really con-
solidated during a period of six
months, if the weather were favorable.
| But, if a new wall is exposed to cold
weather only few weeks after it is
! built, the green mortar at the middle
will be frozen before it is dry, which
will damage the wall by bursting the
| layers of stone or brick aSunder, and
| by destroying the sOlidifying princi-
| pile of the lime or cement. After green
mortar has been frozen and thaWed
two or three times, there will be no
! more strength in a wall than if the
| stones and bricks had been laid in a
| mortar made with ashes, sand, and
| clay. In most instances, the earth be-
| meath foundatiOn-Wall will be frozen
more or less, which will destroy its
cOmpactness to such an extent that
the wall will settle unevenly, often
! cracking from top to bottom before
! the supeTstTucture is erected, Besides
| this, the bank of earth outside of
the wall will expand by freezing
especially where it is not of dry and
| gTavelly character-SO that the whole
| wall will be thrust inward so far beyond
aperpendicular position that most off
| will have to be taken down and rebuilt.
CellaT-walls are frequently thrust in
! ward by the frost, even when heavy
superStTucture rests on them. IT is
sometimes as important to exclude
frost from a 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 encounter
ed when one commences to build in
autumn rather than spring. If the
fOundatiOn-Wa is built early in the
season with good mortar, the entire
structure will have ample time to
solitiify before cold weather, so that it
Will resist all ordinary thrustS of the
Garth during the freezing process.
| When one commences in the latter
part of the season, there will usually
| be more Orless unavoidable hindrances
when building almost of any sort of
| edifice. Hence, if builder common
ces early in the former part of the
season, he viii be able to meet hind
RANGES without much, if any, real
damage. 1t is always Objectionable
to allow the fOundatiOn-wallst to stand
any considerable time without the
superstructure. The most complete
preparation should be made before the
ground is broken. All the lumber
should be delivered and stuck up
under shelter, so that it may have a
long time to dry and become seasoned
before il is worked. Then, as soon as
the frost is really out of the ground in
! thespring, dig the cellar, carry up the
foundatiOn-wall, erect and inClOse the
superstructure as soon as practicable,
let it stand to season, settle, and shrink
until autumn; then plaster and finish
the inside before cold weather. BY
building u dwelling in this manner,
ali the shrinkage and cracking of the
walls will be avoided; and the walls
will be far more firm than if the plas-
tering had been done i'll hot weather,
when the mortar will dry tao rapidly
to make q strong wall, Huilding arch
itcctuTal structures, like the formation
of character, is a job of a lifetime. In
building a cottage or a palace, hen
merry, piggery, or spacious farln-barn
a beginner should avail himself of the
practical experience of such builders
as have purchased their wisdom at the
costly rate of damaging and expensive
mistakes in beginning to build in the
latter partQf the season. 4echROlOgiat.
!