Great Falls tribune. [volume] (Great Falls, Mont.) 1885-1890, 1886-10-09
GREAT FALLS TRIBUNE.
Building.
10 the Tribune.

One Of the most difficult portions OF an
architects husinossis precisely that which
amateurs usually ina s.aa u be the easiest,
the sapcri1ta ndencyo the work connected
with dwelling-houses. The writer will
eadaavor to treat this yoluminous subject
in as concise q manner 2. possible, and it
will not be found too technical for any
unprofessional person who may desire TO
Use it as 4 guidcin experimenting his OWN
building. THE subject this week will be
cellar and foundation walls.
The plans and specifications FOR the build
ing having been carefully drawn, the
owner. il unaequaintad with building
matter, should take pains 10 understand
them fully. II should he perfectly fami-
Iiar with all the details connected with
the proposed building; he should demand
i thorough explanation from tie architect
CT everything that Is not perfectly clear,
in order that IL may himself know that
the house viii ~ built III accordance with
his wishes.
In regard to contracts, the importance Of
written agreements in every business ar
r~angaInent, especially for work AID mater
ials Of any kind t. be provided by 4
rarty Tor another. cannot he too highly
valued. A page o. common paper and
twenty minutes time taken to statn in
writing Whit Is expected of each party,
will fraq1ently save months Of litigation,
always v2xatioas, and often costing in the
enl mora than tn sam ii dispute, ind =
pendent OF the delays aal a~naoJan:es con
sequrnt thereto.
The contractor and the superintendent
stake otlt tie Ground together, the latter
checking the r~.attngalarity VI tn lines by
measuring the ~di&goaals; b&tter-boar1s
are set NJ, and a bench made. showing The
level IS Tie top u The cellar wall, is mads
on one Of The Iajter-boards. The house
should always lie set high enough e "lFe
coed cellar windows, with a sufficient fall
to the surface Of the ground away from
the building On Ill sides. Three feet dis
tance from the highest point Of the cellar
wall is none t3omuch. This will give two
and 4 half fccso f undcrpinninga III around,
and insure . light, well ventilated
cellar.
The excavation is required to be eight
inches wider q all sides than the outer
line o. the wall. in order that the latter
may be--earric2 aa smooth and strong, out
side as we'll X inside, the whole to be laid
in mortar, md hath the otter and inner
faces are t. be pointed neatly. Upon max
Ing the excavation, shoald any moisture OF
water BE- found. drains must be put III, as
the moistarn VIII greatly increase during
rainy season.
The building Of the masonry Of 9 fonn-
dation is a simple matter, but must be
sharply watched. for in no detail Of con
struction il lhe c9msnon practice % vicious
As in the cellar walls. II stone districts,
the majority Of houses stand upon base
lnents built with blocks Of the most II
regular shapes. laid dry that IS, without
mortar, and depending partly for support
upon the earth outside Of them. The
snoothn5t face Of The stone is inside. while
the outside presents a ragged, b%rlstilne
mass Of projections; and to improve the
visible face, thu c~revices between the
stones are ::ca,inkad" with small chips, and
the Joints are ~"pointed" by rubbing mortar
over them with the point of a trowel. a
coat of wIlitawash completes work which.
while it is new, presents on the inside pre-
ciscly the same aspect as the best sort Of a
wall. But 4 brief period only is needed to
make its defects manifest. Streams OF
water, after heavy rains, pour through the
loose structure, followed by rats, which
burrow down next the outside of the walls
until they find a wide joint from which
they can easily push ont the pointing mol
far and obtain access to the interior: and
little by little the earth washes into the
c~revices between the bank and the stone.
wo.k K, until thc latter yieldsto tbs pressure
p-,5 zntinr the Characteristic inward con
v,..:tT Of many cellar walls. II
Eve-y fcatu.e Of these constgs|
must &c avoided. In plsce oSSaasE
furnished only with a miseraaHpeAsaagA
of mortar on the outside, tie eiAI
ness must be soIidly fitted with
place Of a rough outside surfacef Ns
terror must be the ssaoctaest Jiaee, tfSfwate]
may notfsss :ollect upoa projectiles and bf
conducted into the wall; instead Of leaning
against the bank. the masonry must stant