Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1890-07-10
SLOW BURNING CONSTRUCTION
How to Build Dwelling Houses to Keep
Out Rats and Mice and Exclude Cold and
Dust.

Out Rats and Mice and Exclude Cold and
Dust.
| have been builder for the past thirty
years. writes A. W. Page to the New York
Evening Post" and have given great
deal OF attention to the better protection of
keeping out cold, odors, COAL and ashdust.
and especially rats and mice, from the
basement and cellars, also in making them,
not ireproof, but ''slow burning. | have
worked at house-building most of the time
for over thirty years, and for the past if
teen years, with this Object in view. When
| occasionally suggest the idea of keeping
rats and mice out of the house. | am told
it can not be done. On the house that |
am now building | asked the masons to do
the work a certain way around the Chin
ney, giving my reason; he said | could
not keep mice out of house told him
it must be done, as | was under obligation
to pay dollar for every one found in the
house. | think it is practicable, and
with little care can be done; also to take
some precautions against fire. One could
not contrive a more perfect system of ar
ranging a quantity of lumber to have it
burn quickly than by using it to construct
a modern house. The open spaces in the
outside wall between the boarding and
plastering, and in the partitions, and be-
tween the floor timbers, form perfect net
work of fues. If fire starts in the lowest
part if the house, those fues, with the
shavings and chips that are usually left
there, carry the fire to the attic and roof
instantly; or if it starts above. the coal and
fragments of fire fall down through
those fues, thus spreading the fire very
rapidly.
In the old-fashioned houses, that were
built with large posts, beams, and floor
tlmbers, there were not so many of these
fues: consequently there were more chances
for extinguishing the fire, or at least more
time to save household goods, and perhaps
life. ] have in mind one of those old
houses that took fire not long ago beneath
the floor; the fire was confined there and
put out there before it had time to spread.
In modern house it would have followed
those natural fues to the roof very quick
ly. 1t is well known how fercely a fire
will follow a ventilator or elevator shaft;
in the same way it follows the above
described partitions and wall-fues in a
house.
The suggestions that | have to offer as
an improvement in house building are
simply to let the lining floors in each story
extend to the outside boardings, and lay
one course of brick and mortar on the floor
between the stlldding; refuse or broken
brick or small stones will answer; fill in
inside the partitions in the same way if
necessary, not forgetting to stop all open
lngs around steam and other pipes, and
every other place where mouse would be
liable to go or gnaw through A little
care and IS to S12 will cover the cost in an
ordinary house. At greater expense more
might be done as protection against fire.
If the house is plastered before the finish
is put on it Is good plan to plaster down
to the lining floor on the outside walls, and,
in fact, all the walls instead of plastering
to grounds six or seven inches from the
floor. think this plan is practiced in
the Middle States more than in New Eng
land, and may be elsewhere, though l
think it is being done in New England
more of late years than formerly l think
If one were to have house built in this
way 1t would be more satisfactory to the
owner and those who OcclDv If