Washington standard. [volume] (Olympia, Wash. Territory) 1860-1921, 1904-12-02
NEW STYLE OF HOUSE
WALLS CONSTRUCTED OF SOLID
CONCRETE.

WALLS CONSTRUCTED OF SOLID
CONCRETE.
Each Year Renders Them More Sold-Exper.
iments by Prominent Builders With Con.
crete Arc Successful-The Idea Not Entirely
Original.
1t is merely if not quite couple ol
decades ago that Orange Judd. in the
american Agricuiturist, advocated the
erection Of buildings substantially on
the following plan. with moulded
walls, but why it never came into use
is unknown. Further than the ex'
perimental work done, which was re-
ported satisfactory at the time, nothing
further WAS heard from the matter.
The present accounts starts off with
the assertion that the plan is novel,
and probably it is to the new genera
ton, but it was certainly exploited at
considerable length about forty years
ago. 1t goes on to say: The usual
way has been to build house out of
stone, brick or wood. in pieces which
are mOrtared or nailed and can be sec.
tionally taken apart. Under the new
plan house is all one piece, and after
q few years. exposure the walls are
solid rock. The material used is con-
crete.
Every one in New York saw the way
which the workmen on the subway
mixed their concrete to make the
lining and filling for the tunnel. In
the new method OF building house
walls the concrete is mixed in much
like manner and poured into mould.
Beginning with the foundation the
mould is raised foot by foot as the
concrete is poured up and hardens.
until, when the roof is reached, the
whole wall is a solid mass. Holes are
left for the doors and windows during
the construction.
This system is cheaper than stone
or brick, and at the present price OF
lumber and shingles than wood, un.
less the wooden house is flimsily con.
structed. Its advantage is also in per.
manency in painting and repairs.
The concrete of which the walls are
built is more cheaply mixed than the
concrete used for subway work, where
there has to be a constant jar and
more tensile strength required. The
proportions on subway work were
almost half cement to half fine gravel
and sand. On house work ono part
of cement TO seven or eight parts Of
gravel or crushed stone insures strong
wall, if properly made and set, and if
a coating of best quality of Portland
cement is washed over the outside.
Where gravel, small stones and sand
are readily accessible and chesply to
be had, as they are in almost all Of
New York's suburbs, the main ex-
pense OF concrete house is for the
cement. This can be lessened by
using the cheaper grades of Rosendale
cement for the main walls and using
the moro expensive Portland cement
only as a wash.
If plenty of suitable stones have
been found in digging the cellar they
may be used for the foundation or the
concrete construction may begin from
the foundation trench and continue
solidly to the roof.
The molds are either wood or metal,
with hollow core. The object OF the
core is to save material without loss OF
strength, and to provide for an air cir.
culation within the wall. Hollow con.
crete walls are cooler in the summer
and warmer in the winter than solid
stone or brick wall.
Walls made in this manner may he
tinted any color both inside and out
by coloring the Portland cement wash.
The color then cannot wear off, as it
is part of the wall. Floor beams are
set in the concrete as in q brick OF
stone wall now. Window and doc,
frames are inserted as now.
Several OF those concrete houses
have been ornamented in q novel way
by sculptor friends OF the owners
The material is almost as soft as clay
when first put up. 1t can readily be
modelled into faces, figures. scroll work
or any kind OF design. Skillfully done
this concrete modelling gives the effect
of stone carving at q small fraction oI
tho ovDouoo