The Calhoun chronicle. [volume] (Grantsville, W. Va.) 1883-1984, 1906-11-13
THIS HOUSE FIREPRooF.
Concrete Walls, Floors, Roofs, Stairs,
Porchcs and Pergola.

concrete walls, Floors, ROOTS, STAIRS,
Porches and Pergola.
There has been built at New Dorp,
Staten Island, a concrete house which
is in many respects a pioneer in fire
proof residence construction.
With walls and partitions Of hollow
concrete blocks and roof Of reinforced
concrete, IL is the first building OF this
character to be constructed in New
York city, says the Fireproof Magazine,
the first in which hollow concrete
blocks were used as supporting walls.
The New York building code is very
strict upon the subject of concrete
blocks, and apparently treats them with
the greatest suspicion, believing that
where there is such a chance to make
poor blocks or blocks without suffi-
cient quantity of cement it is wiser
to condemn them all at the start than
to permit them to be used in such a
manner as TO peopard the lives of the
inhabitants of the buildings.
Three sizes Of blocks were used in
the New Dorp house; IL inch for the
basement walls, inch for the walls
above the basement and inch for in
terror partitions.
The floors were supported by 3x10
inch concrete beams reinforced with
bars and over these is laid a concrete
floor in one continuous slab, having
embedded in il mailing strips for the
finished floor
Where partitions occur in the sec
ond story other than over first story
partitions, they are carried by rein
forced concrete Orders, which show be-
low the ceilings &c the first story The
faces of these partitions, as well as
the walls and ceilings, are I'm the main
plastered with pulp plaster, which has
a soft and pleasing effect, and can be
tinted or adapted to various applied
decorations. Some OF the walls are
covered with burlap tackled to half inch
strips, put in after the walls and par
titions were completed
The house stands by itself on a large
corner lot the two principal sides being
hanked by a terrace, the walls Of
which is built of blocks with rock
faces. The front entrance is covered
with porch built entirely of concrete,
the braces and roof being reinforced
with plain round rods.
On one side of the house is a veran,
da, the columns of which are built up
of large blocks and carrying a balus-
trade of interlaced blocks. On the
same side Of the house is a pergola,
the columns of which arc built up
square, with Orders to reinforce CON
crete carrying rafters Of small poles
left with the bark on
The roof is of a somewhat novel
construction, the freproofng system
being also carried out here. The raft
ers are reinforced with bars over
which is laid a slab Of concrete rein
forced with plain round rods placed
both vertically and horizontally on the
roof surpace. The slab forming the
roof extends down to form a cornice.
thus completing the frame without a
single piece of wood. The cutters are
formed I'm the roof by embedding a
wire mesh bent TO the proper anglia
and the concrete travelled around and
through this. The services of the tin
ner we're required only for the running
OF the roof leaders
The steps to the rear entrance are
cast I'm one piece i'm place. q few rods
being sufficient reinforcement for the
purpose The interior stairs are also
of concrete and there arc two cement
freplaccs i'm the dining room The
house is as nearly freproof ass is pos
sible