Omaha daily bee., 1908-12-27
Odds and Ends in Home Building
Arthur @ claussn, Arehatsct

The entire planning, designing and con-
struction Of a home might be dealt with
under the title of odds and ends" since
the entire house is composed OF many sepa-
rate details and parts, upon the considera-
ton Of which depends entirely the proper
planning and construction Of the home.
Every precaution may be made TO make
the home as warm and comfortable as
possible, but il the heating plant is sighted,
the contract for this part OF the work
having been let with more regard 10 the
price than to the quality, the house will
not be properly heated. Too often this Is
the case. Many a house Is 'icold as a barn"
to use a popular expression, because OF an
insufficient amount of radiation, to a lack
Of capacity in the heater, or 70 the i'm
proper installation Of the pipes and radia-
tors. When q fair price has been paid for
the heating plant and only reliable heating
men invited to submit estimates. these
difficulties are seldom met with. No man is
going 10 work for nothing and when one
contractor offers to do certain work for
half the amount which ether contractors
Want for II. II stands for reason that he
will not do as good work. This is not say.
ing that the lowest bidder is a poor
workman or unreliable II his invitation 10
submit a bid is based on his reputation
for good work.
The first thing TO do when estimates arc
going 10 be taken on Rny part Of the
house is to look up the reputation Of each
man to be invited TO bid on tho work. Tuo
often people go TO the extreme to find a
contractor who will DO the work 'still
cheaper than some other fellow, not
realizing that the difference between the
price Of a good man and q poor one will
invariably be made up in repairs after
wards.
There IS one item which is often over
looked by home builders and that is the
ventilation. A fireplace is, of course, a
good ventilator, but the cracks around
doors and windows is not a sufficient sup
ply. The best way to supply fresh air to
E home is by Indirect radiation. This Is
obtained by placing a radiator made for
the purpose under the floor of the first
EtCTy hall, having a register Ia the nooT
above II. Thc radiator Is placed in Il tin
hex which is connected by a tin fue to
The oren outside air through a hole in the
foundation OF a cellar window. The heat
rising through the register makes a
draught. which causes the fresh air TO bs
tucked In from outdoors. This fresh ali
passes through the enclosed radiator and
then passes into the han above. There
should he a dAmper In the fresh Air fluS
to control the amount OF fresh air ad.
mitted, according 70 the outside tempera'
ture. ana do not fail 70 have a sereeT
placed over the fresh air openiEs % keeJ
out leaves. also tomcats. who like notnng
better than 10 so in ana snuggie up T.
the radiator on a cold night, a privileg'
which is sure 10 be disputed by another
member OF the same tribe, and feline mus,
IN a radiator al 4 in the morning Is no
the most pleasant thing 20 contemplate
The radiator should be what Is called
"~iOo-foot indirect for the average sizet
home. 1t Is best 10 place the register n
the hall. since from this point the fresh
warm air IL most readily distributed
throughout the house Some people arggi
against this little detail Of comfort on &C
count of the extra radiator and heat re
quiHed. To offset sny objections OF thi
nature, here is another method. Not quit
20 effective. perhaps, but far better tina
no fnesh air supply. Instead OF an In
direct radiator, place a Jacket or tin boz
around a good portion Of the smoke pip
between the heater and chimney. Leaving
q wide space between the smoke pipe an
the Jacket AL around. thsn a b.