The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1909-06-07
CONCRETE HOUSES.


Thomas A. Edison sent word to the
newspapers yesterday that he had COM
pleted his scheme for building a con-
crete house for 81 200 which, if con-
structed of stone in the same design,
would cost between $50 900 and $4,000.
The fact that Edison includes in his
$1,000 estimate the heating and plumb
ing for the house is construed by prac-
teal men here to mean he has fixed
his figures without previously having
consulted plumbers and steamfitters
and without taking into consideration
the eight-hour day and the prevailing
rate Of wages. The price he cites could
not prevail if only a single house was
TO be built That he wants TO be I'M
derstood clearly. What he means is
that if the reinforced concrete houses
were built in blocks, by his design, and
through the use of his molds. the cost
Of each house in a block would not be
greater than about $1,000.
He also says that figure is dependent
upon the houses being built on soil
which yields sand and gravel from the
excavations. Even after making due
allowance for those conditions, practi-
cal builders here in New York said yes
terday they felt sure Edison would find
himself in a losing game if he con-
tracted to put up those blocks Of de-
tached one-family houses for 81 200
each, with the plumbing and steam
heating apparatus included. Opinion
was expressed that a mistake had been
made in the estimates, and before con-
tracts were entered into for building
such houses the estimates would be re-
vised and changed materially.
The Edison house building plan calls
a To-
feet. The floor plan of the house is
25X3O feet. The front porch extends
eight feet and the back stoop three feet.
Each house viii contain six rooms and
bath, and the cellar will extend be-
meath the entire house and will contain
the boiler, washtubs and coal bunker.
The main living room and also the out
side Of the house will be richly deco
rated. The decorations will be cast with
the house, and therefore will come from
the mOlds as part of the structure, and
not merely be stuck on.
The entire house will be Of reinforced
concrete. That includes the walls.
roof, floors, pOTches, bathtub and the
laundry tubs. The only wood in the
building viii be the doors, door frames.
windows and window frames. The in
side walls also viii be Of concrete and
IA L
face will be smooth and may be tinted
or painted, as the owner NAV desire
Edison seems to think that with his
plan In working shape it will do much
toward relieving the congestion which
now exists in cities and practically en-
able every wOrkingman to own his
nome or to be tenant in a detached
mouse at an expense-that is, for rent
ana car fare-Of not more than SO a
month.
Cast-iron molds will be used in build
ing the houses, and they will vary in
design. After the concrete foundation
has been laid and has hardened the
molds will be set upon it. The term
foundation Is not to be construed as
meaning the cellar walls. but merely a
base Of concrete upon which the molds
viii rest. Edison estimates that the
molds needed to begin the work Of
building such houses on wholesale lines
VIII cost $4,000, and that the necessary
plant viii cost $3.50 more. At least
six sets of molds must be used TO keep
the men and the plant busy.
EDISON says it will take four DAYS to
set up the mOlds. The liquid concrete
can be poured into them in six hours.
The moids will be kept in use for four
days until the concrete hardens and
then II VIII require four days to remove
them. That means the house will be
finished in a fortnight With the six
sets of molds, if that schedule is adj
hered to, IA houses can be built i'm
year. The initial cost of the cast-iron
molds will be comparatively great. but
they may be used indefinitely. Edison
says, and in the long run will be much
cheaper than the wooden molds now
used and which, because of their de
structibility. increase greatly the ex-
pense of concrete construction.
Edison has George Z. Small and
Henry ]. Harms, jr., engineers. work
ing with him now. They designed the
house and mOlds and made the expert
ments. The first house will be poured
in sections for experimental purposes
and to discover and remedy defects
Then an entire house will be nodded
with one pouring. In other words. a lot
Of liquid concrete will be run into the
molds and when they are removed that
mixture will have been
turned into a handsome home where a
workingman can live and rear his fam
ily cheaply and in comfort-that is, If
the Edison estimates are right.