Iowa County democrat. [volume] (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1877-1938, 1912-10-03
SMALL CONCRETE ICE-HOUSe
BUILD NOW In Time for Next Wiz
ter's Ice Crop, Says Authority.


During the sweltering heat OF sum
mer, many a country family longs 70,
the comfort afforded by a home supply
Of ice. Too often autumn passes with
out any preparation having been made
for harvesting the winter ice crop.
For family requirements, ice houses
/ Of concrete are growing in popularity
Fhis type is recommended by the Edt
change BLDG. Chicago since Concrete
is heat resisting is not rotted by the
continual 6ampuess from the ice, and
Is ready for filling every winter with.
out first repairing the building, An
ice-house of concrete is likewise fire
IN the country.
Size Of Building and Location.
With a concrete house, successful
storage of ice depends only uron care,
fnl packing, air-trapped drainage At
the floor line, and Well regulated venti
lation beneath the root Therefore the
icehouse must be located ON a well
drained site and, II possible, in the
shade of other buildings or trees. II
should be turned end to the south.
The size of the building is dependent
on the needs Of the family. Nearly any
household will consume one hundred
pounds every day. or ten tons for the
season. One cubic foot of ice weighs
o. pounds and ton in the ice-house
occupies about 40 cubic feet. IL the
ice is of poor quality. meltage FIRE.
quently amounts to one-third the guam,
tity harvested; therefore II is wise to
build house OF capacity twice the
calculated needs. For farm with a
small dairy, "A sufficient supply can be
stored in building 10 by II feet tin.
side measurements by feet to the
caves and l3 feet to the comb of the
all sides of the ice for a packing OF
sawdust, the capacity Of this structure
Is 20 tons.
Method of Construction.
Either concrete blocks or solid CON
crete may be used for the walls Dig
wide and ~ feet deep. To remove
water from the melting ice, lay n
string of finch drain tile from point
outside the building and ending at
the service door, so that the top of
the last pipe, sewer goose neck"
will be at floor line A inches above
natural ground level, Fiji the founda
ton trenches with concrete proper
toned | to 2l@ to s. Above ground
level the walls may be made of
blocks (laid in | to cement-sand
mortarl or of solid concrete. For the
solid wall mix the concrete bag of
Portland cement to cubic feet of
sand to 4 cubic feet of crushed rock
or ! part cement to 4 parts bankru run
gravel. Use movable forms. 3 feet
high and extending around the entire
building, to hold the mushy wet con
crete until it sets. The day after
they are filled, the forms may be
loosened, moved up and filed again
During the placing of the concrete, re,
inforce the walls, 3 inches from the
outside, with woven wire fencing or
with %-inch rods spaced Is inches
apart and running in both directions
Stagger the rods by placing half Of
them 2 inches from the inside surface
of the walls Imbed two rods or an
old wagon tire in the concrete two
inches above all door openings. During
the construction set service door
frame C21a by G1a feeD between the
forms at one end of the building Like
wise while pouring the concrete for
the gable ends, make provision for
small ventilation doors ~ feet
square.
A wooden roof, while not durable
like one of concrete, Is more oasitS
built To hold the plates on the tor
Of the side and gable walls, sink u
inch bolts 8 inches long heads down
6 inches into the concrete. Use 8-fo0t
rattcrs and cover the building with n
watertight roofing material.