The Washington herald. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1906-1939, 1913-05-04

You Can Mix Concrete Yourself,
but Be Careful How You Do It
By J. P. BECK.

crete floors are: The barn can be almos
entirely rid Of flies by building concrete floors
and manure pits; rats have no hiding place
about concrete floors; no other floor 10 az
slick as q manure soaked wooden floor; con-
crete floors may be finished as rough or COR
rugated as may be desired; concrete floors
do not soak up water. the floor may be flushed
with water and kept as clean and odorless as
a kitchen floor; concrete floors AFFORD good
fire protection. No fire can be started on
concrete by q shftless farm hand dropping
cigaret stubs or matches on their surface;
and they tighten labor
At first the use of concrete for the walls OF
the first story Of a barn was looked upon
with doubt 1t might be damp 1t might
) make cold stable. Yet the character OF
the material so wen fitted the use that II
was tried found entirel y,Ssatisfacto and
today is being used for the lower story OF
thousands Of barns, every year. A ceiling
of concrete. furnishing for the carriage house.
hay loft, and granary floor through which
rats cannot gnaw. gives perfect hre pro-
lection to the stock. This ceiling will have
10 be carefully reinforced and II there is any
doubt about the quantity and position Of the
reinforcing competent engineer should be
consulted. Entire barns Of concrete are be-
ing built in ever increasing numbers. II so
built the fire danger for that barn is forever
removed. Amy one who has the ingenuity to
build an entire barn Of concrete can build
a concrete roof as well.
- y
What One Farmer Has Done.
F. A. Tanner, living near Rockford. ILL.,.
might be cited as one Of the farmers who has
II.
modern home is built of cement blocks.
The concrete construction was done partly
by the owner with his farm labor and partly
by contractor from q nearby town, but
all according to the owners plans. Sand and
gravel were found close by. All concrete
was mixed by hand and the blocks made on
two small hand machines rented for the job
studied the concrete silo proposition
pretty thoroughly says Mr.. Tanner. " and
decided that the anchor blocks. which I
could made on a $50 machine. would give
what 1 thought to be a stronger wall with
just as good protection from freezing as
any other hollow block and at the same
time give more solid construction. 1 REIN
forced every course with a ring of steel laid
in notches in the blocks. completely cover
ing each ring with the mortar. We used
Aoity-hNc TiHss VI Sicci Iec cdCn SiIO Il ne
blocks are inches high. 9 inches thick, and
"a inches long. When had made enough
blocks for the silos sold the block machine
for $50 These two concrete block silos will
cost complete less than 81 each after have
put on the roofs. plan to feed twenty-five
head once per day during the three summer
months and twice per day for the balance Of
the year. use my 20 horse power engine for
running the silage cutter and conveyor."
Mr.. Tanners house is quite remarkable
1t is built Of cement blocks of several sizes
and patterns. The foundation and partition
walls up to the first story are of monolithic
concrete. Above this the outer walls are of
concrete blocks and the inner partitions of
wood. The floors, roof framing. and roof are
Of timber construction. The house has
eight rooms. is heated by hot air furnace
and the basement has been divided into
furnace and coal rooms. root cellar, and
have been made for the farm hands to wash
and dress. The we'll was dug inside the cell
lar area and the pump stands in the base
ment.
The cellar has a cement floor and the walls
are plastered smooth with cement mortar
making clean. dry. and light basement rooms.
The space under the back porch has been
used as cstern. A tight, concrete tank
was built with floor at the same level as
Tins as the foundation walls. The concrete
roof of the cstern forms the floor Of the
rear porch, the pump being in the kitchen.