Montpelier examiner. [volume] (Montpelier, Idaho) 1895-1937, 1915-11-12

prepared by the United States Depart
rnent of Agriculture.)
Generally speaking, the construction
OF an ice house is question of econ.
amy for the dairyman. The cost OF
harvesting and storing. interest on the
money invested, repairs, and depreci-
alton on the building should Offset the
saving in the melting of ice; beyond
this it is not good policy to go.
The location of the house should be
such as to shield 1t as much as pos.
sible from the wind and from the d.
rect rays Of the sun.
The function of an ice house is to
prevent the outside heat from pass
Ing into the interior and melting the
ice; therefore the problem is to mini
mize the passage of heat by interpos-
ing in the walls material or q con-
struction which will resist its transfer
from the outer to the inner side Of
the building. There is no material
known that will entirely prevent the
passage of heat; however, there are
materials which offer a high resis-
lance and are termed nonconductors
or insulators. The best insulators ap-
pear to be those that contain the
greatest amount of entrapped air con-
fined in the smallest possible spaces.
Formerly 1t was the practice in con-
Structing buildings for the storage of
ice or for cold-storage purposes to
provide series of air spaces some of
which were as much as IL inches
wide, the supposition being that they
we're dead-air spaces. AS a matter Of
fact, however, as the air In contact
with the cooler surface fell while that
in contact with the warmer surface
rose, 1t produced circulation tending
to equalize the temperature of the
sides of the air space. Therefore an
air space inch wide Is practically
as good as one IL inches wide. Air
circulation is valuable, however, be-
tween the insulated ceiling and the
roof of an ice house in order to break
up the heat radiation through the roof.
No entrance or exit of air should
be allowed to take place in a room
where ice is stored especially at or
near the ground line, as the cold cur
rents of air at the bottom will filter
through. If the walls and foundations
are kept absolutely tight at the bot
tom, an opening at the top has but
little effect, as the warm air entering
will remain at the top Of the room.
When It is necessary to remove ice
from the house, the door should be
kept open as short time as possible,
and where a covering material is used
the ice should be carefully covered.
In a properly insulated house great
advantage is that no covering is re-
quired. The ice is packed on the floor
Df the room, depending on the insu-
lated walls and floor for protection
from the outside heat. But in the
cheaper houses 1t is better to cover
the ice with some material, such as
sawdust or mill shavings. A layer OF
the insulating material should be
placed directly on the floor and the
Ice stacked thereon; there should also
be a layer packed between the ice and
. the walls. Ice should never be placed
directly on the ground, soil being 9
$airly good conductor of heat, espe
cially when wet, as the floors OF al
ice houses are sure to be. The larger
percentage of waste, however, Is due
to the entrance of heat through the in
sulation Of the walls ard floor: conse
quentIy they should be carefully con
structed.
Insulation.
AS sawdust and shavings are shown
in some of the typical designs, 1t Il
not to be understood that they are TIN
best insulators for this class of build
ings. They are used because they ar
cheap and can be had in any part o
the country, and II kept dry are goot
insulators. It is a very difficult prob
lem, however, to keep them dry, AM
when they are to be used great car
should be exercised In the construc
tion Of the walls in order to keep GU
the moisture.
Planing-mill shavings are bette
than sawdust for insulating purposes
they are elastic, do not settle readily
and do not absorb moisture SO read
lily as sawdust and, most important
are free from dirt, bark. or chips
When used as filling for walls or cei
Ing, they should be well packed int
place to prevent settling.
Sawdust has in the past been use
70 a great extent in rural districts 70
insulating walls of small cold-storag
buildings, due to the fact that it
available In most country district
md usually without cost 1t Is not
: very satisfactory material for insula
- ing purposes, however. as 1t is
ways more OF less damp. Furthe
more the dampness not only destroy
its insulating value, but it favors tn
growth of mold and rot, first In ID
sawdust itself and then in the wal
of the building The rotting and u
consequent heating cause the sawdui
to settle and leave open spaces whic
further weakens the insulation. Vine
sawdust is to be employed it should
thoroughly dried before use.
There are several makes OF cor
mercial insulators that are grei
deal better than either shayings
sawdust and are cheaper in the en-
but their initial cost is somewni
greater. They are nearly uniform
their insulating value. and moistul
has but little effect upon them Th'
are practically freproof. occupy b