The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1915-02-21

orulnhry wall. Inc common req SORT
cost from 81 to IS n thousand de-
llvered on the job.
The concrete block ought to be the
supreme material for home building,
but II has received many black eyes
from get rich fast makers. Each M
pilfered a little quality until tho block
which the customer got consisted
mostly OF a swindle with a hole in It.
There are still a few trustworthy man.
facturers. One Of them turns out a
double air space block which is spe-
cially desirable. A good block is COM
posed Of a 8-5 mixture of cement.
sand and broken stone. IL faced with
cement to resist water and Is old
enough to ring when struck with a
hammer. To be brand new IL no v1r-
tue In blocks. A standard size Is
sxSxl6 inches and IL sufficient for any
ordinary house giving an eight inch
wall. Such a block costs about 16
cents. Compare tho size Of q block
with that Of q brick and you will Sc
how much mason's labor 10 saved IN
putting UP a block wall. When draw
Ing plans for a block house m our
plans to the standard hNock sise. al
lowing about a quarter Of an inch for
lateral mortar joints and abort Q ehird
OF an inch for horizontal mortar BE-
tween lows. Door and window spaoes
should be figured to At tho material.
Tho interior wall may be easily furred
by naiing strips to wooden plugs,
which are driven IN holes made with
a cold chisel in mortar joints.
It's a tribute to tho virtue of &C.
ment that a good home can be made
wen with inferior blocks, by having
sufficiently high foundations. careful
pointing of joints with mortar. inte-
rior fur7tng for air space. and a well
projecting roof TO keep off rain.
Concrete stlis and lintels are re-
quired. and Il Is easy { o make them
on the Job. For lintels a continuous
wooden form with open top spaced
according to the desired length. ina
be sent on the ground. A couple of
rods Of Junk steel may be used for
Reinforcement. placed near the bottom
Of the concrete. Stills are ma,e SIM
Harry but need no reinforcement.
The ali freproof house should have
n steel frame for the roof. II this Is
beyond OUR rearh we can have some
thing almost as good BY covering
the under side OF a wooden roof with
asbestos board and the outer side with
other non-intiammable material. As
bestos board IL a mixture OF asbestos
fibre n cement when II is new
1, may be sawed or nailed, but Il be-
comes very hard with sge. II ZONES
in conveniently large sheets for use
on standard spaced studdirg or raft
ers. II is equally excellent: for cell
ing or for covering IN interior wall.
4 thickness of an eighth of an inch
il enough for ordinary purposes, and
such a board costs about 10 cents a
square foot. The Joints between
sheets may he filed with cement or
battened win wooden strips. The
material ~ usually gray. hut there are
other colors.
Among the materials used 10 y
ceilings and interior walls which are
, fire resisting II 10 fireproof are
compoboard. beaver board. plaster
board and regular lash and platter.
The ready materials IN large sheets
cost . 10 iCents q square foot. they
7 may ne finished with battens. paper or
paint.
Metal trim. frames. window sash
n ~doors-usually a hin sheet of
metal above wood-nny be obtained.
It's all IL question OF price.
There are only about three prac-
t!cabie materials for making a fire.
proof roof: safe. asbestos shingles and
asbestos in heavy sheet form. Tile Is
700 heavy and costly for ordinary use,
Slate has fine endurance and beauty
OF manifold shades and ttnts OF color,
\ dazzling effect !s gained by order
ing mixed shades. Slate OF ordinary
| grade and nut uHiform thickness sells
at the quarry for about . cents a
square foot. and the cost OF putting
4 on the oof Is about a. much more
Freight and carriage amount to some
thing. since the weight is upward OF
GOO pounds for 100 square feet. There
will be legs loss by breakage II the
slate IS ordered with nail holes made
at the q1iarry. Once in a while a
dealer slips over n lot OF slate which
makes the customer think that mature
also Is a faker.
The asbestos single Is made NIX,
asbestos board. only II IL better or
account Of extra heavy pressure gtver
70 IT'S components. II weighs abou'
half as much as slate and costs abou'
nine emit a square foot. o applied
II comes in gray red and dark blue
II IL fastened with copper fastener.
and, like slate. should be laid on Eel
above matched boards The dlagona
method OF LAYING shingles save
material and Is otherwise most de
sirable.
II the slope OF a roof IL less tina
four inches 10 q foot. no shingles o
any sort are recommended. Instea,
We may use large sheets of aSbesto
r~ooilng-a combination of nsbesto
and asphalt. The cottony white min
eral Is shown on n side, while tn
other IL black. n II best TO hav
the white side up. though the .frec
is unusual: for ono thing, this sur
face Ices not absorb the heat OF tn
, summer sun, The sheets are lappe
and tarred and the edges fastenc
with large headed galvanized nail
The material costs around four and
half cents a square foot. In roll for1
there are less eligible asbestos rooi
inEs.
A lrcproof roof. besides its oths
merits. supplies clean rain water fc
that cistern which the women folk
appreciate n which Ia a good stant
by IN emergency. even Where thei
~ town" water.
Though he falls short OF hitting N