New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1921-09-04
BY Clarenceso. Barring
u Minneapolis Heut Regulator


The average couple who have decided
20 build or remodel house, give first
] consideration to the amount of money
{ they can afford to spend. They pur-
chase a lot and then search carefully
through various channels for the ideal
plan, making up their mind that they
/ will, at the same time. have every mod
ern up~to-date convenience embodied
in the specifications, and that this
home will contain the up-to-date labor
saving devices that means so much to
the average housewife.
They consult with their architect
and limit him to the amount of money
, they desire to invest. The architect
! includes in specifications everything
his client feels is essential to make
4 home comfortable and economical to
the original price.
7 The plans are drawn and specifics
tions written and placed in the con-
tractors hands for bids.
In many cases the detail plans of
interior trim and design, exterior de-
sign and colors are not made at the
time that the contract is made with
the builder, but the specifications sim
ply state that the details are to be
furnished by the architect, or selected
by the owner.
1t naturally follows, when these bids
are turned over by the contractor to
sub-contractors and the mill, they
really do not know exactly what the
of the kind Of wood or material used,
but the design is an unknown quantity.
The mill, after taking in considera-
ton past reputation OF the architect
IS 70 unusual and expensivedesigns
and if they have had no experience
with him in the past. of furnishing
other material for other. operations,
they put the price high enough In order
to cover themselves in case the design
is an expensive one, and if the owner
appears to be exceptionally particular
and fussy in his taste, they add little
more. This also applies to the con-
tractor.
Consequently. when the bids are re-
turned to the architect, they vary in
most cases, where there have been
three or four contractors figure on
the same job, sometimes as much as
$4,000 on a $4,000 residence.
Price Too High
The client finds the contract runs
much higher than the amount he
originally intended to invest, and If
he Is to proceed with the building he
has to begin to cut the plans and spe-
.cificat4ons In order to reduce the cost.
If he has figured an adequateesize and
proper heating plant he takes chance
in reducing the size of the heater and
radiation, which, in most cases, will
not heat his house comfortably snd
expensive repairs. He will substitute
cheaper plumbing. not considering the
lasting quality Of the better material
If he has embodied in the specifications
good appliance to heat his hot water
supply, he decides to omit this and try
to heat the hot water from an ordinary
pipe coil In his furnace, which under
most conditions consumes much more
fuel, 10 unsatisfactory and continually
kills the fire in his furnace. In this
climate, where the temperature fluc-
stuates so rapidly and is mild q greater
part of the day, he will bet no hot
water unless the furnace is forced,
which is wasteful.
He will soon discover he would have
been money h pocket If he would have
installed modern, up-to-date hot
water heater, Of which there are few
on the market that will pay for them
selves in a few years.
Going further, he may substitute
cheaper electIlc wiring, tnereDy IN
creasing the fire hazard. He elimi-
mates proper drainage around the
house, which will cause him damp
cellar in most locations.
By cutting out of the specifications
the things he most desires to make
the new residence really home, he
finds at the end Of the first year that
he cannot have comfort and con-
venience, because to try to keep within
his figure he has been obliged to cut
put the really essential things that go
to make the home a real home for the
housewife.
This could be avoided if the con-
tractor knew exactly what was to be
upt into the house at the time the
contract was placed in his hands. The
bids then would come somewhere near
the owners amount to be invested, if
the architect was informed of the
approximate cost of the appliances
ordered
Living in Electrical Age.
We are living in a wonderful age,
where the average household can use
electric motors that are dependable to
do the drudgery that was formerly