New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1922-08-20
By W.. r. Lockhardt

/ twenty years with regard to permanent
construction, fire proofng, rat and YER
min prevention and the like. The
growth of our cities, with consequent
| congestion, has had much to do with
| this gradual change Of mind. Increas-
| ing costs and scarcity Of lumber, CO.
/ incident with ever larger production
of so-called permanent building ma
terials--such as concrete, brick and
hollow tiIe--have played part also.
For generations wood was the Amer
lean standby for all construction pur~
| poses because of it's availability. Not
| so long ago it was necessary to import
| brick from overseas. To-day America
| produces as good brick as can be made.
| Likewise good cement for concrete is
available in quantity anywhere. En-
| cheering progress has created many
new. and economical uses of concrete
| for small house construction.
/ Now Building Against Time
/ While building with wood is still
/ cheapest in first cost-and many people
/ believe they prefer the architectural
"softness' and delicacyg Of the frame
! house-yet it's npkeep and repair and
! depreciation count against it for ex-
/ terror wall construction purposes in
/ this "Engineering Age" and this era
! of large cities. Advocates of the So
| called permanent materials fer small
| house con struction point out that the
same soft architectural lines and
| beauty as found in many frame homes
| can be brought out in the stucco house
! The American public is beginning to
| realize that the cheapest first cost is
not always the cheapest in the long
| run; that money spent wisely in build
! ing permanence into a structure-large
| or small--is good investment and not
an expense.
The result is that on every hand we
witness this slow but sure changing
to permanent construction: Freight
! cars, railway trestles, coal pockets,
factories, schools, churches, grain eie-
vators, bridges, canal boats, and finally
| houses. Concrete, among the per-
manent materials, is rapidly forging to
| the fore
Concrete offers the opportunity of
| building for permanency at practically
the same first cost as the less perma-
nent frame construction. The American
| Concrete Institute, the Portland Ce-
ment Association, and others organ
| izations and individuais-have spent
large sums of money for experimental
| ton and making possible the engineer
| ing advancement which has resulted In
! lowering the cost of permanent con-
! struction.
The use of concrete blocks for home
building provides the answer. Con-
crete blocks-or cement blocks, as they
are often called-are available in al
| most every locality where sand can
be had for building purposes. Properly
used, concrete block makes an ex-
| ceptionally desirable building unit and
the increasing number of fine homes
built of it shows a growing appreci2-
! tion of the fact.
Despite the unsettled conditions in
the building materials market here, due
to the railroad and coal strikes, the
Portland Cement Association advises
that the New York district has avail
able ample supplies of cement for con-
struction purposes, and that prices
have not generally increased. As re-
suit concrete block masonry and stueco
construction are very largely unaf-
| fected.
Concrete Makes Attractive Facade
Concrete block houses are attractive
in appearance when designed and con-
structed properly. They combine all
the advantages offered by masonry CON
struction Blocks may be obtained
which have been faced with crushed
granite and which look like dressed
stone. Or plain block may be used
and the building veneered with face.
brick or given an exterior treatment OF
portland cement stucco, as illustrated
in Tribune plan No. %. The so-cailed
"rock-faced' block should be avoided.
Houses built of concrete block do not
require repainting, a saving of two
or three hundred dollars every second
or third year. There is usually a SUBJ
stantlal reduction in coal bills every
winter. The amount to be charged off
for depreciation is materially less than
for frame, while upkeep is limited prac-
tically to the repainting of window
frames--a Saturday afternoon job once
or twice year for the owners. Mice
rats and vermin shun concrete house
The fire hazard, particularly in sub
urban communities where the fire pro-
lection IS not up to metropolitan stand.
ards, is greatly reduced. Most fire
losses are from fires originating on
the other fellows property. The con-
crete block house stands firm against
the spread of such fires, as was seen
at the recent disastrous Arverne fire.
There the fire was checked on two
ocean by Bungalows which had been
given cement stucco exterior treat
ment, Fire insurance rates are less
for a masonry house.
Statistics prepared by the National
Fire Protection Association show that
property equal in value to one-auarter
Of the annual new construction is
burned down every year in the United
States. The steady increase in use OF
permanent building materials will
gradually lessen this annual appalling
destruction of property.
Concrete block are made of a mix
ture of sand and cement, or sand,
gravel and cement, or in some loca-
tons, cinders and cement The block
arc made in some eases by hand and in
others by machinery capable of a high
production daily; the type of equip
ment used depends largely upon local
conditions; the character of the prod
uct depends almost entirely upon the
manufactures. In almost every local
ity it is possible to get block of a high
grade, suiranke for house construction,
at q nominal cost, as being local
product there are no high rail charges
to pay.