Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1926-12-25
Y. M. C.. A. CLASS HEARS BUILDING
OPERATION DESCRIBED IN FULL

Continued from Sixteenth Page)
Supervisory Council, which is COM
posed of several Of our leading archi-
tects. who give their time free to the
work of this committee. Previous to
the granting of the permit. the plans
are passed upon by this committee.
Although this committee does no.
have power to make builders change
their mans from an architectural
standpoint, it has the power to max
suggestions, and during the last two
years the work of this committee has
been of great importance, especially
in the designing of row houses. and
l think we all see the benefit of their
work in some of the original designs
that have been developed for the row
houses.
Stalking Out of Lot.
After the survey has been made
and the permit granted the house
should be staked out on the lot. This
should be done with the greatest of
care, using what Is termed batter
boards These boards are set some
four or five feet away from the actual
corners of the houses so that the
teams or steam shovels in excavating
can keep clear Of them.
Care should be taken in estab-
fishing the grade of the house. The
curb grade should be obtained from the
engineer of highways and the house
should be set in accordance with this
grade. In excavating for a dwelling.
it is we'll to excavate at least one
foot outside of the actual walls of the
house on all four sides.
Trenches are then dug for the foot
ings, in most cases these should be
Z feet wide and / foot deep, but
in some cases, depending on the char
acter of the ground. they should be
larger, as in the case of filled ground.
These trenches are then filled with
poured concrete, composed of sand,
gravel and cement in the proper pro-
portions l, and 6. If there are any
piers, trenches for these should also
Nbe dug and filled with concrete of the
| same proportion.
I'VE are now ready for the brick.
work, Stonework or concrete walls.
When the walls are / foot high, &
resurvey of the building should be
made by the surveyor for the District
who will ascertain the exact location
Of the house, being sure that 1t is
built upon the lot on which 1t Is In
tended to go. Before the building de-
partment required that survey be
obtained many houses in older Wash
ington were built on the wrong lot or
over the line.
When Cellar Is Finished.
1.-THE cellar walls having been con.
structed of brick or stone up to the
height of the first-fioor joists, the eye
beams should be set, and we are now
ready for the carpenter to place the
joists thereon.
THE walls should have been parget
ed as they were brought up from the
foundation. The proper slots for the
plumber or heating contractor should
have been left out Of the walls. The
walls should be waterproofed with tar
and should Immediately be backfllled.
keeping the trash, to-, from falling
down against the wall, thereby caus-
ing a pocket for the water to stand
which is very apt to cause a leak ir
the cellar. 1t is well to place a tile
drain outside of the wall at the footing
line, setting same with loose tile and
covering with gravel.
This may be carried to empty into
an areaway or into a special trap