Milford chronicle., 1927-04-29
PREDICT CONCRETE FLOORS
FOR FUTURE HOMES

Since men first began building
homes along modern architectural
lines, which now has been for more
than two centuries, it has been the
custom to build the floors of wood.
AS populations of cities grew and
dwellings, became congested men
gave more thought to building. with
a view to fire safety, particularly in
wall and roof construction. In the
present century, especially, a con-
centrated drive has been waged
against the fire demon. The public
has been educated in matters of fire
prevention. Building codes have been
revised and made more rigid with a
view to checking the spread of
flames. A great deal has been ac-
complished in the direction of pro-
noting firesafe construction; but
men still continue to build wooden
floors in homes that have durable
and fireproof walls of stone, brick
and concrete masonry. And they do
this in the fact of the fact that a
tremendous proportion of residence
fires originate in cellars and sweep
upward along wooden floors and
wooden staircases.
The universal adoption of concrete
floors in all types of construction
would greatly reduce our appalling
annual fire loss. 1t would also re-
duce materially the rates of fire in
surance.
Today there is in some sections a
noticeable trend toward the adop-
ton of concrete floors in small and
medium-siZed house construction.
Construction engineers are of the
opinion that within ten years such
floors will be specified for all mod
ern houses.
In the words of Philadelphia en-
gineer who has made a study of the
subject, can important step will
have been taken in the direction of
fire prevention and better domestic
architecture when concrete floors of
either cinder or stone aggregate are
more generally specified in all resi-
dence and apartment house construc
tion. The additional cost of such
construction seldom will exceed 2
per cent of the total cost of con-
struction."
The extra expenditure of a hun
dred dollars certainly is worth more
than the loss to life and property
that might result from a cellar fire
that could easily lick its way into
the living quarters of home. Son.
crete floors are absolutely essential
for full fire protection, and in turn
will lessen the fire insurance rate
materially.
Underneath the oak flooring, lin
oleum, carpeting or other covering
on the floors of our fire-safe hotels
and apartment houses is a slab of
reinforced concrete that prevents
the spread of fires that may develop
in the lower regions or elsewhere in
the building.
Concrete residence floors have
number of advantages not realized
by those unfamiliar with this type
Of construction. For one thing, they
give greater rigidity to the structure
eliminating vibration that develops
both within and without the build
ing. They also provide better wall
stability, something worth while
considering in areas subject to
earthquake shocks. Important, too,
is the fact that they are sound-proof.
A great deal of the plaster crack
ing on partitions and ceilings of
dwelling houses is caused by the
sagging or DETECTION of timber con-
struction and lateral movement of
ordinary floors. Concrete floors do
not defect appreciably after the
plaster is applied and therefore they
provide ideal support for interior
partitions and ceilings. They also
seal out smoke, dust, CRIME and
odors which originate in easements.
The fear that such floors may be
cold is not borne out by the facts.
AS matter of fact we have been
living on fireproof floors in our bet
ter hotels for years and that they
are different than common residence
/ A10re hos V,Nrvor. 0oaTYYY-nd IN ann ann