Evening star., 1938-06-25
UNUSUAL HOUSE
COMPLETED HERE
Home of H. H. Steid|e Has
Sealed Walls to Keep
Out Elements.

One of the most attractive and un.
usual new residences in the city has
recently been completed for Mr. Harry
H. Steidle of the National Bureau
OF Standards, at 1864 Chesapeake
street NV. The house was designed
by George w. Steidle, jr., and built
BY Edward A. Hyde.
It contains numerous features sell
dom encountered in the conventional
house, for Mr.. Steidle is a building
materials expert at the Bureau of
Standards and the house has been
carefully engineered with especial ref
erence to low maintenance and low
fuel consumption
Cognizant Of the Importance of tight
wall construction to minimize heat
loss, a dead air space is provided be-
hind the brick wall by the use of
large sheets Of 1-inch insulation board,
all the joints of which are securely
nailed. A second dead air space of
inches is sealed with other insula-
tion board and the wall is completed
with hard-troweled gypsum plaster.
Two Dead Air Spaces.
In the aggregate the masonry walls
will have two dead air spaces, which
are most effective insulators, espe-
eially since air movement within these
spaces is prevented by two layers of
insulating board aggregating more
than IA Inch in thickness.
The large 4x6-foot sheets of insu-
iation running without joints from
the sill Of one floor to the sill of the
one above it further offer ideal pro-
lection from the standpoint of wind
arbitration.
The third important consideration
to be met in good wall construction
arises through recent developments in
ar-conditioning. With higher inside
humidities, the danger of moisture
condensation between walls is con-
finally present, but this has been met
by the application over the entire
house of heavy ton-reinforced
asphalt impregnated building paper.
Mr.. Steidle points out that the
wall construction is only one phase
of the problem and that perhaps
one-third of the heat loss occurs
around and through the windows.
This situation was met by the selec-
tim of pre-fitted windows-those in
which the sash are glazed, and in
allied in the window frames as they
Re delivered to the job.
Special Caulking Precaution.
The operation Of caulking was not
lightly dismissed With full knowledge
that the best of caulking compounds
will eventually dry and shrink, espe-
cially when sparingly applied to the
corner made by the brick work and
the window frame, special precautions
were taken. Thin wood strips q of
Ian inch thick were nailed to the
'Vindow frames about a half Inch
Prom their face and when the bricks
were laid around the frames a definite
1ecess about g of an inch wide and y
hch deep was created. Caulking COM
pound was later forced into this open
[ing and, while five times the normal
mount was required, there is definite
ssurance that it will make a per-
eanently tight seal.
One step further remained for the
completion Of truly weather-pr
wall. Although a very hard-burned
brick was used. 1t is definitely known
THAT all brick are porous to an extent,
>and the final step was the sealing Of
hese microscopic cracks This was
ccomplished by the use of two coats
81 a high-grade casein-base paint,
nich produced a beautiful white
frface and further protects the walls
ON the driving wind and rain that
,ses so much havoc, especially in
onged Northeast storms.
his house is equally if not more
motive in design than in construc-
In. OF modern Georgian influence,
"a note Of friendliness is struck even
before entering by the well-propor-
toned entrance canopy supported by
panels of ornamental iron work in
an oak leaf pattern which has been
gayly painted in the best traditions
of old New Orleans.
A touch of the modern is skill
fully blended with the traditional by
two rows Of sparkling glass block on
either side Of the doorway, which give
the illusion of spaciousness and at
the same time permits the entrance
OF an abundance of daylight.