Year: 1860

These houses, as our readers well know
are built of a mixture or mortar made of
lime, gravel and small stone or pebbles,
laid up in one mass between moulds of
boards, so as 10 form one solid mass of
concreted mortar when dried.


When good foundation, unmovahle
by frost, or undisturbed by water can be
found, these houses are very cheaply
built, and in some sections are becoming
quite abundant. We like, however,
new method of using this concrete for
houses, patented not long ago by Samuel
7. Fowler, of Brooklyn. N. Y. 1t is
combination of the wooden frame and the
concrete. The frame may be light one;
it is erected. and then Embedded in the
concrete by plastering it up on all sides.
We find an account of this mode of bull
ing in the last number of Fowler's Life
Illustrated, from which we abridge the
following. ..4


The improvement consists in the intro
duction of framework for holding the
green mortar to its place. and to afford
convenient and reliable hold for screws
with which to fasten the molding planks
securely and exactly in their places level
and plum. This is done by erecting a
row of timbers, Common joists will do)
of appropriate size and form in such man
ner as to secure them in their places, and
by fastening a rib to the same on each
side, at the top of each layer of mortar,
for the purpose of tying the wall togeth-
er that an opening may be made by set
ting a short board or plank near the cen
ter. between the timbers, and about one
inch from the inner rib, and one or more
inches from the outer ones, reaching to
within two inches of the upright, and
raising the same at each laying of the
mortar.


The advantages of this plan are stated
TO be the following: The openings and
timber in the wall answer as a cutoff 10
exclude the passage through the wall of
heat. cold, and moisture, thereby secur-
ing the comfort of dry rooms, cool in the
summer and warm in winter, without the
expense of Turing, lathing and plaster
ing; the openings also give ample facil.
ities for ventilation and the distribution
of heat. This plan also renders the
walls fire. proof by perfectly encasing the
wood in the mortar, and by extending the
same principle to The overhead walls and
roof Gas he proposes 10 do. they may al
so be rendered fre-proof.


The following additional particulars are
given by the writer:


The combination of the framework with
the concrete body gives great strength,
because the frame becomes to the con-
crete body a universal tie, and the con-
crete a universal brace to the frame.


The framework also Facilitates the
work, and gives security TO the wall, by
sustaining not only the weight of the wall
while soft, but all other weights necessa
ry in the prosecution of the work and
the concrete protects the wood, by exclud-
ing it from the atmosphere.


As this plan does away with the ne
cessity of furring, lathing. and plaster
ing, TO obtain the comforts of dry house
cool in summer and warm in winter, and
as it also furnishes the facilities for Sc
curely fastening the moulding planks or
plates in any desired position, the walls
may be cast with any desired finish, out
side and in. including the ceiling, SIM
ply by the use of appropriate molding-
plates, and the proper management of the
mortar.


Thus a much harder and handsomer
surface may be obtained without the use
of the trowel than with it. and that of
any devised form you may choose to make
the molding plates; and 10 this may be
added never-fading colors. as taste may.
dictate, by using proper mineral base
with suitable metallic or mineral pig.
ment.


The comparative cheapness of this
plan is very evident. as one-haTf of the
mortar required by the ordinary mode
wiz 10 ibis way make wall twice as