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Show tra expense. Tha house owner is the one to pay the bills, whether the bouse Is built under contract or by day labor. A contractor who under- j i stands hl3 bunluesa will make a bid ! that Is reasonable; but a contractor who has not had experience In cement ce-ment block construction Is likely to lead himself and the owner into dif-I dif-I Acuities. Hollow cement blocks are very much the best. They require considerably con-siderably le-is material In the making; und the open space In the wall 1b a benefit, as It permits the construction of hollow walls, which are universally j preferred because of their air-space insulation against dampness and rapid changes of temperature. Provision Is made In this plan for a cement floor In the cellar, as well as a cement outside entrance, the walls of which and the stair are built together to-gether and when finished really make one big solid stone. The composition for the cellar bottom consists of four inches of grouting, which Is composed of one part Portland cement, two FOR CEMENT I BLOCKHOUSE1 Euildir.g That Represents All the Mechanical Ingenuity of the Best Constructors. WILL LONG OUTLAST WOOD Cost of Putting Up Is In Large Measure Meas-ure a Matter of Whether Materials Have to Be Transported From a Distance or Are at Home. Mr. William A. Radford will nrmwer qiir-Httona find jflve advice KRKI-J OK COST on all subjects ptrtalnlng to the subject of bullilliiK. 'or the readers of this imoer. On account of his wide experience lis Kdltnr, Author and Manufacturer, he In. without doubt, tha highest authority cm nil these subjects. Address all Inquiries to William A. Radford, No. 1827 Pralris avenue, f'hlcHKo. 111., and only enclose two-cent stump for reply. By WILLIAM A. RADFORD. A cement block house 25 feet long by 31 feet wide, Including the porches, is given In this plan. The first cement ce-ment block houses were expensive and unsatisfactory, because no one knew how to make the blocks or how to avoid the many little difficulties that presented themselves. Mechanical Ingenuity, In-genuity, however, and our acquired knowledge of mixing cements, gravel, broken stone, and cinders, with Improved Im-proved block-making machines, have simplified matters until it Is now quite possible to .build a better house of cement, for less money, than the ordinary wooden houses coBt. Of course there are many side Issues Is-sues which affect this general statement. state-ment. In Borne parts of the country, the right kind of sand and stone is abundant; In other places It must be brought from a distance. In cement construction, one of the greatest problems prob-lems Is the cost of teaming the heavy materials necessary to make the blocks; but there are locations where the block machine may be set down on the lot on which the houses Is to be built, and the gravel or sand from the cellar excavation used in the mix- ! ture that goeB through the block machine. ma-chine. In a case of this kind, the only teaming nocessary la for delivery of the bags of cement, the millwork f ten poom txZ am fvryk v -HI Second Floor Plan. parts clean, sharp sand, and four parts small, clean broken stone. The word "clean," to a cement man, means that the sand and stone used must be free from all but very small traces of clay or ordinary earth, because clay or loam will not combine, and, if used, the cement will be crumbly. The manner of mixing differs somewhat with different workmen, but the old method of mixing the materials thoroughly thor-oughly dry, then mixing again thoroughly thor-oughly wet, has never been improved upon. If the owner understands some of the general principles of cement construction, con-struction, he Is in much better position po-sition to talk and deal with contract- joists and lumber necessary for the floors, and the shingles and rafters for the roof. In building a cement block house where stone Is plentiful, it is a good plan to lay up a stone wall to the grade line, and to plaster the wall on the outside with a layer of cement mortar to keep the dampness from the ground from striking through into the cellar. The top of this stone wall also receives a coat of cement mortar; In fact the stones that compose the walls are laid in cement, and the interstices in-terstices are filled with spalls embedded em-bedded In the soft cement mortar. ors, and with much better satisfaction on both sides. It is an important piece of work to start to build a house that one expects to live in for probably a number of years; and it pays well to read up, and know for certain whether things are just as others represent them or not. One point in making a cellar bottom bot-tom that every one should know, is the manner of leveling the ground. A cellar bottom usually is not put in until after the first-floor joists are in place. The joists, of course, are level; and it is easy to level the cellar bottom to the joists by using a measuring meas-uring stick of the proper length; but the floor should be lower In one corner, cor-ner, enough to drain readily. Every cement cellar bottom should have a drain to carry off the water when the cellar Is being cleaned. A clean cellar is necessary for health; and if provision pro-vision is made for easy washing when the cellar is built, the cleaning will be done much oftener than it will be if this precaution Is neglected. Another point that should be remembered re-membered is the cement top surface, which should be about three-quarters of an Inch thick, composed of cement, one part to three parts clean, sharp sand, first thoroughly mixed dry, then thoroughly mixed wet, enough so that water will follow the trowel in smoothing. This coat should be put on the concrete foundation while the concrete is still damp; otherwise it may not stick properly, and you will have a floor that sounds hollow. Another point in cement construction construc-tion is the opportunity to make the cellar window sills of cement, and to imbed the frames thoroughly and carefully In the wall. In the northern parts of the country, where the cold is extreme, this precaution will help a great deal in making a frost-proof cellar. MA 1 tww I "nn-1 I I jl Lxtjz room IZ, a pp r? . a First Floor Plan. This makes a very solid stone wall, and a splendid foundation for the cement ce-ment blocks. One difficulty that has now been overcome is the designing of cement blocks which fit in around windows and doors, and which match right at the corners without the necessity of making a whole lot of blocks of special spe-cial sizes. Cement blocks are large, compared with brick; and the wall goes up quickly when everything goes together right; but when you have to stop and chisel blocks to fit, then .he expense for labor mounts at a Ively rate. Before signing the contract, find out positively if the builders know exactly how to design and manufacture blocks that will go together without this ex- |