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Show ":.,,..,,.. BY g WM.A.RADFORD. - .;,. ing it in a half-inch layer next the face plate of the block machine, any one of the unique and artistic surface finishes is easily obtained. One of the most interesting of these surface finishers is produced with fine pebbles, one-eighth to one-quarter inches in size. A layer of the mix- ture containing these pebbles is placed a quarter to a half inch thick next the face plate of the mold with the ordinary concrete block mixture filling the remainder. The intense pressure is applied and the block removed. re-moved. The end of the first day the Mr. William A. Radford will answer questions and give advice FREE OF COST on all subjects pertaining to the subject of building, for the readers of this paper. On account of his wide experience as Editor. Author and Manufacturer, he is, without doubt, the highest authority on all these subjects. Address all Inquiries to William A. Radford. No. 178 West Jackson boulevard, Chicago. 111., and only enclose two-cent stamp for reply. The accompanying illustrations .show a concrete house design, which, although simple and inexpensive, can be made exceedingly attractive. The lower portions of this house, the foundations and first story walls, are made of concrete blocks of uniform size; and right here is where a most artistic and interesting effect can be obtained by means of a proper surface finish on these blocks. The concrete block industry has passed through a number of years of experimentation. It has suffered at the hands of inexperienced block makers mak-ers whose product has been used by amateur and unskilled house designers, design-ers, the result in general being a poor building material used in an awkward and inappropriate way. The little block men have talked "cheapness" until this fine material was in danger of becoming discredited for anything but cheap work. The recent "cement shows" have proved conclusively, however, that there have been giant strides in the concrete block industry, both in the manufacture of the blocks and in the methods of finishing them, and of using them in modern construction. The complaint has been made that blocks absorb so much water that any house made of them is always very damp. At several of the exhibits, however, demonstration concrete blocks were made showing an absorption absorp-tion of less than one per cent, which is much less than the standard grades of brick and building stone. These blocks were made with a very wet mivture and were put under great I : clJ cl tD Rm. Bed Rn I0'6"XIZJ3" I0'6"XI2'3" aU Hall "Wa . p Bed Rm. 1 H m rz Second Floor Plan. face of the block is scrubbed with a wire or fiber brush which brushes away a part of the cement and sand,1 leaving the pebbles exposed. The surface sur-face is then brightened by being washed over lightly with water to " rt -; ; h OH- r.wrtTSfT SMMw ' s pressure in the molds by simple, m3-chanical m3-chanical means. The business-like equipment used for compressing these blocks allowed a comparatively lean mixture to be used, resulting in the low cost block, but the extreme pressure pres-sure compacts the material to such an extent that it is as nearly impervious imper-vious to water as any building material mate-rial can be. The complaint has also been made against concrete blocks that they are inartistic and uninteresting in appearance. ap-pearance. And it must be admitted that the old-fashioned, imitation, rock which a small amount of muriatic acid has been added. As these pebbles are of all different colors and shapes the interesting character of this surface finish can be easily imagined; yet one has to see a wall of these blocks to really appreciate the beauty and character char-acter of this material. With material of this kind a house would not need to be elaborate nor decorated In any way to attract favor able attention. In fact, square cut simple designs are most effective for work of this kind. This keeps the cost down, for It Is the towers and angles, bay windows and fancy porches, complicated roofs, etc., that run Into money In building, without making any reasonable return In the way of conveniences or utility. This house Is almost square In Ita general outline, being 22 feet 8 Inches wide by 28 feet 8 IncheB. It has a simple gable roof, the slope of the roof being toward the front. A low dormer window breaks the line of this roof. A simple square porch projects pro-jects in front. The concrete block wall from grade to the second floor line Is designed to have one of these attractive surface finishes. The sec ond story harmonizes with this; yet, Is lighter In effect. Cement plaster on wood lath, divided into panelo In English half-timber style is used for the second story. The whole building has the appearance of durability and comfort. It would certainly bo a de sirable addition to any neighborhood : The floor plans will show the con f venlent arrangement of this house The first floor Is nicely laid out with large living room, and dining-room, kitchen, stair hall. etc. There are : three good sized bedrooms and bath on the second floor. The cost of this house, using first-class materials and workmanship throughout Is estimated at $2,500. II Dining Room Kitchen 31 J z oxu:cr ' &vxzv B r LrvihG Room jj ALIy jj Porch I7'0'X8'6- 3 rpj I 1 First Floor Plan. face finish deserved most of the hard things said about it The blocks that are now being made, however, are finished in an infinite variety of vayf. 1 There are faces with pebbles shoving shov-ing of different sizes and colors; there are faces formed of variously colored sands; there are marble dust faces and crushed granite faces. In fact, by the simple process of selecting select-ing the m;iioria! to produce the surface sur-face fin ' -'-'red and then deposlt- |
