Democratic Sentinel, Volume 13, Number 12, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 12 April 1889 — HINTS ABOUT BUILDING. [ARTICLE+ILLUSTRATION]

HINTS ABOUT BUILDING.

A NOVEL AND PICTURESQUE TYPE OF HOUSE. The Plans of a Pretty Cottage that Was Designed for General Grant—(Jost of Labor and Material Party Walls and Other Information.

HE plan for the first house shown in this article is' of historic interest. The house was designed by an Eastern architect for General Grant, and it was in course of erection at Mt. McGregor when he died. Ihe design is worthy of careful examination, is of a somewhat novel and picturesque type, and is very characteristic, especially

in the feature of the cctngonal tower. As a whole, it has a quaint and comfortable look, pleasing to almost every one. The estimate of the conti actor for the erection of the house was $2,600. and it can readily be erected, with such local changes as may be suggested, for $3,000. The floor plans show a very pretty arrangement of rooms in both the fiist a»d second story. COST OF MATERIAL AND LABOR. Many people have sent lettersof inquiry as to the basis of cost in fiauiing on bnild-

ings. The following price-list will give one a pretty fair idea of the cost of labor and material in Chicago: Masonry, laid in mortar, per cord $(20.00 Common brick, per thousand 12.00 Cement, per barrel 2.00 Laths, per thousand 2.00 Lime, per barrel 08 Plastering (two coats), per yard 25 Excavation, per yard .' 40 Common lumber,'per thousand 14.00 Yellow pine flooring, per thousand 30,00 Pine shingles, per thousand 3.50 Finishing lumber, per thousand 40.00 Tainting, finished work, per yard 18 Clapboards, pine, per thousand 30.00 Mason’s wages, per day 4.00 Bricklayer’s wages, per day .• 4.00 Common laborer s wages, per day 2.50 Carpenter’s wages, per day 3.50 Plumber’s wages, per day. 3.50 Painter’s wages, per day 3.50 PRACTICAL HINTS ABOUT BUILDING. Before the contract is signed, ascertain the exact location of the house, so that you may know just how much the excavation will bo. It often happens, when this precaution is not taken, that there is more excavation than ordinary, and the contractor will refuse to do the work requited, without oxtra pay; and rather than have an extra, the house is located either too low or too high from the street—an error that can never be corrected except at a considerable cost. To ascertain the exact excavation, it is necessary first to know the gride of the sidewalk, and from this measure back the distance desired from the street line, allowing a fall to the street for the wa er of not less than one inch to three feet. This will give you the gradeline at your founded on wall, and the excavation will thus be easily calculated, as the wall is usually 2 feet 6 inches above the grade, and as much below as the cellar is required deep, allowing three inches for concrete on cellar bottom. Having fixed the distance the house above the street and its elevation above the same, see to it that the top soil is carefully rembved at such a distance from the house us not to be

covered up by the poor soil when thrown out, and in such deposits as to be most convenient for top covering when giound is finally graded. This piecaution will save moving dirt unnecessarily. The poor soil should be thrown out and deposited far enough away from the wall so as notto'be in the way of the carpenters, or act as a dam to keep the water from running away from the building. As much of it as possibly should be deposited where it is wanted to remain. Handling dirt twice over is expensive, and this generally falls upon the owner, if inexperienced. The specifications generally call for a trench to be dug under the wall a few inches wider than the wall itself and eight to twelve inches below the cellar bottom; this trench to be filled with concrete of which the wall is to be built. This is a \ery -.important matter, as upon a good foundation depends the stability of the house. It too otten happens, however, that the contractor hurries over this part of ihe work, as he can easily escape detection by putting in but three or four inches of concrete only of the width of the wall. If this work be done in the late autumn, the inside of foundation wall should be well banked no with earth to keep out the frost.

THE LAW AS TO PARTY WALLS. A party wall in law is the wall dividing lands of different proprietors, used in common for the support of structures on both sides. At common law, an owner who erects a wall for his own buildings which is capable of Ueing used by an adjoining proprietor, can not compel such proprietor, when he shall build next to it, to pay for any portion of the cost of such wall. On the other hand, the adjoining proprietor has no right to make any use of such wall without consent of the owner and the consequence may be the erection of two walls, side by side, when one would answer all purposes. This convenience is often secured by an agreement to erect a wall for common use, one-half on each other’s land, the parties to divide the expense; if only one is to build at a time, he gets a return from the other party of half what it costs him. Under such an agreement, each has an easement in the land of the other while the wall stands, and this accompanies the titles in sales and descent. But if the wall is destroyed by decay or accident, the easement is gone, unless by a deed the contingency is provided for. Repairs to party walls are to be borne equally; but if one has occasion to strengthen or improve them for a more extensive building than was at first contemplated, he cannot compel the other to divide the expense with him. In some States there are statutes regulating the rights in party walls, and one may undoubtedly acquire rights by prescription on a wall built by another, which he has long been allowed to use for the support of his own structure. PROCESS OF EBONIZING. To imitate black ebony, first wet the wood with a solution of logwood and copperas, boiled together and laid on hot. For this purpose two ounces of logwood chips with one and one-half ounces of copperas, to a quart of water, will be required. When the work has become dry

wet the surface again with a mixture of one-half pint vinegar and two ounces steel filings. When the work has again become dry, sand-paper down until quite smooth. Then oi! and fill in with powdered dropblack mixed in the filler. The work may light coat of quick-drying varnish. and then be rubbed with a finely pulverized pumice- stone and linseed oil until very smooth. Work to be ebonized should be smooth and free from holes, etc. HOW TO STAIN WOOD. Wood may be stained brown by a strong solution of permanganate of potash; red, boil one-fourth pound of logwood and one-half ounce soda in one pint of water, apply it hot. and then wash over with a strong solution of alum; rose, iodide of potash in twelve parts of water for a second; blue, indigo solution or a concentrated hot solution of sulphate of copper, followed by a dip in a solution of wash-ing-soda; yellow, turmeric dissolved in wood naphtha or aqua regia in three parts of water; green, verdigris dissolved in four parts of water. WHEN TO PAINT YOUR HOUSE. Paint applied to the exterior of frame buildings in autumn or winter will last twice as long as if applied during early summer or hot weather. In the former, it dries slowly, and becomes hard like a glazed surface, not afterward easily affected by the weather or worn off by the beating of storms. But in very hot weather, the oil in the paint soaks into the wood at once, leaving the lead nearly dry, and ready to crumble off. The crumbling can be avoided by first going over the surface with raw oil. Detroit, Mich., is about to undertake a flower show, and some citizens of Florida purpose -ending there gratis a carload of choicest blossoms in token of gratitude for Northern help iu their time of fever trouble.

A THREE-THOUSAND-DOLLAR HOUSE.

FIRST FLOOR.

SECOND FLOOR.