Jasper County Democrat, Volume 15, Number 31, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 20 July 1912 — IDEAS FOR HOME BUILDERS [ARTICLE+ILLUSTRATION]

IDEAS FOR HOME BUILDERS

BY WMARADFORD

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. 17S West Jackson boulevard, Chicago, 111., and only enclose two-cent stamp for reply. A house built at right angles to itself is shown in the accompanying plan. For some reasons this style of building has more to recommend it than almost any other It was the first way invented to make a house larger without making it too long. In the early history of building operations, houses were made narrow because window lights were small and it was difficult to light a wide room. It was also more difficult to build a wide house at that time, because they hadn't sawed joists, and they lacked the mechanical contrivances that we now have for putting buildings together. A floor with hewed timber beams more than 16 feet long was altogether too shaky; In fact, floors used to go down into the cellar occasionally when parties of young folks got too boisterous.

Although this way of building a house is several hundred years old, it is still as popular as ever, and the reason is that houses built in this way make very comfortable hoipes. They have a home-like appearance as you stand and look at them, and when you go inside they are so light and cheerful that you feel at home in time.

The only objection is that every room in the house has two or three outside walls, and for this reason it is a little more difficult to heat such houses in cold weather; but we have learned how to protect ourselves against low temperature by using building paper and other non-conduc-tors of heat and cold. Then, when you consider that during the ordinary winter, even in the northern states, we have only a few days of extreme cold against 50 weeks of moderate or warm weather, this objection fades

into insignificance. The fact is most of our winter weather hovers around the freezing point, thawing a little in the daytime and freezing at night. It is easy to keep even a large house comfortable all through with such temperatures, and you can keep part of it warm the coldest days if the house is well built. We value light and fresh air more than our grandfathers did, because we know more about the Importance of such things in regard to health. We understand that people who live In the open air and sunshine usually have very little use for the doctor. We have figured it out scientifically; so we know the reason why. It Is easy to lay out a house of this kind Into good comfortable rooms

properly connected for convenience as well as looks. Some house plans are a great puzzle to an architect; but Ulis kind of plan comes easy. You have the space, the difference exposures; you have room for doors where you want to put them; and you have a convenient corner where you can put in a good, comfortable stairway designed for looks as well as service. When it comes to heating, you can place the furnace under the front hall, and carry short pipes to each room; and you can carry the hottest pipe to the bathroom, where it is most needed. plan presents a good many ad-

vantages and very few disadvantages. Commencing with the front porch, there is an advantage in having it protected on two sides by the bouse. Porches as large as this are often furnished with easy chairs, tables, and even lounges and rugs on the floor. When you have a nice porch furnished up In that way, you like to use It as early in the season as possible and as late as possible In the fall. If this porch looks to the south or east, It will be comfortable on sunny days late in the fall as well as early in the spring; and you will get a month's use of It more than you would of an ordinary straight-way veranda. By« fitting It with screens apd sash, the time may be extended to Include al-

most the round year In some locations. The fashion of screening porches in the summer time to keep out flies and mosquitoes is a good one, and it is easy to lift out the screens in the fall and put sash In their places. There are different ways of managing. Some people like to do things differently from the ordinary; and 1 notice that such folks generally get more out of life. Some families live in their houses; while others make the house a place to stay in when necessary, and get away from It as much and as often as possible A

good deal depends on the house plan in the first place, but more depends on the housekeeper, because one person will make a house comfortable and inviting, while another woman who works just as hard perhaps has the faculty of making .things rather unfrleasant. The chairs may be too nice to sit down in, or there may be a lot of bric-a-brac in the way—stuff you are afraid of breaking or disarranging. The study of a home means much more than the plan and manner of building the house.* This plan may be carried out at a cost of from |2,000 to |2,5<)0.

Second Floor Plan

First Floox Plan