Jasper County Democrat, Volume 15, Number 45, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 7 September 1912 — IDEAS FOR HOME BUILDERS [ARTICLE+ILLUSTRATION]

IDEAS FOR HOME BUILDERS

BY WMARADFORD.

Mr. William A. Ra<Jford 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.

Almost perfect as regards comfort and economy, is the little house illustrated in the perspective view and floor-plans herewith. It is a 6-room house, 27 feet wide by 38 feet long, exclusive of the porch. It would be difficult to put the same amount of building material together in any other form to make such a perfect arrangement of rooms, and not exceed in cost the amount of money that this house can be built for. Prices vary so much in different parts of the country that it is impossible to make an estimate of cost which will apply to every location; but a range varying from $1,400 to $1,700 may be given as a rough estimate for this cosy little cottage. The tastes of individuals in selecting materials has a great deal to do with the cost of a house—in quality of finish and hardware. The cost of extra fine locks and hinges is not so much in Itself; but if the same grade of furnishing is carried throughout, there will be a great difference in the final footlng-up of the bill. We have all heard the story about the man who was ruined by a pair of lace curtains. When the curtains were hung, it was discovered that everything else about the house must be in keeping or the curtains would not look right. It seems very easy to set a higher standard, but it Is difficult to live up to It, because any high-ideal standard has so many branches leading off in different directions, and it is the follow-ing-up of the different branches that Involves so much expense. This is a style of house that will never go out of fashion. We may have fads about different kinds of entranceways and different arrangements of rooms; we may do away with the hall; we may do away with the front room; but after we have experimented with all the different arrangements posslsible to make, we shall come back to

the front hall and the front stairway going up from it-with a good, comfortable living room to one side, as an old standby for the most satisfactory and desirable entrance to a dwelling. Every woman likes to have a front hall and a front stairway,, and she does not care to ha*c the stairway placed in some Inconvenient corner just because that happens to be a fad. Some of the peculiar structures that are now being built will be considered freaky and undesirable in a few years’

time. They may look very pretty when new, and the oddities worked into them may appeal for a time to certain young folks who think they want something smart qr a little different from the ordinary; but such people usually acknowledge after a while that they made a mistake in selecting the house plan they did. One of the most desirable features in this house is the two open flreplaces

—one In the living room and the other in the dining room. It is Intended, of course, to heat the house with a small furnace in the cellar; but there are many days in the spring and fall when we do not want a furnace fire, and yet the house Is too chilly and uncomfortable without some artificial heat. Then, too, there is a saving in the winter time by running the furnace low, and having a grate fire to keep one room Wann enough to sit in. A temperature of 60 to 65 is warm enough for the whole house if you have the dining room or living room heated up to about 72. By managing this way, probabaly a ton of coal would be saved during the winter. But there is a greater advantage than this. The open fire is not only the most cheerful fire that you can have, but it Is the best ventilator that

was ever put into a house. You cannot have good air in a dwelling without some proper means of changing it, and this should be continuous. You can open the doors and windows once in a while, and let the foul a'jt out and the fresh, pure air from outside come In and take its place; but you can’t be doing this all the time. On the other hand, a fire In the grate Is drawing the foul air from near the floor all the time, and sending it up

the chimney. Good air from outside comes in through the cracks around the doors and windows to take it* place. Some people make the mistake of using double windows and rubber strips to keep this pure air out. I do not understand Intelligent people doing that w’ay in these days of education. Everyone knows that pure air is absolutely necessary for good health, and I cannot understand the peculiar mental process by which people can deliberately set themselves to wqrk to shut out their greatest neces* slty. I have acquaintances who never open a window if they can help it. I notice they usually open their pocketbooks every little while to pay a doctor’s bill. There is, however, no law to compel them to breathe pure air if they don’t want to. Another point of superiority about this house is the arrangement of the dining room, china closet, pantry, and kitchen. It would be difficult to Invent an arrangement better than this for a woman who does her own work. There is, in addition, a good closet off the dining room, to hold a hundred things which a woman likes to have . near by, but which are not always in sight. The fine, large dining room windows is a good place, for example, for the sewing machine; but a woman does not care to store a sewing machine in the dining room.'* With the arrangement here given, the machine can easily be wheeled into the closet, and left there until wanted next time. A built-in back porch that can easily be screened against flies and mosquitoes, is another very good feature. It is impossible to keep flies out of the kitchen when they are gathered in multitudes on the back porch. A screen door is not sufficient. It is difficult and expensive to screen some porches, but this one is an exception. Screening can be done so easily that there is no excuse for leaving the 'porch® open as an invitation for flies and mosquitoes.

Second Floor Plan.

First Floor Plan.