Jasper County Democrat, Volume 15, Number 47, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 14 September 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. 178 West Jackson boulevard, Chicago, 111., and only enclose two-cent stamp for reply. The bungalow or single-story type of dwelling house has some special advantages and is coming into increasing favor. A cottage home of this type, 25 feet wide by 48 feet 6 Inches long, is illustrated herewith. It'll built without an attic, which saves expense in roof construction; and tho low roof design fits the general style of the house better than a high roof could. It is a small affair when measured up against the ordinary house; but ft, contains more roo'm and more conveniences than the orthodox flveroom flat in a city, and is immensely, superior when it comes to comfort.

A person never appreciates the value of a good cellar until he leaves a house that has one, and goes to live in a city flat where there is no cellar except an Ice-box, and no room to store a pint of cider or a peck of potatoes. The house here shown Is much better arrangegd than a flat, because you have light on all sides, and the bedrooms, as well as all other rooms, are light and airy—a great advantage in both comfort and health. “Be It ever so humble, there’s no place like home," is a sentiment that applies in a general way to all small houses, but not especially to this one, because it Is so attractive in appearance, so thoroughly well arranged, and so comfortable that the humble features are lost sight of entirely. A good deal in a house depends on the layout or shape of the cellar. Many cellars are almost useless except to keep the house up away from the ground, to keep ft dry, and to assist to some extent in keeping the lower floors warm. Some cellars are too dark and musty to be desirable, and a great many cellars are too contemptibly dirty for any purpose whatever. Much depends on the shape of the cellar to commence with, but more depends on the manner in which It Is built and the care It afterwards re-

selves. All cellars should be dry; that Is, there should be no perceptible dampness. When eatables are stored In a cellar, there should be no accumulation of mould. At the same time, a cellar should not be dusty dry. Generally, If a cellar Is five feet underground, and the wall extends two or two and a half feet above grade, the cellar will be cool In summer, will

not freeze in winter, and will be neither too dry nor too damp. There are, however, local conditions which affect all cellars. Sometimes the ground Is very damp, and In some places It la very dry. The site may be exposed to the north winds or southern sunshine, either of which will affect the general conditions and require attention when building. In a little house like this, the cellar becomes of more Importance than where the house is larger, because you want the cellar for storage. It will be used for a great many purposes, where a cellar in a large house would be neglected.

In building your own home, it pays to look after the building of the cellar. After the excavation is made, study out for yourself the peculiarl' ties of soil, location and exposure. If the soil is Inclined to dampness, have a course of 3-inch tile laid all around the bottom, outside of the wall, with an outlet at sufficient distance. The outlet may be simply a sink-hole filled with stone; but it must be lower than the cellar bottom, and give a good opportunity for any water that may accumulate to get _away easily. If the ground is very damp, have another course of tile about two feet above or half-way towards the surface.

The use of cement mortar is a great preventive against dampness in the cellar, and the way the cellar floor la made has a great deal to do with It. You can make a cement bottom that Is porous, or you can make it watertight, just by the difference in the way the materials are mixed. It sometimes is desirable to have the back end of the cellar dry, and the front part somewhat moist for fruit and vegetables; but this depends upon what use you wish to make of the cellar.

Great changes have come In building small houses within a few yean. Until recently the idea of hot and cold water and a bathroom in a house of this size was almost unheard of. In order to enjoy w’hat are ordinarily called “modern conveniences,” it was necessary to occupy a large house; but bathrooms, hot water In the kitchen and gas and electric lighting are growing more common all the time, and they are being installed in smaller houses every year. Because it is necessary or because a person prefers a small house, It is no longer necessary that they should do without the comforts of civilization. With the in-crease-of small houses fitted with such luxuries, the health of the people has improved. It is generally understood that cleanliness is a good thing for more reasons than one. Cleanliness, as long ago as Bible times, was recognized as one of the leading virtues; but the full benefits were not appreciated until the bacteriologists got to work with their microscopes and far-

reted out a whole lot of mischievous germs that were making human life miserable. Cleanliness cannot be maintained without hot water and a reasonably warm atmosphere. This Is one reason why a furnace and running hot water are so valuable in a house. These things do not necessarily cost a great deal more when you are building. There is a little additional expense, of course; but it is so small when weighed against the many benefits to be derived, that the extra cost is not worth considering. When you build, have all the modern improvements you can get your hands on. If you can’t have electric light and gas at once,' you can put in the pipes and wires. You can have hot water under pressure If you .—nt it, and there 13 no excuse for not having a well-equip-ped bathroom It is better to do without a parlor than to leave out th* bathroom. 1 - i

Floor Plan.