HOUSE BUILDING
House building is the carpenter's craft; cabinet-making the joiner's
trade, yet both are so intimately associated, that it is difficult to
draw a line. The same tools, the same methods and the same materials are
employed.
There is no trade more ennobling than home building. It is a vocation
which touches every man and woman, and to make it really an art is, or
should be, the true aspiration of every craftsman.
THE HOUSE AND EMBELLISHMENTS.--The refined arts, such as sculpture and
painting, merely embellish the home or the castle, so that when we build
the structure it should be made with an eye not only to comfort and
convenience, but fitting in an artistic and æsthetic sense. It is just
as easy to build a beautiful home as an ugly, ungainly, illy
proportioned structure.
BEAUTY NOT ORNAMENTATION.--The boy, in his early training, should learn
this fundamental truth, that beauty, architecturally, does not depend
upon ornamentation. Some of the most beautiful structures in the world
are very plain. Beauty consists in proportions, in proper correlation
of parts, and in adaptation for the uses to which the structure is to be
put.
PLAIN STRUCTURES.--A house with a plain façade, having a roof properly
pitched and with a simple cornice, if joined to a wing which is not
ungainly or out of proper proportions, is infinitely more beautiful than
a rambling structure, in which one part suggests one order of
architecture and the other part some other type or no type at all, and
in which the embellishments are out of keeping with the size or
pretensions of the house.
COLONIAL TYPE.--For real beauty, on a larger scale, there is nothing
to-day which equals the old Colonial type with the Corinthian columns
and entablature. The Lee mansion, now the National Cemetery, at
Washington, is a fine example. Such houses are usually square or
rectangular in plan, severely plain, with the whole ornamentation
consisting of the columns and the portico. This type presents an
appearance of massiveness and grandeur and is an excellent illustration
of a form wherein the main characteristic of the structure is
concentrated or massed at one point.
The Church of the Madelaine, Paris, is another striking example of this
period of architecture.
Of course, it would be out of place with cottages and small houses, but
it is well to study and to know what forms are most available and
desirable to adopt, and particularly to know something of the art in
which you are interested.
THE ROOF THE KEYNOTE.--Now, there is one thing which should, and does,
distinguish the residence from other types of buildings, excepting
churches. It is the roof. A house is dominated by its covering. I refer
to the modern home. It is not true with the Colonial or the Grecian
types. In those the façade or the columns and cornices predominate over
everything else.
BUNGALOW TYPES.--If you will take up any book on bungalow work and note
the outlines of the views you will see that the roof forms the main
element or theme. In fact, in most buildings of this kind everything is
submerged but the roof and roof details. They are made exceedingly flat,
with different pitches with dormers and gables intermingled and
indiscriminately placed, with cornices illy assorted and of different
kinds, so that the multiplicity of diversified details gives an
appearance of great elaboration. Many of those designs are monstrosities
and should, if possible, be legally prohibited.
I cannot attempt to give even so much as an outline of what constitutes
art in its relation to building, but my object is to call attention to
this phase of the question, and as you proceed in your studies and your
work you will realize the value and truthfulness of the foregoing
observations.
GENERAL HOUSE BUILDING.--We are to treat, generally, on the subject of
house building, how the work is laid out, and how built, and in doing so
I shall take a concrete example of the work. This can be made more
effectual for the purpose if it is on simple lines.
BUILDING PLANS.--We must first have a plan; and the real carpenter must
have the ability to plan as well as to do the work. We want a five-room
house, comprising a parlor, dining room, two bedrooms, a kitchen and a
bathroom. Just a modest little home, to which we can devote our spare
hours, and which will be neat and comfortable when finished. It must be
a one-story house, and that fact at once settles the roof question. We
can make the house perfectly square in plan, or rectangular, and divide
up the space into the proper divisions.
THE PLAIN SQUARE FLOOR PLAN will first be taken up, as it is such an
easy roof to build. Of course, it is severely plain.
Fig. 221 shows our proposed plan, drawn in the rough, without any
attempts to measure the different apartments, and with the floor plan
exactly square. Supposing we run a hall (A) through the middle. On one
side of this let us plan for a dining room and a kitchen, a portion of
the kitchen space to be given over to a closet and a bathroom.
[Illustration: _Fig. 221._]
The chimney (B) must be made accessible from both rooms. On the other
side of the hallway the space is divided into a parlor and two
bedrooms.
THE RECTANGULAR PLAN.--In the rectangular floor plan (Fig. 222) a
portion of the floor space is cut out for a porch (A), so that we may
use the end or the side for the entrance. Supposing we use the end of
the house for this purpose. The entrance room (B) may be a bedroom, or a
reception and living room, and to the rear of this room is the dining
room, connected with the reception room by a hall (C). This hall also
leads to the kitchen and to the bathroom, as well as to the other
bedroom. The parlor is connected with the entrance room (B), and also
with the bedroom. All of this is optional, of course.
[Illustration: _Fig. 222._]
There are also two chimneys, one chimney (D) having two flues and the
other chimney (E) having three flues, so that every room is
accommodated.
[Illustration: _Fig. 223._]
ROOM MEASUREMENTS.--We must now determine the dimensions of each room,
and then how we shall build the roof.
In Figs. 223 and 224, we have now drawn out in detail the sizes, the
locations of the door and windows, the chimneys and the closets, as well
as the bathroom. All this work may be changed or modified to suit
conditions and the taste of the designer.
[Illustration: _Fig. 224._]
FRONT AND SIDE LINES.--From the floor diagram, and the door and window
spaces, as marked out, we may now proceed to lay out rough front and
side outlines of the building. The ceilings are to be 9 feet, and if we
put a rather low-pitched roof on the square structure (Fig. 223) the
front may look something like Fig. 225, and a greater pitch given to the
rectangular plan (Fig. 224) will present a view as shown in Fig. 226.
[Illustration: _Fig. 225._]
[Illustration: _Fig. 226._]
THE ROOF.--The pitch of the roof (Fig. 225) is what is called "third
pitch," and the roof (Fig. 226) has a half pitch. A "third" pitch is
determined as follows:
ROOF PITCH.--In Fig. 227 draw a vertical line (A) and join it by a
horizontal line (B). Then strike a circle (C) and step it off into three
parts. The line (D), which intersects the first mark (E) and the angle
of the lines (A, B), is the pitch.
In Fig. 228 the line A is struck at 15 degrees, which is halfway between
lines B and C, and it is, therefore, termed "half-pitch."
[Illustration: _Fig. 227._]
[Illustration: _Fig. 228._]
Thus, we have made the ground plans, the elevations and the roofs as
simple as possible. Let us proceed next with the details of the
building.
THE FOUNDATION.--This may be of brick, stone or concrete, and its
dimensions should be at least 1-1/2 inches further out than the sill.
THE SILLS.--We are going to build what is called a "balloon frame"; and,
first, we put down the sills, which will be a course of 2" × 6", or 2" ×
8" joists, as in Fig. 229.
THE FLOORING JOIST.--The flooring joists (A) are then put down (Fig.
230). These should extend clear across the house from side to side, if
possible, or, if the plan is too wide, they should be lapped at the
middle wall and spiked together. The ends should extend out flush with
the outer margins of the sills, as shown, but in putting down the first
and last sill, space must be left along the sides of the joist of
sufficient width to place the studding.
[Illustration: _Fig. 229._]
[Illustration: _Fig. 230._]
THE STUDDING.--The next step is to put the studding into position. 4" ×
4" must be used for corners and at the sides of door and window
openings. 4" × 6" may be used at corners, if preferred. Consult your
plan and see where the openings are for doors and windows. Measure the
widths of the door and window frames, and make a measuring stick for
this purpose. You must leave at least one-half inch clearance for the
window or door frame, so as to give sufficient room to plumb and set the
frame.
SETTING UP.--First set up the corner posts, plumbing and bracing them.
Cut a top plate for each side you are working on.
[Illustration: _Fig. 231._]
THE PLATE.--As it will be necessary in our job to use two or more
lengths of 2" × 4" scantling for the plate, it will be necessary to join
them together. Do this with a lap-and-butt joint (Fig. 231).
Then set up the 4" × 4" posts for the sides of the doors and windows,
and for the partition walls.
The plate should be laid down on the sill, and marked with a pencil for
every scantling to correspond with the sill markings. The plate is then
put on and spiked to the 4" × 4" posts.
INTERMEDIATE STUDDING.--It will then be an easy matter to put in the
intermediate 2" × 4" studding, placing them as nearly as possible 16
inches apart to accommodate the 48-inch plastering lath.
[Illustration: _Fig. 232._]
WALL HEADERS.--When all the studding are in you will need headers above
and rails below the windows and headers above all the doors, so that you
will have timbers to nail the siding to, as well as for the lathing.
CEILING JOISTS.--We are now ready for the ceiling joists, which are,
usually, 2" × 6", unless there is an upper floor. These are laid 16
inches apart from center to center, preferably parallel with the floor
joist.
It should be borne in mind that the ceiling joist must always be put on
with reference to the roof.
Thus, in Fig. 232, the ceiling joists (A) have their ends resting on the
plate (B), so that the rafters are in line with the joists.
BRACES.--It would also be well, in putting up the studding, to use
plenty of braces, although for a one-story building this is not so
essential as in two-story structures, because the weather boarding
serves as a system of bracing.
[Illustration: _Fig. 233._]
THE RAFTERS.--These may be made to provide for the gutter or not, as may
be desired. They should be of 2" × 4" scantling.
THE GUTTER.--In Fig. 233 I show a most serviceable way to provide for
the gutter. A V-shaped notch is cut out of the upper side of the rafter,
in which is placed the floor and a side. This floor piece is raised at
one end to provide an incline for the water.
A face-board is then applied and nailed to the ends of the rafters. This
face-board is surmounted by a cap, which has an overhang, beneath which
is a molding of any convenient pattern. The face-board projects down at
least two inches below the angled cut of the rafter, so that when the
base-board is applied, the lower margin of the face-board will project
one inch below the base.
[Illustration: _Fig. 234._]
This base-board is horizontal, as you will see. The facia-board may be
of any desired width, and a corner molding should be added. It is
optional to use the brackets, but if added they should be spaced apart a
distance not greater than twice the height of the bracket.
A much simpler form of gutter is shown in Fig. 234, in which a V-shaped
notch is also cut in the rafter, and the channel is made by the pieces.
The end of the rafter is cut at right angles, so the face-board is at an
angle. This is also surmounted by an overhanging cap and a molding. The
base is nailed to the lower edges of the rafters, and the facia is then
applied.
[Illustration: _Fig. 234a._]
In Fig. 234_a_ the roof has no gutter, so that the end of the rafter is
cut off at an angle and a molding applied on the face-board. The base is
nailed to the rafters. This is the cheapest and simplest form of
structure for the roof.
SETTING DOOR AND WINDOW FRAMES.--The next step in order is to set the
door and window frames preparatory to applying the weather boarding. It
is then ready for the roof, which should be put on before the floor is
laid.
PLASTERING AND INSIDE FINISH.--Next in order is the plastering, then the
base-boards and the casing; and, finally, the door and windows should
be fitted into position.
Enough has been said here merely to give a general outline, with some
details, how to proceed with the work.