Page:Architectural Review and American Builders' Journal, Volume 1, 1869.djvu/542

 438 The Architectural Review and American Builders' Journal. [Jan. CHEAP COTTAGE DWELLINGS. MATERIAL is the first considera- tion in the construction of any ouilding, and in none is it of more importance, than in the dwellings for that class, whose means will not permit them to chose what they would most like. There is to be found a suitable material in every location — no matter where — in which a man's destiny may be cast. The " bush" affords wood ; the neighborhood of a quarry presents stone ; the soil of clay and sand gives brick, burned or unburned ; and even in the absence of all these, the lime and gravel may be found, which will afford still another material to man, in the form of concrete. The cottages we present to our readers can be constructed in each or any of these ; and in all, if proper care be observed, with great advantage to the economic comfort of the habitant. Without regard to the apparently trifling requirements of proper execution, a house — no matter of what material — loses much of its value in strength, dura- bility, or capableness of affording the most desirable shelter for its inmates- How necessary then, that every care should be taken to render it as perfect, as the case will admit of ; and how much is the interest of the owner concerned in seeing such things, so vital to his in- terest, duly attended to. A little care taken in the formation of a joint would prevent the intrusion of cold, or wet ; and save, if not the doctor's bill for fighting the rheumatism, at least the cost and trouble of an unsightly patch. As the manipulation of stone or burnt brick is so well understood, there seems to be no necessity for treating of the construction of walls in them. We will, therefore, take up — The Adobe, or Sun-dried Brick. This material is very generally used, throughout Mexico and Peru ; and is often to be found in our Northern lati- tudes. In Canada it was popular, a quarter of a century ago ; and some specimens were then to be found in the United States. When carefully formed, and a due admixture of the most fitting material faithfully made, the adobe (pro- nounced, a-do'-be) is a substantial and very economical material, and well worthy of attention. It is true, it has its drawbacks, one of the chief of which, is the shrinkage it undergoes in drying. Hence the necessity for making full allowance for such shrinkage in the con- struction of the walls. But, that adobe is a sound as well as cheap material is as certain, as that it was used before the baking or burning of bricks was put in practice. The Bible records the use of such sun-dried bricks ; and no doubt they were highly thought of, in those days, as the most extensive public works were constructed of them. Climate, of course, has much to say in the matter ; and the induration of the bricks is dependent greatly on the thorough drying, or sun-baking, they receive. The mode of manufacturing adobes is as follows : Make several boxes, the more the better, of seasoned stuff, planed smooth on the inside. The sides should be twenty inches long, and the ends twelve inches ; or, the intended thickness of the walls. On the inner face of the sides of these boxes there should be two grooves, into which the ends can slide, and the sides can be held together by rods run- ning through them, and fastened on the outside, so that the box can be made perfectly tight. These boxes should be at least six inches deep, and without a bottom. The sides should project sufficiently beyond the ends to admit,