BRICK SUBSTITUTES.

Press, Volume LXI, Issue 18364, 23 April 1925, Page 4

BRICK SUBSTITUTES.

HOUSES BUILT CHEAPLY. There aro now many districts where iho shortage of bricks is most acute, and in consequence those that are obtainable aro very expensive, says a -writer in a London trade paper which arrived by the last mail. It is not the writer's intention to quote figures that ho knows to be reliable in certain localities, as he lias no wish to inflate prices in other neighbourhoods by a statement of what some people have to pay. Inflation of prices is a contagion soon spread by such means. Probably a better thing to do would be to direct attention to means of circumventing this inflation. By the use of suitable substitutes it is possible to do much in. this way. Whcro bricks cannot be obtained at a reasonable price it is well to inform clients straight away, and endeavour to direct their interest towards somo materials that will answer as well and pay everyone belter; also to other methods of construction which may make the task in hand easier and less expensive.

In somo districts stone may bo obtainable, often quite cheaply. This is generally small stuff which requires ilia walling to bo from I34in to ISin thick to give stability. Whcro the stones are large enough for a 9in wall they are, of eourßC, dearer, and sometimes the advantago has not been on the sido of using it, even when bricks liavo had to bo carted a, distance. Then at other times the cost of laying small stones has counterbalanced tho prico of the local bricks.

Again, the thick wall of masonry is apt to bo subject to condensation inside, which is no rccommondation. Whore the size of tho stones lends itself to tho purposo of the thinner wall, thero should be no cause for complaint with a fairly porous plaster inside. In the case of tho smaller stuff and tho thicker wall, a way to prevent condensation is by having a 2in lining of coke, breeze concrete blocks. Theso effectually prevent condensation with a thin facing of porous plaster. An effectivo moans of bonding, sufficient for the ordinary house, offers no difficulty to the practical man.

Pise-de-Terro. Building in pise-do-tcrre 'Jhas been advocated as a substitute for bricks. Thero is much to recommend this at first sight, but there aro .1 few points that must not be neglected in this form of building. The first is the absolute necessity for an effectivo dampcourse, and tho second is for.a suitablo inside covering of tho walls. In no form of building is tho former-more imperatively needful,; and tho latter is required to keep, out of ;tlio house tho enrthy smell that arises from these carl h"walls, especially in damp weather, Although tho latter is a real trouble; it is not difficult to prevent. As walls of piso-de-terro liavo to be fairly thick, theso also may very well be lined with coke breezo blocks, which provent the earthy smell and also condensation to which these walls are subject. The form of bonding is here a triflo more difficult of solution, but not insuperable. Several ways have been tried with success, the . best being most usually the beadin a of one courso of blocks into thff pise-de-terre every few courses. It may be said here that where the blocks aro. not used, but the earth walls arc plastered, it is useless to mako the rendering too rich. A poor plaster binds best.

A quito good form of construction that obviates the use of bricks is a composition of stone or piso de-tcrro and timber framing. Now, there may be, and often is, an objection to all three of these methods of construction for a whole house, and the reason is not far for the practical man to seek, even if it docs not occur to him at once. There is, however, nothing to prevent a combination as, say, an Sft or Oft wall for the lower storey and a timber framing for the one above. This is a reversion to mediaeval methods which may be very well adopted to serve the end in view. Where a. house is built in this way of either pisc-dc-terre or small stone for the ground storey it would be good practico to follow 'still further the traditional forms of the Middle Ages and overhang tho upper portion. This aids in protecting the pise-de-terre or stones from rain—somo stono is very porous—and adds a feature to tho elevations. If carefully thought out beforehand, the superstructure may bo simple of construction, and consequently inexpensive. In some districts lath and plaster may be permissible for filling in between the framing, both insido and out, and to sec how effectively this has been used in tho past for exterior elevations one has only to refer to ancient examples still not uncommon in most localities.

Outside Framing. A material for encasing the outside of the framing or for purposes of filling in that would be permitted everywhere is asbestos sheeting. Half-timber effects can be obtained by its use in cither way, but in the case of the filling in some exact cutting and careful filleting would bo necessary, though nothing beyond the intelligence of an average woodworker. Where a solid filling was preferred, concrete suggests itself at on".e. In a district where lath and plaster for the outer facing would be objected to, wire mesh or expanded metal may be the means of overcoming the objections. "There arc more ways of drowning a cat than poisoning it," as the Irishman said; and thero are alternate ways of building good houses cheaply if only there was a little progressive thought and energy directed upon them. Many builders would avail themselves of these methods at once if they had a free hand. Unfortunately the British workman intervenes, and he is the most conservative element in the country in relation to his work. He hates anything new. especially in experience, and will not have it if" he can help it. That is w hv traditional methods of building have come down for hundred of years and arestill in use to-day. That sort of thing cannot survive long in the twentieth century if the worker is to obtain the houses he requires. New times) new needs, new methods will have to be'the slogan for us all.