Two New House Building Methods Being Used In Levin

Chronicle (Levin), 17 January 1949, Page 4

Two New House Building Methods Being Used In Levin

New .to Levin is a pumice biiilt holise, which is at present in the course of cohStructiori iil Clark Street, ih' the ' Walkley sub-diYision. Another new buiiding ift|thOd is that employed by Mr. A. W. Parton, of Queeii Street,' who is using concfete hollow breize blocks ahd ihcofporatihg in its constrlictibil many fascinating features. Both have solid foundations and nails can be driven with- ease into the walls. Ahothei' dual feature ig that the only wood used in^the construction will be that comprisihg door ahd window ftkmes. The main benefits derived from These two' types of buiiding material, the buildei^ say, are coolness in summen and wai*mth in winter, a minimum of maintenance costs and low fire insurance premiums.

/fhe Pumice House The foundatioii of the house ih Clark street comprise^ largo rocks, with a foUf-iiich concrete top. Above that gods a thirt daihp'tsourse in hituhien, followed by an oVerall coverage of two inches of pumice, wliich hiakeS a soft soundless fibdr. The OUtside foundation wall is 18 inches high phd 12 ipches wide, llius the fhiished hbuse will be free of interference from rats, borer and daftipness. The foundation wali has to be especially wide to take a brick vdheer outside the pUffiiCe side walls and also allow for a twohich cavity. between the two. Apart from the window and door flashings and roof, no wOOd Wiil be used and the inside walls Will not require ' any furthe? attehtion, barring plastering and papering. The roof will be-tiled. The hoUSe, Which is a fiveraomed one, is' being euilt for a pfospective Levin resident by his bfother, a Wellington builder, and his father, with the prospectiVe occupier also lendihg a hand.

The builder . said that pumice Was being -.used- largeiy . in build- j ifig coiiStfUetidfl ifi WafiganUi^ afid that a . cottipleteiy pUhiiCe hOuse had been built by a felative of his for the Wellington City COuncil, while another, on a niUch more lavish iscale, was .at Waikanae. The mixture used was fdiir parts of pumice, two parts of aand and one part of cement. PUmice". being jftaturally insul&ting rftade the insidi df the hbUse cool ■' ifi- summer and warm in winter, afid very soundproof. He said he* Was a very keOfi adVdcate Of thiS type of buiiding* fiiateriai ahd if he bUilt a house for himself it wouid be of the same type. One shortage he Had 6kpefiehcea was five-eighths rods for reinfOfcing the walls, and he had had td make db With a heavy. shgep vdre nettihg. The floOr, fie Said, ^ouki fi.pt have any wood Coverifig, the carpeCg or iino gbing straight on the pumice. It Was soft to walk upon and'

there were tio ereaks, This house, which is how»weli forward in construction, is attracting considerable attentioh. House Of Coficrete Blocks Also a five-roomed house with all ConvenienCes, Mf. A. W. Barton 's hoUse was dgsigfied afid is being built by himself with the help of two assistants. It is made with hol-^ low concrete breize bioeks, which he makes himself from one part of cement, two parts of coke breize, and three , parts of sand. The blocks have an attractive • cobblestone finish and will later be Coloured cream. « The foundation is sOlid and the roof will be of tiles. Mr. Parton has planned many ufiuSUai features, one of which will be the laying of parquet flooring on the solid cement - and stone foundation. Parquet floofing, he Skys, is compfised of higfily-poliShed wooden blocks, the blocks beifig chiefiy of rata and rimu. He said they were used extensively in the English houses of oMer days ahd he had heen mfluenced ifi selectifig them . after - seeing the fiooring of the Federal [Parliament Hbuse, Canberra, where the tirftbers of ali nations Were represehted. - The interior dividirig walls, which were also of concrete breize blocks, made fdr perfect sound pfOofness afid the ends were rnufided td dispense with the usuai sharp angles: Five Ml glass french. doors were. built in tb the exterior wall, . giving aeeess td the .laYVfis right . round . (the house.. For better .light/ dcuble windows Were to he a feature of the bathroom. Vefitilatirig pipes leading ffom Otltside to the ifiSide of all CUpboards was another Unusual feature. A wash-house, which is close tb the maia buiiding, is also cofistructed with the same materfftl as the house, afi added feature beifig" tliftt th§ roof is mSde Of reinforced eoke * breize, With a cement facirig. \ Coke prei?>e .wai the screenings from the coke used at the gasworks, Mr. Parton added.