CONCRETE BUILDINGS.

Otaki Mail, 7 June 1922, Page 3

CONCRETE BUILDINGS.

A - AN OFFER BY MY BYRON BROWN. In these days when the cost of erecting dwelling houses and other buildings has grown so enormously as to bo prohibitive to many who would otherwise build their own homes, more attention might well be paid to the use of concrete in the construction of such. Concrete buildings have many advantages over wooden structures. Most important of all is the matter of longevity. A wooden building lasts anything from thirty to sixty years or so, and even during that period requires considerable expenditure to keep it in good rcpair, while concrete hardens with age, and is practically everlasting. Lessened cost of painting, insurances, etc., are other points in favour of the concrete structure, while one of its greatest advantages at the present time is that of cost. In localities where suitable materials —sand, gravel, etc. —are easily procurable, buildings in concrete can be erected at lesser cost than wooden buildings. Experiments have been carried out by the Government, and by private individuals, in various forms of I concrete houses, -in Wellington and other parts of the Dominion, and though in some instances the results have not been quite what were expected, in the' majority of cases the experiments have gone to prove that the concrete house has com^^sta^^M^Bv-

building of somewhat similar construction, comprising sixnice rooms. with every convenience, finished in stucco style—a really handsome dwelling—was recently erected by Mr Brown for about £6OO. These buildings are being erected under the most favourable conditions, the sand and gravel used being procurable right on the building site, but the cost is so extremely low as to be a splendid advertisement for the possibilities of building in concrete. Seeing that our supplies of timber are steadily diminishing, and consequently there is no likelihood of the price of timber decreasing to any appreciable extent, it would certainly seem wise for us (o turn our attention to the use of other materials, such as bricks and cement, for future requirements. The sand and light gravel obtainable in this district should serve admirably in the erection of concrete buildings, and we see no reason why it should not be used much more extensively than it is at present. Jf decent dwelling houses could be , erected in Otaki for from say £SOO to £750, we should soon have a building boom that would relieve the present' house famine, and add very materially to the prosperity of the town.