A REVOLUTION IN BUILDING.

Press, Volume LIX, Issue 17809, 7 July 1923, Page 16

A REVOLUTION IN BUILDING.

HOIILOW CONCRETE ffKPT«HCES WOODhLS -WALLS. "Wiy should you risk jour hard-earned money and house yonr family in & builcLng that coo be destroyed fay fire in s few minutes, when you can have fire-proof conjunction for substantially the same money?" This ■luestion was asked at » recent confeuence of prominent ottijaii, who were assembled to disc ins the present building- situation. "In the la.ee of such grave risks, I don't know why yon ara no tied to wooden bufldiaga in 2*ew Zeal*nd r " said Mr Montague, a well-known buiiding authority, recently from England and Annuo*, "when you have moat economic*! facilities for the construction and building of hollow concrete walls, winch are not only fire and damp-proof, hut are admittedly «h« swat healthy, in all climates,, as well aa being cheaper, ti build. This » not only in the initial oast, remember, but the fact that a house so built requires no repairs, no paint, is borer-proof, and is piacticllly eoerhtaung. However, , continued Air Montague, as -,a well-known Dnnedia firm of luiildera and contractors, Mea*r» Ellis Gh», iSa" already operating in your city, and bgHding houses, with their celebrated "Simplex Hollow Concrete Wall*," you may have anopposftunity of seeing a house actually being built, and ao> dispel any doubts yon nay have is yonr minds.

As a. reault of th«s» nstoimding stetemeuta, a "Press" xapieatstaiiv* yesterday intemewed Mr Olue (of Ellis and Qlae> an the woric, in Peel strrct, St. Andrew'* square, and was' moat toiirteouehr shown over_ a building in the coarse of erection. When told of Mr Montague's atafenssnt. i Mr Glue replied that ha would be delighted i to show all those interested, and «phm U« ; many "advantages of the method j of building, and be was farther pleased to hear that the facta of this nuney and labonrsaving system had raoeel him to Christchurch. "I would Jiie to «nphaaise," said Mr Crine r( , "that this method is by no means fex its experimental atages, as it was patented by (Hue Bros., in' Timarm, about ten yuan* ago, and since that time over 170 bourns) have been bnilt in Duusdia end South Canterbury; and ewj one is as good today as the day it was buUt" The whole system of construction is simphcity and speed with the minlmT. w qJ labour and ''boxing ja" material. "The buildings can be designed aa' jott want them," said Mi- Ghie, nhere hemg > practically, no limitations to style or arnhltecture, and it is also a fact that the frostproof and damp-proof building can be constructed only by me*ns of an sir span entirely around the building from bottom to top, whiah gives similar reauUa to * tbennos flask.

'ln this respect dampness tm frost oaa. pass th*t air space, and the insolation afforded by. it reduces yonr foal bills ia winter, with a. corresponding relief from hoi weather in Bummer.

' Consider, too, the santtaiy value «f bavin? the plaster applied direct to the ooscxato walls, without furring and lathing: consequently there is nothing to decay, and no lodging-place for dirt or vetsnin. It is quite evident that these buOcanga would not be affected by earthquake as xa the case of brick.

"The secret of oat aueoes*," said Mr Glue, he* in the simplicity cf the method, for ■while brick, tile, and i»lot&'uianafactalexa are making their units, ve are building <mr walls and so mtc the co»t of nun; whandliags. Tfaey make a waJl of joints—we make a juatksa wall; rmnfajced with awe-ter-inch mild steel, each wall feeing three inches thick with an airspace of three aad * half inches. Thug <mi; method supersedes the entire unit mitem." "How do you finish oft the csrisodeT"' asksd the "Presa" representative. "Ah!" replied Mr Glue, "here we hare tho distinct advantage of making a fins fini.th. The outside is rough cast, aad as thin particular building the lower portion will he finished in Mooroki graveL giving ft a granite effect, which tete a3 the appesronoe of the whole building. 566&4