A Machine For Living In . . .

Press, Volume CVIII, Issue 31764, 22 August 1968, Page 12

A Machine For Living In . . .

The modern house has been described very aptly as “a machine for living in.” And it certainly has evolved a long way from the “man-made caves” erected by our earliest ancestors.

No longer are we content for our house to give us merely protection from the weather and wild animals.

Apart from performing its fundamental functions of keeping us warm in winter, cool in summer and dry when it rains, we expect it to serve us in a great many other ways. It has to provide us with water, light, drainage, privacy, storage space and security for our possessions.

But those are not all the demands we make on our house.

We also require it to save us energy, insulate us from external noises, delight our senses, soothe our nerves, flatter our egos and impress our friends. Of all the machines devised by man, none has to perform more varied and complex functions.

For most of us a house is also the biggest and most expensive machine we ever buy. When we talk about home improvement we mean simply keeping the machine working properly so that it will continue to do all the things we expect of it Every house needs improvements at some time because, as it gets older, most of its components deteriorate, become obsolete or no longer meet the changing needs of its occupants.

Every year technology provides increased scope for making renovations and alterations to the home.

With the new materials, equipment and techniques now available , the home-owner can contemplate improvements that would not have been possible a few years ago.