BUILDING and HOMES

Dominion, Volume 21, Issue 246, 18 July 1928, Page 17

BUILDING and HOMES

BY

JACK PLANE

A PLASTIC MATERIAL DECORATION OF CONCRETE AND MORTARS BRITISH AND FOREIGN METHODS Increased attention is being devoted to the decorative treatment of cement mortars and concrete, especially so by foreign architects and decorators. With us the general tendency has been simple colouring, either by mass staining of the mortars and concretes, or surface painting, either with ordinary colours after dressing the semi-dried grounds with a solution of zine sulphate or magnesium chloride, or with paints, specially prepared for the purpose, and now marketed by more than one manufacturer. In concrete work occasionally a easing of- carefully selected aggregate, chosen for colour or texture, imbedded in a matrix of pure white or tinted cement, is used, the surface when dry being gone over with a wire brush, flooded with water and polished. A certain amount of encrusted decoration is also curried out, and in Scotland successful experiments have been made with coloured inlays, the decoration pressed in or hollowed out iu the muss, and then filled in with self-coloured cement mortars. Most

of this coloured iijny work has been confined to tiles, slubs, and panels. Alodellinguind curving, both of cement mortars and concretes (fine and coarse) is also finding favour, much remarkable work having been done in this way, sometimes on important buildings. Ou the Continent the rule is to treat concrete as a plastic material, capable of giving rounded surfaces or rectangular blocks with sharp arrises. Not much attention appears to be given to surface texture, or carving. But mortars and concretes tire tinted. More often the decoration is inerusted, the inlays being carried out with small polychrome faience tiles (occasionally having moulded enrichments). glass tasserae, or coloured marbles. The distinct revival in mural painting is also seen in concrete work, panels and lunettes being prepared for the reception of tempera or oil colours. Such pictorial panels arc associated either with plain backgrounds of untreated cement, or mortars stained to -warui tones.

In America modelling and carving in concrete, ns well as elaborate moulding, is greatly iu favour, the ornament, including figure work, being in low, medium, or high relief (sometimes'iu sunken panels or coffers), or in the round. Mueh store is placed on texture of plain walls. Various effects are obtained in many ways. Often it is a mere matter of selection of different grades of cement and aggregates (exposed by wire brush scratching and washing). More often it is a question of finish, with the use of selected floats, trowels, wire brushes, etc., and dexterous manipulation. Sometimes the cement is self-tinted, and then after rough floating, or treatment with a wire brush, the surface is gone over with a scumbling colour, and the high lights are wiped off with a soft sponge. Handsome broken colour effects arc obtained iu this way. Stub methods naturally led to the introduction of paints heavily loaded with commit er sand, and some of these arc actually plastic materials to be laid on with the trowel or flexible, broadbladed palett.c-kuifc, like the Continental enduits. Quite apart from these semi-structural methods, considerable advance bus been uiiicle of late in the United States in overcoming the ordinary painting of cement mortars and concretes.

As, regards mass colouring, leaving aside the selection of the tone of the cements and tints of aggregates, the pigments commonly used arc anhydrous ferric oxide for reds, hydrated iron oxide fur buffs, ultarmarinc for blues', chromium oxides for greens, black iron oxide, manganese oxide ami carbon for dark greys to black. While carbon is a good colouring matter, it has a deleterious effect on cement, so is rarely used, except in combinations.

For surface painting the nearly dry surface is prepared by applying with a brush a solution intended to neutralise the lime. The solutions most favoured arc: (1) Four pounds of zinc sulphate dissolved in one gallon of water; (2) One pound of magnesium fluosilicate dissolved in one gallon of water. The solutions arc applied liberally, and allowed to stand for not less than forty-eight, hours. This dressing is followed by a priming of boil--1 ed linseed oil, plain, or with pigment to form background or foil: Io be thinned, if needed, with a little turpentine. On smooth, finished mortars and dense concrete, one coat of priming will suffice; if porous, two or more dressings may be necessary. If no' pigment lias been added to the priming, the surface can be stained by adding colouring matter to a mixture of boiled linseed oil and Chinese wood oil, with a little turpentine or naphtha. The artist then has a perfect surface on which he can paint his pictures or decoration in oil colours, without fear of darkening or bleaching from chemical reaction of the material painted on. The painting is usually varnished, as a protection against mechanical injury, dust, and atmospheric effects. While the whole surface, or the panels to be painted, ’'an bo finished quite smooth (desirable for very line brush work at or near the line of vision), fairly rough surfaces are generally preferred, the actual texture being determined by the character of the decoration, its position, the. "rchitectural surroundings, and •finally the taste of the artist. In many cases a point is made of not attempting to disguise the nature of the concrete or the structural methods, so the marks made by the forms arc left untouched, even on the painted parts. But, of course, this depends on circumstances, delicate floral or figure work on a small scale would be spoilt by too rough a background, marked by horizontal or vertical raised lines. Speaking generally, however, it is true that for mural painting, a moderately rough surface is better thrtn a smooth one. Professor A. P. Laurie has recently told us that the most economical ami effective method of painting an ordinary lime plaster (or on gypsum and sand plaster), is io give a priming of zincwhite ground iu linseed oil, or in an oil wax medium, and then painting with oil colours, thinning with turpentine in which a little wax Ims been dissolved. Or one may use ouc of the prepared mediums, such as marble medium or Gambier-Parry medium. The colours should be laid on quite thin, and, when dry, varnished with a little beeswax dissolved in turpentine, which should bo polished with soft rags after a few days allowed for drying.— Guy Cadogen Rothery, in the “Illustrated Carpenter and Builder.”

STRAY NOTES METALISED WOOD A new process of great possibilities is the metalising of wood ajtd other materials. The process of elcetw-plating has been a known art for many years, and primarily consists of covering, with a variety of metals, any object ms.de of a material which is u conductor of electricity. This electrolytic process haslX;eii extended to the covering of materialV which arc noii-eonduetors. but until recently the application has been strictly limited, and it has only been possible to plate certain materials with a small range of metals. A discovery has now been made which opens up a still wider field for this process, for it is now possible to cover almost any material with a large number of metals. The new process ensures that the metal is so closely deposited upon and adherent to the article to be coated that it practically becomes a part of the article, and the strength of the metal covering is added to the strength of the original material.

It is only necessary to provide some sort of "form” upon which to deposit 4Jie desired metal, and in view of the fact that a great number of materials may be melulised, this “form” may be made of the most inexpensive substance suitable. Such substances as wood, plaster-of-paris, papier-mache, mill board, cardboard, and brown paper are all cheap and suitable for the production of numberless articles, for they can be stamped or moulded to any desired size or design . Wood, metal, tile, brick, piaster, etc., can be metalised for use in the building and allied trades. The materials are rendered dump and fireproof, with greatly added strength. Metal work can be reni dered auti-eorrosive, and wood mouldings can be treated with bronze, brass, etc., for use on shop fronts and decorative interior construction. Doors, win-dow-sushes. wainscoting, panel boards, and puuelling, etc., can be artistically metalised, cither in one metal or patterned with one metal upon another. Headings can be plated with a variety of metals, either with the same metal al! over, or with two or more metals side by side. Small fittings, such as door handles and plates, gas and electric fittings, knobs, bolls, window catches, and a xvholc selection of articles can be made of some economic material and metalised to give a pleasing appearance. THE SMALL HALL A friend of mine recently bought n miniature bungalow. It is one of the dolls’ bouses that are built to-day, quite pretty, you know, and wonderfully convenient, but very small. It makes me think of a compact little yacht, forjuot an inch of space is wasted. The bungalow has an ‘'entrance hall,” at least, that is bow the estate agent described it. I think the rule is that, if the s'paeo behind the front door is large enough to contain one ehair, it is called an "entrance hall.” If two chairs can be crowded in. it is a “lounge,” My friend is rather artistic, and she wanted her tiuy home to be pretty. 1 must say that she made the little rooms charming, but. the hall worried her. "What can I do with it?” she asked. “I like a hall to look nice, so (bat it gives a good first impression. This one is so small that, if I put a hatstand in il, a visitor couldn't, come iu without knocking off sonic hats.” •‘Perhaps that al! Io the good,” T said encouragingly. “Persona)ly, I loathe hatstands. They arc the ugliest things ever made. Husbands always regard them as show places for their most disreputable old overcoats mid mackintoshes, which they will never wear again, yet won't give away.”

“Well/ what 7” “Something simple,” I. suggested. “Simple, but good,” Duriug the next, few days we both kept our eyes well open when we visited the homes of our friends. Some of the balls were perfectly awful, and quite spoiled the houses, because, you know, first and last impressions do matter. Even if liv-ing-rooms are pretty, one remembers the first glance at an ugly hall, and the last glimpse of it when one says "Good-bye.” But some entrances wore quite charming, ami 1 noticed that it was not the amount of space that made all difference, but the way in which the space was used.

The hall of one charming little house which I visited had pure white walls and doors finished with white enamel. The plain white makes the tiny space look larger. The only piece of furniture is an oak dower chest which covers very little wall space because it is low. The ornaments are few in number but good. The necessary touch of colour is given by the floor covering, wbieh is of a new material which looks like tiling, but is, I think, made of a rubber composition. A self-coloured stair carpet and a few flowers in a nicely-shaped vase helped to make that little hall cosy. Now I can assure you that this little hall, which is really only a passage, gives impressions of refinement and good taste directly one enters the house. T saw a dower chest in another hall which was slightly more spacious. In the one there .was also a grandfather clock, which had been placed in a corner. Those fall elocks take up very little floor-space, perhaps not more than 20 by 10 inches, that is to say. not: nearly so mueh room as an ugly bat stand. But. they always look dignified ami imposing. If I could have only one piece of furniture in a ball I would sooner have a grandfather clock than anything else. —Agnes Saunders iu “Town and Country Homes.”

Faded upholstery should be well beatvii, and then a strong Jather of castile soup applied with a stiff brush. AX ash off with clean water, containing a lump of alum. Then leave to dry. The colours will come up like new. unless faded beyond recovery, states an exchange. To clean leather furniture, sponge with a mixture of one teuspoonful of ammonia, four teaspoonfuls of vinegar and one quart of cold water. Allow- to dry, and then rub in a lit tle castor oil: polish with a soft rag. Bedsteads can be freed from all'dirt by being treated to a good blowing witli a bicycle pump. For the brass take one tablespoonful each of turpentine and methylated spirit, three desertspoonfuls of olive oil. aud one dessertspoonful of vinegar. Shake well, aud rub on with a flannel. Finish off with a soft duster. Never use ordinary metal polish, as it takes the lacquer off. Paraflin rubbed on polished tables will help to remove any marks left by hot plates. Paruflin for dark linoleum and methylated spirit for light, will remove superfluous polish, which makes waxed cloth over-slippery. Furs and felt can be cleaned if hot bran is rubbed into them and then shaken out. When washing doeskin or chamois leather gloves, add a teaspoonful of olive oil to tin' rinsing water. Tim skins will be more pliable, and they will help io soften the bands. The water in which dried beans have been boiled is excellent for cleaning brass. Mend glove with cotton rather than silk, as it is less noticeable. SUMMARY OF TENDERS CLOSING DURING THE I’EKIOD JULY 18 TO AUGUST 1. Gray. Young. Morton, aud Young, Wellington.—Tenders erection stable block, Featherston. Close July 18, noon. C. Tilleard Natuscb and Sons, Wellington.—Tenders erection council chambers, Ihihiatua. Close July 20. noon. Swan, Lawrence, and Swan, Wellington. —-Tenders erection school, Mastcrtou. Close July 23, noon. It. T. Jaggard, Palmerston North.—Tenders erection shop. Close July 23, noon. S. F. Fcarn.—Tenders for erection of additions and alterations, Public Trust office, Nelson. Close July 27, noon. Gray. Young, Morton, and Young, Wellington.—Tenders erection boys’ home, Wallacevillc. Close July 31, 12 noon. ■