BUILDING AND HOMES

Dominion, Volume 23, Issue 5, 1 October 1929, Page 8

BUILDING AND HOMES

(By “

“JACK PLANE.”)

COTTAGE DESIGN One way of preserving the beauty of the countryside is to build in each locality cottages that are genuinely suited to their environment, with due regard to climatic and other factors. In New Zealand, many instructive examples are to be seen of both the observance and the neglect of this rule. The importance of designing a house in harmony with its environment is very well brought out b$ Mr. A. Edgar Beresford, in an article in “Architecture” on the Euglish cottage design. His observations have been welcomed by those who deplore an undue tendency to standardisation in modern British building, and are not without their instructive bearing on the design and construction of dwellings in a country like our own. Try as we will (says Mr. Beresford), we cannot, ; without serious loss, disregard traditional forms in country building. Every county in England has its own characteristic differences in rural work, dedicated originally by the kind of materials available in the district and by the varying needs which have to be met, not only in external treatment, but in planning also, are these typical variations found, and, unless new buildings conform and harmonise to some extent with the old buildings of the locality, they must inevitably look outlandish, unusual and bizarre. Climatic differences are primarily responsible for many of the characteristic features of the cottages. The high, bleak uplands of Yorkshire or Derbyshire, for instance, have from time immemorial necessitated thick, strong walls, a simple,. rugged block of a building, with lowpitched roof of heavy stone or slate, which affords little purchase to the wild, sweeping winds from the wolds. Windows are small, and open by sliding horizontally ; doors are recessed or sheltered in an angle; chimneys are centralised, very short and stocky. The special needs of the inhabitants are reflected, inter alia, in the provision of large sculleries and wash-houses, such as are never met with in the south, where laundry work may be largely done out of doors. The overhanging gables of a typical Kentish or Sussex cottage and its towering chimney-stacks would be blown away in one Yorkshire winter, yet how admirable and delightful they are in their' own locale I Perhaps the most frequent feature of a Devonshire cottage, apart from the rounded angles of the “cob” walls everywhere, is the almost universal juxtaposition of the front door with the main fireplace. There it always looks charming, both outside and in, and is a little traditional feature well worthy of perpetuation in new work. But naturally it is only suitable for a mild and sheltered locality. Imagine the discomfort which, in winter, would be inseparable from such an arrangement in a cottage built on an exposed, bleak site! The traditional forms of building in the southern counties are in many cases quite unsuitable for exportation to the colder north. Tim Ker-framed walls bung with tiles, which in Surrey or Sussex may afford all’the protection necessary against, the weather, will prove inadequate in a northern winter; and the staggering, narrow type of plan with broken up external wall and roof is replaced more and more as one travels northwards by the squarer and more compact type. The pitch and proportions of roofs are necessarily modified in the same way, loc.al needs and conditions having gradually been instrumental in determining territorial styles and methods. , , . The constantly repeated appeals m the Press (Mr. Beresford concludes) for funds to purchase lands to “save it from building development” have a tragic implication—that modern building of any kind is a desecration and a ruin to the countryside. It is surely not too late to mend our ways, and to begin at the right end of the problem by so improving the quality of our buildings that they may once again, as they used to do, beautify and decorate the landscape. v STRAY NOTES SMOKY CHIMNEYS Few things are so annoying in the home as smoky chimneys, and the subject is one which deserves attention by every prospective home builder as well as by those seeking a cure. Not every bricklayer is an expert crimney-builder. In former days a lot of work was put on to the top of the chimney, and the practical principles too often neglected; and nowadays when the number of chimneys in the home is reduced to a minimum, those that are available need to be thoroughly satisfactory. .... Smokiness in a chimney, by which is meant the coming back into the room of the smoke, instead of escaping by the flue, may be due to a variety of causes. Chimneys ou outside walls of a building are. more likely to smoke than those towards the middle of the building. Sometimes big trees near at hand, deflect the air currents so as to cause this nuisance. Birds may build their nests at the top, especially if there is a nice round terra cotta chimney pot provided for them. Some chimneys smoke only when the wind is from the north: others when there .is any Y 1"" at all. A very experienced bricklayer advanced the theory that fireplaces where the openings faced the opposite direction to prevailing winds (as those which face north when winds are trom the south) usually smoke, while those on the other side of the wall may not. Not infrequently ill large old oflite buildings ilia Hirlitinsl of a tire on the top "o° r causes smoke to be discharged «to the rooms below, which have fireplaces. And in one case an effort to trace the flue showed that the smoke discharged jy ll6ll it ™t awav at all, out of a ventilator.. lt Sometimes the’ opening is too high. This makes a draught so stioug as uwoiSortable to those sitting in front “f the fire. Often the fireplace is not deep enough. Nor should it be so placed in the room as to be between the draugh two doors. A. smoky chimney is often traced to the fact that it has been incorrectly built in the first place. There are recognised principles and rules wiueb the first-class tradesman understands. Ihe throat should Be so construed as to keep the heat down and yet let tnc SU Tt ke shmfid not be possible to see daylight when looking up a chimney. If t o skv'is visible it is a sure thing that the down draught will prevail. straight flues let the rain eofiie down, spoiling the stove or grate and making more work for the housewife. . . ■ Sometimes the difficulty is overcome in an open fireplace by the building in of more bricks, or the simple laying of them in if mortar is not obtainable an small quantity. There should be experiments with these as to position. What is known technically as a chase or a set-back should be provided in the centre for the smoke to ascend. The new brinks should extend right up from the hobs to the point where the chimney starts to draw in. Perhaps a dozen bricks on eafh side will be enough. In a properly constructed chimney the gusts of wind which cause downward draughts should be retarded by the bends in the fine The flue should be kept approximately the same area till the exit is reached, when a small contraction of size conduces to increased velocity. . . . If your'chimney smokes in consequence of the flue being a short one, put in a register grate to induce greater updraft of’warm air. In some cases the providing of fittings at the top, known ns “lobster back cowls,” is effective. . they turn in each direction with the wind. A chimney in a Caretaker’s quarters at the ton of a high building was completely enred bv the use of a square louvred clnm-ney-pot. In this case the shortness of the flue and the great height of the building combined to make the problem a very awkward one indeed, and before the pot was installed it was impossible to light n five without clouds of smoke being driven back into the room, to the great discomfort of all in the home.—R. K. Teck in “The Austraban Home Beautiful.’’’

PRACTICAL PAINTING Paint should be mixed sufficiently heavy to permit brushing out. By that, I do not mean to advocate putting on thick coats, but by holding to a good body it can be brushed and worked into the surface. A tendency merely to lay on a coat of paint is quite noticeable in certain sections, which is the reason I am bringing out this point, 'writes S. T. Ballinger, in the “Decorator,” London. Could you afford to have a paperhanger iu your employ who would not use his brush and roller to remove the air-bubbles from behind the paper that he was applying to the wall in order to replace the entrapped air with paste, instead of just laying the paper, hit or miss, on the wall? I am sure you could not, but that is exactly what the painter is doing on a minor scale when he thins his paint too much, in an effort to do more and also to lighten his work. I witnessed a priming coat being applied on two well-built houses recently, where this process of “laying on” the paint was in operation. At the end of each stretch there was a very distinct lap, indicating that the paint had never received a sufficient amount of brushing.

Another important point is to mix paint that will be the best suited for the surface conditions. Some surfaces are somewhat like a sponge, while others are harder and require a heavier pigment content. Each separate job must be treated on its own merits in order to give satisfactory and lasting results, which in the end is the best advertising a master iiainter can get. Upon an invitation to inspect the residence of a master painter, which was built fifteen years ago and painted four different times, the writer found that one side had developed a blistering condition and marks were showing where blisters had been removed before previous repaintings and were then as bad as ever. Cutting one of these blisters which was about the size of a florin (this was the average size of the blisters), we found the surface underneath was as sticky as a half-dried varnish. This showed plainly that the undercoating had been a very oily paint. There was only one remedy for this condition, which was to remove the paint and start anew. It is very rare to see four sides of a house or building that has been painted wear away equally. One or two sides are bound to fail faster, due to the situation and locality. One remedy for this condition is to apply an additional coat of paint on the side which is subjected to the hardest wear. It will not do to try to accomplish the same results by putting on heavy coats. .It has been proved many times that two thin coats are better than one heavy coat. Many jobs have caused dissatisfaction to the owner because a coat of paint has been omitted. This is particularly true on new wood, which should have three coats for proper protection. Of the many problems which confront the master painter, the most difficult and disastrous are those introduced by moisture. These problems are not confined to new buildings, but to houses which have stood the test of time. The cause is often a difficult one to trace, and usually not a matter for the painter to correct, but one of eliminating the source of the moisture. NEEDLEWORK FURNITURE Exactly where the aft of needlework originated it *is impossible to say. Needles, we are told, were first made in England in the reign of Queen Elizabeth, and in Queen Mary's time, according to Stowe, “there was a negro who made fine needles in Cheapside but would never teach his art to any.” Needlework, however, an overseas writer observes, was practised long before the time of Good Queen Bess. Indeed, the Bayeux tapestry, which is probably the best known piece of needlework in the world, was worked by Matilda of Flanders, the wife of William the Conqueror, and represents seventytwo scenes relating to the Norman Conquest. Tapestry-weaving was known to the early Greeks, but in its modern form it was introduced into England in the fifteenth and sixteenth centuries, the finest work being that of the weavers of Flanders, especially in Arras. Although needlework is a very old art, it is nevertheless carried on in England to-day, and the tapestry and embroidery of the present time is more interesting than the history of its practice in olden times. Needlework-covered furniture' was used in England many centuries ago, but it is still as popular and still as beautiful to-day. There are very few types of furniture that have withstood the test of time so well, and the reason for its continued popularity through the ages is, undoubtedly, its very real beauty and the way in which it harmonises with almost every furnishing scheme. Chairs and settees Covered in' fine needlework offer a wonderful artistic opportunity to the man or woman who sets out to furnish in a bold and striking manner.

No home in which a room includes such furniture can fail to be distinctive in character, for the very boldness of some of the finest present-day needlework gives a dignified and even luxurious appearance that makes for distinction. In addition to this bold and striking appearance, fine needlework furniture has an old-world atmosphere that brings a feeling of restfulness into a room. It recalls the days of romance when such needlework furniture spoke that last word in luxury. • ~“

Many rooms would be absolutely “made” by the addition of one or two pieces of this type, boldly worked in quiet shades to tone down the more blatant colours of the present time. . One of the criticisms sometimes levelled against needlework furniture is that it looks old-fashioned. As a matter of fact, it does, and in that fact lies its chief eharm. Surely, in days when furniture is becoming, perhaps, a little too efficient, when comfort and utility are to a certain extent replacing real beauty, an old-fashioned love-seat in tapestry might add just that touch of quietness and restfulness that would bring- charm and" distinction to the most “ordinary” room.

This argument may be criticised as reactionary. Perhaps it is. But there is no doubt that needlework furniture has a charm all its own and an air of beauty, that will never be superseded. .

Plymouth Rotarians had a lively discussion about houses—not “bousing” as generally understood, but . the houses which fairly well-to-do people can have if they give their architects the right instructions, a British technical journal reports. These houses, according to the opener of the discussion, will have flat roofs, walls largely of plate glass, panel heating, and no chimneys. They will apparently follow the example set by those eminent French architects, M. Le Cerbusier and M. Mallet-Stevens. Escalators and lifts will take us up to bed. and from the flat roofs we shall embark on our helicopters. The vision did not entrance all the Rotarians. One remembered that flat roofs are apt to leak; others talked about cost. Such discussions may appear inconclusive, but they have value in directing thought to the possibilities of improvement in domestic architecture. SUMMARY OF TENDERS CLOSING DURING THE PERIOD. OCTOBER 1 TO OCTOBER 14. Swan, Lawrence, and Swan.—Tenders for moving old building and erection of and additions for W.F.C.A., Ltd. Close noon, October 3. Gray. Young, Morton, and Young.— Tenders for alterations to Public Trust office. Close noon, October 11. Wellington City Council.—Tenders for erection and removal of cottage at College Grounds, Patterson Street, Close 3.30 pan., October 3.