NEW USES FOR OLD IDEAS.

Timaru Herald, Volume CVI, Issue 16310, 11 August 1917, Page 9

NEW USES FOR OLD IDEAS.

There are many o'd ideas, or principles that havo been adopted for modern uses; take for instance the habt practised in India, and other hot climates, of wearing one bat ou top of another to prevent sun stroke- The advantage lies in the fact that tho ait space or cavity between the >v,'o hats, prevents the rays of the sun from penetrating the under hat. In parts of Switzenand, aud Alaska, houses are not habitable unless they are bui't with double windows with an ,t : r space between; tho non-conducting airspace prohibits the cold air from circulating into the rooms. Windows built on this principle are easily kept clear of frost, and on the voidest and darkest of nights, it is easy to seo through such windows from a Jong distance. In some cites churches arc built with air-space windows to keep out tho noise of traffic. In fact here in Timaru, our telephone boxes are built on tho same principle, for similar reasons. Everybody no doubt knows the Thermos fbisk. but- perhaps the principle of construction i- not so well known. Tt is eimplo enough, being moreiy one bott'e inside another; the space between being, sealed nr dead enables the contents of tho fla.sk to be kept at a given temnwnture for a long t me. Tt will be seen from iho above, that air space or cavity construction has certain advantage*, and so if was ora'y natural to app'y tho principla to the walls of dwelling houses. Brick house-s with cav'ty ■walls have been in use for a long t'.me, but till lately it wais a'most impos-ifblu to build concrete houses with cavity walls, owing to tho absence of a sunnblo plant; so concrete houses were therefore btrlt with so'id walls. Tin"-, was the only drawback against concrete. but times change, nnd now you are ab'.o to have your homes built on the air space principle, consequently they aro damp proof, and as concrete it-self is fire proof, vermin proof, and, germ proof, your homes will bo ideal in every respect- Fuller part culars regarding these modern concrete homes ean be obtained from Glue Bros., 20 Baker Street-. PUto"e 70S"