Columbia University Libraries Digital Collections: The Real Estate Record

Real estate record and builders' guide: v. 21, no. 515: January 26, 1878

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Real Estate Record AND BUILDERS^ GUIDE. YoL. XXI. NEW YORK, SATURDAY, JANUARY 26, 1878. No. 515. Publhhed Weekly by CIjc %nx[ Estate lietariJ §,ssonattff u. TERaiS. 0!VE YEAR, in advance.. ..StO.OO. Coinmunications should bo addres.sed to V. %V. SAVEET, Nos. 345 AND :i47 Broaowav. ECONOMICS OF BUILDING. IL I'KODUCTS. Ill the language of science, the operation of building may be termed an integration of infin¬ itesimals. To the minds of the majority of our citizens it no doubt presents itself us the Avork of evoking or«ler out of chaos; a.s a dirty and labo¬ rious occupation concerned iirincipally with bricks and mortiir und timber. As fascinating as the work of th© artisan always is to the ctusual ob¬ server, there is probably less clear and definite knowledge in respect to it than in regard to any other manufacturing or mechanical calling. Though all citizens have spent their lives in building structures of some sort, it is possibly a nij'stery and puzzle to most of them how the integral pai'ts were ever fashioned and brought together in such orderly arrangement, \vhile tbe technology of the building trade "would sound in their ears like the language of an unknown tongue. As in the case of all munufacturei-s and nianu- factm-ing business, there are in the building busi¬ ness classifications of workmen and varieties of productions. The orders of merit in both build¬ ers and in their productions might fitly be delineated by a circle starting at zero ami pas-sing through the various arc^s to :HiO'-'. As most of our reiulors are aware, the work of building con.struction in this city is presided over by a Building Department, which is supposed to administer what is known as the Building Law. As a matter of fact, tliis particular law is ex¬ ceedingly well framed in reganl to iLs-.specitica- tious of work; and, if competently ;iiul honestlj' executed, all citizeii-s and all owners might dis¬ miss from their minds any anxiety as to the merit of building construction. The specitica- tious of brick work, framing and timbering, together with all the provisions in regard to flues are as full, coinplete and circumstantial as the best architect could dicttite. But, unfortu¬ nately, in this country, the law may be well framed, and yet its execution ma.v be exceed¬ ingly faulty. AVhether in the inspection of buildings and whiskey, or of banking and in¬ surance corporations, one rule seems to be ajipli- cable to all; and that 5vas fitly enunciated by a prominent distiller, who was heard to my, during the most flourishing days of tho whiskej' ring, that the United States goveniment employed an inspector to watch him at three dollars per day, and he could afford to pay the same man fifty dollai-s a day to let liim alone. The execution of the Building Law iu this city ho-s ii.sually been a vexation and annoyance to the best and most careful builders, and a comfortable cloak and screen to disreputable members of_the profession. No good builder has anything to fear from the rigid enforcement of this law; and when its exe¬ cution is thoroughly and impartiallj- undertaken, architect's specifications will be shorn of one-half of their detail and volume. Tlio building business is simply a high order of medianical manufacture; and tho merit or demerit of productions lies wholly in the compe¬ tency, conscientiousness and honesty or the re- vei-se of respective builders. To suit our present purjioses, we will endeavor to sketch briefly the outlines of gwid and bad work, confining our specifiimtions to the class of work which attracts tho largest share of popular interest. A b.ad job would be thus described. AVhether a building bottom is of rock, hard-pan or swamp, is quit« material. Less danger is likely to result in the two first cases from neglect or bad workman¬ ship. AA'hatever it may be, little or no care is tjiken, no unneces,sary labor spent upon the prep¬ aration of the foundation. If base stones are used, they are simply dumped in line and angled into place bj- tbe aid of a crowbar. Frequently the foundation is started without any preliminary provision of base stones. The blue .stone work is carried up with small and irregular shaped cob¬ bles, lacking any sufficient bond, and forming, to all intent and purposes, a lioUow wall, through the many chinks and crevices of which cold air penetrates and soil-damp is carried up by capillary attraction. Upon such a shaky foundation, %vheu it reaches the cellar ceiling, the brick wall is started. As far as the building inspector will permit, soft bricks are used either for the entire wall or for the lining, the outside facing being built of hard brick for the sake of appearance. Perhaps the front edges of the side walls, as they are presented to the passerby on the street, have the appearance of being a tw-elve or sixteen inch wall, when in fact the actual wall may fall .short four inches of these measurements. The mortar used in ."jucIi construction is apt to he so innocent of lime as to lie easily residvable into its original loam. It is in¬ conceivable how .some brick-work is made to hold together when we consider the inferior tjuality of mortar often enii)lo3-ed, and then so sparingly i used that the interior bricks are piled up loosely ill u wall wnthout any bedding or .slushing of joints. Such open jointed walls readilj- convey sound from one building to another, antl quite as surely communicate the heat of fire flues to adjoining woodwork. The timber of bad jobs is generally scantj' in number and in measiu-ement, depriving the walls of that steadying weight which they require for their safe perpendicidarity. Besides, gi-een and almost rotten timber may be used, which contributes to the displacement and uuleveling of flooi-s. The plastering is apt to be done witli the same inferior qualitj- of mortar, made up of loam with a slight sprinkling of sand aud lime. When this is dried, it is possible to rub it oft' with the hand as dust. The hard finish or white plaster is quickly applied to cover up de¬ ficiencies, and the adhesiveness of the white plas¬ ter to the brown mortar may be often consid¬ ered a palpable miracle. The brown stone front may be so insecurely anchored that the ashlar fre¬ quently is moved by the frost out of its place, and the joints and crevices between the lintels, sills and architraves are so inade(|uately puttied that the cold blasts of winter drive freeh- through them into the interior of tho hou.se. The rooling of such houses is formeil of iininercbantable metal, so poor as scarcely to outlast a single winter's use, and the joints of the several plates are so inade¬ quately soldered together that the fii-st drenching rain jiasses thi-ougli them as through the meshes of a sieve. So much for the skeleton of a jioorly built housi». Tbe quality of the interior is quickly told. The cariKMilor work is formed of green and unseaspned material, which war^is and splits in .«;eams when subjected to the action of climatic changes or jif artificial heat. The iloors ami wiiulow- .'sa.'^hcs, after a year of occupation, wholly refu.-ie to jierform their nat- m-al oflices. The plumbing w-ork is made up of .such poor material and in such an unskilful manner that, instead of a convenience, it becomes a source of great annoj-ance besides being a well- spring of active disease. The flooring of the house becomes unsteady and out of levtd, and, through the shrinkage and winding of the timbers, the separate planks wobble uiuler the foot. To com¬ plete, the catalogue, the interior and exterior drainage is so inefliciently done tliat the cellar becomes a veritable slop sink and a nuisance, filling the house with disgusting odoi-s and threatening the health nnd life of occupants. The gas-fitting attached to beams that are coii.stiintly shrinking and winding, liecome.s broken at the joints and contributes a tlisagreealjle and dan¬ gerous effluvia to the prevailing orlor.-^ of the house. A building thus careles.sly and i-e(-kle.-^.sly con¬ structed may admit of very general and expen siv-e repair, but no outlay of money ran possibly bring it to the standanl of a perlec-t >n' liabit:ible house. The only t-otiipleti; vciiiedy is to throw it down, and erect in its place a prop.':- edifice. The merits of good Iniildiiig iirc .simply the anfeithe.se.'^ oC the cotidilions- which wc have jii.st enumerated. A wise builder studies the nature of the .'«jil upon which he proposes to build. If it is a rocky botttiiii, the win do .surface must be thoroughly drained with artificial stone drains conducting all i>o.s.sible moisture and danijmess to the sewer outlet. If a niarshj- soil, similar provision must be made for leading olf surface water, ami abundant precaution must be taken in preparing for the found.-ition.s. Either piles must be driven, or a bed of com-rcte laid, or lioth devices use