MORTAR JOINTS

English or Dutch

The English Bond is made up of alternating courses of stretchers and headers (Fig. 48). This produces a very pleasing series of Greek crosses and ripple lines up and down the surface of the wall, and the English brickbuilders claim for it the great merit of giving transverse strength to the wall. It however has a certain monotony that has lead to a modification which greatly beautifies it as a pattern, by breaking the joints of the successive stretcher courses (Fig. 49). This is called English Cross or Dutch Bond and results in a very attractive pattern in the wall of Greek crosses running in diagonal lines. The Dutch Bond differs from the English Bond only in the way the corners of the wall are treated.

Fig. 49. English Cross or Dutch Bond

Fig. 50. Flemish Bond

Fig. 51. Garden Wall Bond

Flemish

The Flemish Bond (Fig. 50) secures its effect by laying each course in alternate stretchers and headers, the header resting upon the facile of the stretcher in successive courses. This produces a very attractive pattern of inlaid Greek crosses and is a favorite among builders because of its artistic effect. It also may be modified in various ways by shifting the stretcher or header so as to produce different pattern effects, thus the Garden Wall Bond so-called (Fig. 51), is made by laying the courses with from two to four stretchers alternating with a header.

Figs. 47-51, illustrating the above bonds, are all drawn to show both exterior and interior corners of a wall, which is drawn as a two-brick wall at the left end and a three-brick wall at the right. The inside face of the three-brick wall in all cases is bonded to the middle tier by Common Bond. The method of starting the bond at the corner is clearly shown, whether by a quarter, half, three-quarter, or whole brick, also how the brick are cut or clipped, and how closures are used.

Fig. 52 Fig. 53 Diamond Bond Patterns

Face Brick Patterns

With these three fundamental bonds—the Running or Stretcher, the English, and the Flemish, innumerable other patterns may be made by the simple device of shifting the stretcher or header in successive courses back and forth, always breaking the joint, that is, never permitting two successive vertical joints to lie in the same line. To illustrate, we give examples of diamond-shaped patterns inFigs. 52 and 53which aresecured by a modification of the Garden Wall Bond. It is, however, only in case of large wall surfaces that patterns of an elaborate character could be recommended; ordinarily, the three bonds mentioned, with their simple modifications, will cover all requirements of domestic architecture. Simple patterns in brickwork may be made very attractive. Any departure from simple bonds adds to the cost of the bricklaying.

In addition to bonds proper and the patterns that may be woven out of them, there are certain other pleasing ornamental effects that may be secured in the wall surface by the arrangement of the brick. Thus for a water table or a sill course, the header or the stretcher may be set vertically. Treated in this way headers are called "row-locks" and stretchers, "soldiers" (seeFigs. 44 and 45). For dadoes and friezes or for paneling, especially on large surfaces, patterns of a simple or ornate design may be used, as in Figs.52-56.

Fig. 54. Checkerboard Pattern

Fig. 55. Basket Weave Pattern

Fig. 56. Herringbone Pattern

Great Importance

In examining the bond in a brick wall, the eye naturally is first attracted to the brick units as so many colored spots arranged in different order so as to produce a certain pattern effect; but this pattern effect in the brickwork depends very largely upon what at first may be overlooked or disregarded, the mortar joint. The mention of mortar suggests in the mind a very commonplace thing which the workman mixes and carries in a hod to the bricklayer; but it is concave one of the most important elements entering into the beauty, as well as the strength, of a brick wall.

Fig. 57. Mortar Joints

Effect of Mortar Color

When you consider that all the joints in brickwork, both vertical or "head" joints, and horizontal or "bed" joints, are filled with mortar weathered of one color or another, amounting on an average to one-seventh of the wall, it is evident what a vital part they play in the appearance of the entire wall surface. An artist will tell you that this amount of color introduced into any surface will greatly modify, by contrast or analogy, the general effect, so that it is of the utmost importance, in selecting the sort of brick you wish for your wall surface, that you also select the mortar joint.

Three Elements Involved

Three elements must be carefully considered in dealing with the mortar joint: its color, its texture, and its size and kind. The color of the mortar joint may be such as entirely to destroy the beauty of the brick. On the other hand, if it is properly chosen, it will bring out the fine shades and tones of the brick in such a way as to enhance very greatly its natural beauty. Then, the mortar joint has a certain texture which is produced either by finishing it rough or smoothing it with the trowel or a tool made for that purpose. This mere treatment of the surface of the mortar joint has more to do with the appearance of the wall than one might at first suppose. In addition to that, the size of the mortar joint, running from a thin "buttered" joint up to an inch in width affects the color relation of the whole surface; and the kind of joint, whether cut flush, raked out, or tooled in various shapes, hasa distinct bearing on the whole effect (Fig. 57). In a word, do not neglect the mortar joint, for it is one of the most important elements that go to make up the beautiful fabric of the brick wall, in the building of which there is deserved and required the exercise of a fine discriminating taste.

All in all, what with the convenient units of stretcher and header, each with its color and texture, you have a medium in the choice of bond, mortar joint, and pattern for weaving the most charming mosaic or tapestry effects into the wall surface, a possibility offered by no other material than face brick.

Mortar Colors

Colored mortar joints may be produced in two ways, first, by the use of a natural colored sand or ground granite or other stone, and secondly, by the use of artificial mortar colors. Pure white joints are obtained by using white sand or ground limestone or marble. As the color of the mortar greatly affects the appearance of the finished wall, much care should be given to the selection and proper use of these colors, whether natural or artificial. As the color of the finished mortar after it has set and dried is never the same as that of the fresh mortar, experience is the only guide for the proper preparation of the mortar. Someone has well said that the right way to make mortar is to mix brains with it.

When artificial color is used, it should first be thoroughly mixed with the dry sand. Never add this mixture to hot lime. But after the slaked lime has thoroughly cooled, mix it with the colored sand in batches in a separate box. If preferred, the color may be made into a thick paste with water and then added directly to the mortar. In either case, thorough mixing and uniform proportion of quantities are essential. The more thorough the mixing and uniform the proportions, the more permanent and uniform will be the color and the less color required. Use the best colors obtainable on the market, as cheap colors may ruin the appearance of the wall.

Quantities

As to quantity required, the exact amount of color varies greatly with the exact shade of the color selected, the width of the mortar joint, and the brand used. As a fair general estimate, it will take approximately 75 pounds of coloring matter for every 1000 bricks laid with3/8to1/2-inch mortar joints. But it is always safest to follow the directions of the manufacturer as to the kind of color and the exact amount required.

Various Kinds of Mortar

Materials

Mortar, as the bonding material between brick, must be given careful attention as the strength of the wall depends on its quality. Mortar is composed of sand and either lime or cement, or both. In all cases the materials should be the best. The cement should pass the test of the American Society for Testing Materials. The lime should be either fresh and well-burned lump lime, slaked so as to produce a smooth, puttylike mass without lumps, or the prepared hydrated kind found on the market. The sand should be sharp, clean, and free from foreign matter, and screened through a mesh of the size to secure the proper fineness. For wide joints, the mortar needs, instead of sand, fine gravel of the size required to give it sufficient body.

Kinds of Mortar

In large cities the building ordinances require certain mixtures of mortar. For various mixtures seepage 104. But where there are no legal requirements, the contractor's own judgment and experience should guide him in the selection of the proper mix, as each one has certain qualities which recommend it. Portland cement mortar is stiffer and harder to work than lime mortar, but should always be used where permanence and strength are required, as in exposed or heavy bearing situations, or in cold weather when the mortar must set before it freezes. Lime mortar may do for the usual work, above the grade in dry warm climates. It should not, however, be used for basement walls, except possibly where the soil is extremely dry, nor for piers or points in the wall that carry heavy loads. It is smooth and works easily, so that more brick can be laid per day than with cement mortar, but its use should be limited to the proper situations. Cement-lime mortar has the combined qualities of both cement mortar and lime mortar. It has both strength and good working qualities, and costs less than cement mortar. It is preferred by many to cement mortar; we recommend its use in proper situations, throughout this Manual.

Mixing Cement Mortar

Cement mortar must be mixed and used immediately, as cement sets very quickly. On this account, it should not be made in large quantities and, once it has obtained a partial set, should never be re-tempered. The cement and sand for cement mortar should be thoroughly mixed while dry, by turning the material over three or four times with a shovel, when sufficient water to make a plastic mass should be added, turning again several times. It is always desirable to add a small quantity of lime, when temperingthe cement mortar, in order to make it easier to work.

Mixing Lime Mortar

Lump lime should be slaked as soon as possible after delivery on the job. If it is allowed to stand for any length of time, it should be stored in an air-tight box; otherwise, it may become air slaked, reducing mostly to powder and soft, crumbly lumps. The fresh lime is always in hard lumps and should be free from cinders. Lime is slaked in a mortar box by adding water to the lump lime. On adding water the lime becomes very hot, gives off vapor, and finally burst into a powder which gradually reduces to a paste known as lime putty. The exact amount of water necessary varies with different limes, but in all cases, the right proportions used in slaking must be watched carefully. An excess of water will stop the slaking process. If not enough water is used the lime will "burn" and lose its strength. If left overnight, the mortar box should be covered with planks.

When slaking is completed, the lime is reduced to what is called "putty", which should be of uniform consistency throughout, containing no unslaked lumps. The sand should now be added, the exact amount depending upon the quality of mortar desired, and thoroughly mixed with the putty, and then shoveled out on wooden planks where it should remain for at least a week before using.

Hydrated lime

Hydrated lime is in powdered form and needs no other preparation than the addition of water. Its quality is uniform and produces satisfactory results, even when experienced labor cannot be obtained, and may be used at once on the job. Its uniformity and the facility it gives in handling the mortar make it preferable to lump lime although it costs somewhat more.

The mixing of cement-lime mortar is very simple, as all that is needed is to add the proper amount of cement to the lime mortar, at the time it is tempered for use, and very thoroughly mix into a consistent mass.

Tempering Mortar

Working the mortar and adding water to bring it to proper consistency for actual use on the job is called tempering, a process that should be continued until the mortar slides easily off the trowel. All white spots, which are really small lumps of lime, should be made to disappear; otherwise, these lumps will swell and "pop" after the mortar is laid in the wall.

Lessons from Europe

The loss by fire which the people of this country suffer every year, both in human lives and in property values, is appalling. The loss of life, according to conservation estimates of the National Board of Fire Underwriters amounts to 15,000 persons annually, and the destruction of property approaches an average of a quarter of a billion dollars every year. This certainly is a fearful tribute to pay for our criminal negligence and mistaken economies.

We have recently been learning the science and art of war from Europe to combat unjust aggression, but we have a much better lesson to learn from the older country in our fight against the ruthless fire fiend. Making all allowance for difference in the purchasing value of money between Europe and America, it still speaks ill for our good sense that we, over a hundred million strong, besides enduring all the suffering involved, should allow our National "ash heap" to cost us upwards of $2.00 a piece, when the European countries manage to get through on a per capita cost of from 11 to 49 cents. The Demon of Carelessness may account for much of this inexcusable difference, but our mistaken sense of economy, in using cheap, combustible types of construction, is largely to blame.

Individual Duty

The cure for this disgraceful status in our fire losses should not be left entirely to municipal ordinances and fire insurance requirements, but should begin with every individual who builds a home. He should make it his first concern to see that his house is as completely protected from fire as possible, not only for the safety of himself and family but also for that of the community in which he lives and of which he should form a responsible part.

Therefore, brick as a building material makes the strongest sort of appeal to your prospective clients because of its entire proofness against fire.

Every brick you put into a house is fireproof, so that the more brick you use, the more completely is the house free from the risk of fire. But in situations where brick are not or cannot be used in house construction, as much protection against fire as possible should be secured.

The Roof

As the roof is always a very vulnerable part of the house, in case of outside fires, it should be covered with a non-combustible or fire-resisting material such as shingle tile, slate, asbestos, or asphalt. This will not only reduce insurance rates but will complete the house consistently with the permanent fireproof nature of face brick wall construction.

Serious consideration should be given this point when planning a house; for, by adopting a roof of this character, each individual owner not only guards his own welfare but helps to reduce the enormous annual fire loss in this country which rests as a burden upon everyone.

Wooden Shingles

The wooden shingle roof is just so much tinder ready to be set ablaze by an adjacent fire or a flying firebrand and in turn throws off similar sparks which are carried by the wind, thus communicating fire from one house to another.

Fire Resistive Shingles

Shingle tile, slate, and asbestos are the most fireproof as well as the most expensive in the group of permanent roof coverings. They are heavier than the wooden shingle and generally require a stronger roof construction to support them. Each has artistic qualities of its own in the way of permanent textures and colors which recommend it. Asphalt shingles, while not fireproof, are fire-resistive to a very great degree. They do not support combustion, cannot be set afire by flying brands, and thus retard the spread of fire. They are light in weight and can be placed over the same roof construction as the wooden shingle. We strongly recommend the use of any of the above mentioned roof materials in connection with a face brick house.

Costs

As a general approximate estimate, we might say that a slate roof of3/16-inch commercial slate would increase the cost of the house two per cent, as compared with the use of a wooden shingle roof. Shingle tile would cost perhaps a little more than slate, while asbestos shingle would come a little less. Asphalt would cost no more than wooden shingles, perhaps not quite so much. But we suggest your seeing the local dealer who will gladly furnish all information on these different materials as to durability and exact local cost.

Fire Risks

According to the figures of the National Board of Fire Underwriters, the relation of outside to inside fires, for 1916 to 1918, is presented in the table given below. The figures for 1919 were not compiled at this writing but the ratios would doubtless run about the same, and the lesson is obvious. If the 25 to 30 per cent of fires started from without call for fire-safe exterior construction, the 70 to 75 per cent of interior fires demand special care against fire within. Much of the interior of a house is of burnable material, and the matter becomes very serious when it concerns the wooden floors and partitions which in case of fire may be consumed, resulting in the total collapse of the interior. These portions may be protected from the attack of fire by the use of a first-class metal lath or even gypsum plaster board, as a base for plastering, which would at least retard the fire from spreading until it could be subdued and put under control.

Protect Weak Parts

Instead of protecting the entire interior by metal lath or gypsum board the desired result may be obtained by using it in certain places considered most hazardous. First of all, the frame bearing partitions through the middle of the brick or tile house, which are the main supports for the floors above, and ceilings under inhabited floors, should be protected; and, in case of veneer construction, similar treatment on the inside surface of exterior walls would add greatly to the safety and value of the house.

As fires may originate in the ceiling over the heater and coal bins, at chimney breasts, and around flues, metal lath or gypsum board at these points would retard the spread of fire; and its use around, but especially under, stairs would give a far safer exit from the upper story of the house.

Having built a face brick house for your client, as the most substantial and attractive construction to be had, protected on the outside with a roof of permanent material, and on the inside with fire-resistive material at the weakest points, you have given him the best possible value for his money, in a structure at once beautiful, enduring, economical, and safe against fire.

Outside and Inside Causes of Fire

The thirty-one face brick houses here shown were designed for us by Messrs. Dean & Dean, well-known architects of Chicago, who have been especially successful in planning the small house. To get the effect of various color-toned brick, we had the architects' perspectives done in oil, and were fortunate enough to secure for this purpose the skillful hand of Mr. Alfred Juergens, an artist who has won an enviable reputation in this country for his exquisite color work. While the reproductions, here presented, cannot adequately give the effect of the originals, they fairly represent the possibility of beautiful color effects in brickwork.

If you study the floor plans carefully, you will find them modern in arrangement and conveniently planned so as to save steps for the woman of the house. This economical interior arrangement also effects an economy in cost of construction. The dimensions of the rooms are shown, also the location of the furniture is suggested, helping more than anything else to visualize the size and proportions of the plans. The lighting outlets, switches, and receptacles are indicated according to the table of symbols given below.

Working Drawings

The full working drawings, done at a scale of one-quarter inch to the foot, include floor plans, elevations, and all necessary details. The elevations show the size and shape of all windows, doors, cornices, porches, steps, chimneys, and the pitch of all roofs. The plans give the size of all rooms and closets, the location of all doors, windows, stairs, plumbing fixtures, cabinets, lights and heating registers, and are fully dimensioned. The details drawn to a larger scale include sections of all interior trim, kitchen or pantry cabinets, and sections through the exterior wall, giving story and window heights.

One of the special merits of these drawings is that three wall sections are given for each house, showing the complete wall construction for solid brick, face brick on hollow tile, and face brick on wood studs.

This feature is valuable as the purchaser may build the house according to the method of construction he wishes; he is also thus put in a position to obtain figures each way to determine for himself the costs of the different types of construction in his locality.

Specifications

The specifications give full description of all materials and items not usually shown on the plans. They are very clear and explicit, so that there can be no possibility of misunderstanding. Such items as kind and grade of lumber, interior finish and floor, and kind of brick, are left for the individual to determine for himself, as they are matters of personal preference. Different kinds of roofs are specified, including tile, slate, asbestos, asphalt, and wooden shingle. The owner may strike out from the specifications the ones he does not wish.

Quantity Survey

The quantity survey is a complete bill of materials for the brickwork, carpentry, and plastering work, with blank columns for the use of the estimator in filling in his prices. This feature is not only of great assistance to the contractor when estimating, but assures the owner that competing contractors are figuring on the same materials. This survey is compiled to list the materials necessary for a house with walls of solid brick, giving at the same time alternative quantities for walls of face brick on hollow tile, and face brick on wood studs.

The quantity survey given is based upon a level lot so that if the house is to be built upon a slope, certain changes will have to be made in the quantities of face and common brick.

It must also be noted that the porch foundations are shown four feet below grade, a depth meeting the average climatic conditions. If the house, therefore, is to be constructed in a warm climate, these foundations need not extend so deep. If in a very cold climate, on the other hand, all foundations may have to be extended to the customary depth for that locality. In either case, the quantity of common brick should be adjusted.

Symbolschap

Reversal

A very valuable feature of these plans and elevations is the fact that each set is drawn in the reverse with a different exterior design, so as to meet the requirements of any location you desire. If, however, you prefer the plans of one set and the elevations of the reverse, order the drawings that way. We will send both elevations, so that for your convenience you can use the figures on the original in place of the reversed figures on the reverse. You thus have in the case of each house three choices, the original, its complete reverse, and its partial reverse.

In locations where no public method of sewage disposal exists, the owner will have to install a disposal system of his own. If this is the case, let us know when ordering your plans, and we will send you, without additional charge, details and description of an inexpensive system of sewage disposal that will fill your requirements. You will find this subject amply treated in Bulletin No. 57 of the U. S. Department of Agriculture on "Water Supply, Plumbing, and Sewage Disposal for Country Houses."

Costs

We could not venture to state the total cost of any of the houses shown, as prices not only vary in different localities throughout the country and fluctuate from time to time in the same locality, but each prospective owner's taste would require different materials for both exterior and interior finish, so that it would be impossible to make any definite statement of cost hold good.

We are prepared to supply you with complete working drawings, specifications, and quantity surveys of materials, for any house you may desire, at an extremely low fee. In view of the fact that these instruments are the work of architects of high standing and long experience, the prices indicated in connection with the designs are merely nominal. Additional copies of the plans, specifications, and quantity surveys may be obtained at the following prices: Plans $1.25, specifications $1.25, quantity surveys 50 cents. Working drawings with bill of materials of fireplaces shown onpages 30 and 31will be sent for $1.00 each.

We shall be glad to be of any help we can on points that are not clearly understood.

Four Room House No. 41

An attractive exterior and a cozy interior characterize this house. The living room, exposed on three sides, is light and airy. The cozy corner, formed by the fireplace and stairs, looks out upon the garden. There is a convenient coat closet off the living room near the front entrance. The stairs to the basement are close to the kitchen and have an entrance door at grade giving access to the basement from outside.

The kitchen is large enough for dining purposes, frequently convenient, and has a large porch and pantry.

The second floor is complete with two bedrooms and their closets, a linen closet, and a bath.

Size 15'0" × 28'0". This design and plan are the reverse ofNo. 42.