The Construction of the Small House / A Simple and Useful Source of Information of the Methods of Building Small American Homes, for Anyone Planning to Build

by H. Vandervoort Walsh

XIX
TRADITIONS OF BUILDING FROM WHICH
OUR MODERN METHODS ARE DERIVED

Importance of Tradition

The art of building has grown by evolution, like other things in this world. The carpenter who builds in wood to-day builds according to certain customs which come down to him from centuries of carpenters. Modern methods of constructing the small house have all human history for their background. When we speak of modern methods, we merely refer to those which are used at this time, as they have evolved from past experience and been considered satisfactory. To hear some architects and builders talk, one would think that modern America had the monopoly on good construction, and that our system of building was newly invented. How often have we heard remarks like the following from the self-styled practical man: “The genius of the present age is eminently practical and constructive. Improvements of every kind and ingenious contrivances for easily effecting results, which in past ages were only accomplished by slow, laborious effort, ... etc.”

But they were saying this kind of thing in 1858, for the above is quoted from a book of this date, so that even the practical man is traditional in his remarks about building.

There are also too many young men to-day wasting their time discovering what they think are new ways of building, but which have been known for centuries and discarded as unsatisfactory. If they would only study what had already been done, they would save themselves a lot of trouble.

Styles of Design Change, but Construction the Same

The styles in designing houses may change from year to year, or more likely from generation to generation, but the methods of building and the traditions in back of them continue on, with only slight changes which mark the evolution of the art. In as brief a period as we have had in this country to produce domestic architecture, we can notice very distinct styles of design, but running through them all are similar ways of building. Our earliest Colonial houses were built according to traditions brought over from England. These traditions in turn had deep roots in Europe, back to primitive days, when houses were not much more than temporary, movable shacks.

There is, however, one general trend through which building methods seem to pass. First, we have rather heavy, clumsy ways of building; this is followed by a long period of experimental cutting down of the materials of construction and standardization of parts; following this comes the stage of extreme lightness of construction, when the builders go as near the limit of safety as possible, and then accidents occur which tend to discredit the system.

The early English houses were built of heavy oak-trees. Later half-timber houses used smaller structural members and more standard sizes. These traditions were brought to this country, but it was soon found that heavy oak was not necessary for their stability, but that some of the native soft woods would answer the purpose. The thinning-down process continued, until we developed the frame dwelling of balloon construction which is practically built of 2 by 4 pieces throughout.