The next section is devoted to practical house-building. It is constructed by taking a complete specification for everything which may concern a dwelling-house, and ridding it, as far as possible, of all technicalities; thus putting in form all practical house-building questions for the benefit of the owner.

Following this is the consideration of business points in building, which sets forth methods of letting contracts with the view of securing the best results without waste of money.

The closing section is devoted to the getting of a home,—how to arrange the monthly-payment schemes, building-association plans, and other methods for getting a house on easy instalments.

LOUIS H. GIBSON, Architect.

Indianapolis, Ind., September, 1889.

CONTENTS.

THE ARCHITECT AND THE HOUSEWIFE.
CHAPTER I.
The Housekeeper and the Architect.—Floor-plans as related to Good Housekeeping.—Labor-saving Devices.—Economy and Good Construction.—Compact Houses not necessarily crowded.—Wood-work that is readily cleaned[11-15]
CHAPTER II.
Housekeeping Operations.—The Work of the Housekeeper.—The Average Housework of a Week.—The Architect’s Lesson therefrom[16-20]
CHAPTER III.
Modern Conveniences.—A Little History.—Plans that make Extra Work.—Modern Conveniences enumerated[21-25]
CHAPTER IV.
Modern Architects and the Housekeeper.—Misplaced Houses.—Old Colonial Poverty in Modern Colonial Houses.—Affectation in Design.—Natural Development of American Architecture.—American Architecture and American Homes[26-28]
A JOURNEY THROUGH THE HOUSE.
CHAPTER V.
Journey through the House.—Porch.—Vestibule.—Hall.—Long Halls and Square Halls.—The Hall that is a Room.—Reception-hall.—Parlor.—Sitting-room.—Dining-room[31-38]
CHAPTER VI.
Kitchens.—The Kitchen a Workshop.—Work to be done in a Kitchen.—A Plan.—Fittings.—Dish-washing Conveniences.—Sink and Tables.—China-closet.—Pantry.—Combination Pantry.—Pantry Fittings.—Work in a Pantry.—A Dough-board.—Flour-bin.—Pantry Stores.—Cupboard.—Refrigerator Arrangements.—Pantry Utensils.—A Dry-box.—Soap-box.—Ventilation of Kitchen.—General Principles of Kitchen Planning[39-50]
CHAPTER VII.
Cellar.—Fuel Departments.—Furnace Conveniences.—Coal-bins.—Cement Floors.—Light in the Cellar.—A Cellar-closet.—Outside Cellar-door[51-53]
CHAPTER VIII.
A Low-cost Laundry.—Blue Monday.—Basement Laundry.—Low-cost Conveniences.—Inexpensive Laundry Fittings.—Hot and Cold Water Arrangements.—A Labor-saving Laundry.—A Place to do Fruit-canning[54-58]
CHAPTER IX.
The Second Floor.—Stairways.—The Combination Stairway.—Ideal Number of Bedrooms.—Large Closets and Plenty of Them.—A Linen Closet.—Placing of Gas-fixtures.—Servant’s Room.—Bath-room.—An Attic.—Attic Closets.—Attic Rooms[59-63]
CHAPTER X.
Plumbing.—Is Plumbing entirely Safe?—Completeness in Plumbing Apparatus.—Labor-saving Plumbing Apparatus.—Sewer Connections.—Soil Pipe.—A Trap.—Accidents to Traps.—Frequent use of Plumbing Apparatus Desirable for Safety.—Water-closets.—Simplicity in Plumbing.—Drain Connections.—To keep Plumbing Apparatus from Freezing.—Cistern Water Supply.—Grease Sink.—Flushing of Drain.—Bath-tub[64-74]
CHAPTER XI.
Heat and Ventilation.—Common Heating Arrangements.—Present Methods generally Unsatisfactory.—Ideal Conditions.—Proper Amount of Moisture rarely attained.—A Furnace defined.—Methods of Reaching Best Results.—Supply of Proper Amount of Moisture.—Removal of Foul Air.—Supplying Fresh Air with Proper Moisture from Stoves.—Steam and Hot-water Heating.—Direct and Indirect Radiation.—Low-cost Heating Apparatus[75-82]
CHAPTER XII.
Heating Devices as we find them.—Furnace Estimates.—Combination Hot Air and Hot Water.—Dish-warming Arrangements.—How to get a Good Heating Apparatus[83-85]
CHAPTER XIII.
The House and its Beauty.—Artistic Surroundings.—Beauty more a Matter of Intelligence than Money.—Vestibule Decorations.—Beauty in the Reception-hall.—Mantels and Grates.—Fret-work and Portières.—Spindle Work.—Simple Forms of Good Decoration.—Wood-carving.—Door and Window Casings.—A Conservatory.—Stained Glass.—A Cabinet on the Mantel.—Tinted Plastering.—Frescoing.—Safety in the Selection of Colors.—An Attractive Sitting-room.—The Parlor.—A Reception-room.—Parlor History.—The Ideal Parlor.—The Library.—A Place of Quiet and Rest.—Library Furnishings.—The Dining-room.—Social Relations of the Dining-room.—Dining-room Decorations.—Conservatory and Dining-room.—A Wood Ceiling.—Beauty in Bedrooms.—Quiet
and Light[86-100]
CHAPTER XIV.
External and Internal Design.—An Old Topic before the People.—The Architectural Student’s Dream.—A Beautiful Home the Housekeeper’s Ambition.—It costs no more to have a House Beautiful than Ugly.—Architectural Education.—Charles Eastlake’s Book.—Vulgar Architectural Revivals.—The Growth of the Artistic Idea.—Beauty a Matter of Refinement[101-105]
PLANS OF FIFTY CONVENIENT HOUSES.
CHAPTER XV.
Evolution of a House-plan.—Respectable Dimensions for a Moderate Price.—Six Plans.—Costs from $1,500 to $2,600[109-117]
CHAPTER XVI.
A Small Pocket-book and a Large Idea.—Ambition, Dollars, and a Good House.—The Growth of the Housekeeper’s Ideas.—Points about the House.—$2,900[118-125]
CHAPTER XVII.
“We know what we want.”—A Convenient Plan.—Meeting the Wants of People who build[126-130]
CHAPTER XVIII.
Two Good Rooms in Front.—The Combination Pantry.—Too much Cellar a Burden.—$2,500[131-134]
CHAPTER XIX.
Sitting-room and Parlor in Front.—A Connecting Vestibule.—A Central Combination Stairway.—Good Rooms in the Attic[135-138]
CHAPTER XX.
A Compact Plan.—An Isolated Reception-room.—Combination Stairway.—Description of the Floor-plan.—Cellar Arrangement.—Dining-room and Conservatory.—Another Plan[139-144]
CHAPTER XXI.
What can be done for $1,600?—The Closet in the Hall.—A Small, Convenient Kitchen.—Closets in the Bedrooms[145-151]
CHAPTER XXII.
Outgrowths of One Idea.—Everything counts as a Room.—One Chimney.—Conveniences of a Condensed House.—Cost from $1,600 to $2,800[152-156]
CHAPTER XXIII.
One-story Plans.—Description of Floor-plans.—Bath-room next to Kitchen Flue.—Kitchen, Porch, and Pantry.—The Exterior.—Enlargements on this Plan.—Other One-story Houses[157-163]
CHAPTER XXIV.
Side-hall Plans.—Plans with Bedroom on First Floor[164-170]
CHAPTER XXV.
Miscellaneous Collection.—Short Descriptions of Eleven House-plans.—Varying Costs.—Square Plans.—One-chimney Plans.—Rear and Side Hall[171-181]
CHAPTER XXVI.
Eight Plans.—Each suited to Family Requirements.—Double Houses.—An Elaborate Floor-plan.—A Shingle House.—A Brick House[182-193]
PRACTICAL HOUSE-BUILDING.
CHAPTER XXVII.
Practical Points.—Water.—Location of House on Lot.—Draining the Cellar.—Mason Work.—Foundations.—Walks.—Piers.—Flues.—Cisterns.—Damp Course[197-200]
CHAPTER XXVIII.
Brick Foundations.—Laying Brick.—Colored Mortars.—Colored Bricks.—Brick Veneering.—Hot-air Flues.—Details of Brick Construction.—Chimneys and Flues.—Hollow Walls.—Cellar.—Ash-pits.—Grates[201-206]
CHAPTER XXIX.
Stone Masonry.—Cut Stone.—Terra Cotta.—Privy Vaults.—Cisterns.—Filters for Cisterns.—Brick Pavements.—Cement Pavements[207-212]
CHAPTER XXX.
Carpenter-work.—Framing.—Size of Timbers.—Height of Stories.—Joist.—Stud Walls.—Outside Sheathing.—Building-paper.—Roofs.—Outside Finish.—Outside Shingle Walls.—Outside Casings.—Windows with Box Frames.—Hinged or Pivoted Windows.—Outside Shutters.—Porches.—Lattice Porches[213-221]
CHAPTER XXXI.
Inside Wood-work.—Floors.—Soft and Hard Wood Floors.—Tabulated Statement of Inside Finish.—Different Kinds of Wood.—Doors and Frames.—Fly Screens.—Inside Casings.—Wainscoting.—Inside Shutters.—Wood-work for Plumbing.—Kitchen Sink and Fittings.—Kitchen Tables.—Cellar-sink Fittings.—Wood-work for Bath-tub.—Water-closets.—Wash-stands.—Tank.—Picture Moulding.—Closet Fittings.—Broom-Rack.—Cedar-closet.—Dry-box.—Clock Shelf.—China-room Fittings.—Pantry Fittings.—Stairways[222-235]
CHAPTER XXXII.
Plastering.—Gray Finish.—White Hard Finish.—Back Plastering.—Gas-piping.—Tin Work.—Gutters.—Valleys.—Down Spouts.—Galvanized Iron-work.—Hot-air Pipes.—Thimbles.—Painting.—Staining.—Oil Finishing.—Interior Staining.—Floor Finish.—Glazing.—Plate-glass.—Bevelled Glass.—Cathedral Glass.—Hardware[236-246]
CHAPTER XXXIII.
Practical Plumbing.—Wood-work for Plumber.—Excavating for Plumber.—Water Distribution.—Outside Fixtures.—Hydrants.—Street-washers.—Soft-water Supply.—Hot-Water Supply.—Soil Pipe.—Inside Fixtures.—Kitchen Sink.—Cellar Sink[247-254]
CHAPTER XXXIV.
Plumbing Work continued.—Bath-tubs.—Bath-sprinklers.—Foot-tubs.—Safes.—Water-closets.—Wash-stands.—Laundry Fittings.—Set Tubs.—Outside Drains.—Grease Sinks.—Nickel Fittings[255-263]
CHAPTER XXXV.
Cost of a House.—Schedules of Costs.—What goes into a House.—Schedule “B.”—Cost Details[264-269]
CHAPTER XXXVI.
Varying Building Values.—Cost of Appurtenances.—Prices of Labor and Material on which Estimates are based.[270-274]
BUSINESS POINTS IN BUILDING.
CHAPTER XXXVII.
Low-cost Houses.—Methods of making Contracts.—Architects’ Estimates.—Building by the Day.—The Safest Plan.—Guarding against Liens[277-287]
HOW TO SECURE A HOME.
CHAPTER XXXVIII.
Monthly Payments.—Calculations on a Long-time Plan.—Purchase on a Rental Basis.—How it may be worked out[291-294]
CHAPTER XXXIX.
Building Associations.—Why Dividends are Large and Interest Low.—Building Associations and Savings Banks.—Association Securities.—Building-association Methods.—Different Plans.—Borrowing from a Building Association.—A Building-association Report[295-311]
CHAPTER XL.
Purchase of a Lot.—The Best the Cheapest.—A Good Lot as a Basis of Security.—The Basis of Value is the Rental[312-316]

The Housekeeper and the Architect.—Floor-plans as related to Good Housekeeping.—Labor-saving Devices.—Economy and Good Construction.—Compact Houses not necessarily crowded.—Wood-work that is readily cleaned

[11-15]

Housekeeping Operations.—The Work of the Housekeeper.—The Average Housework of a Week.—The Architect’s Lesson therefrom

[16-20]