Fig. 88.—PLAN OF SECOND STORY.
DESIGN XXII.
A HOUSE COSTING $2,800.
This plan of a suburban, or a country house, has all the advantages of the square form—providing convenient, commodious interior apartments, and has a simple, expressive outside dress, that compares favorably with more pretentious, expensive dwellings.... Exterior, ([fig. 89].)—The outlines of the main building are rounded and compact, indicating completeness and solidity. The front tower-like projection is a central and distinctive feature, around which the other parts are symmetrically balanced. The Porch and roofed balconies are simple and neat. The main roof, a new modification of the “Mansard roof,” is a conspicuous part, giving an expression of strength and unity to the design. The main cornice has full projections, with neat solid trusses, and is separated into sections by the chamber windows, giving relief from the monotony and depressing effects usual in all continuous horizontal lines. All the second story windows of the main building have projecting hoods appropriately interlaced with the principal roof work, securing pleasant shadows to those parts, and imparting a marked finish and variety. The dormer windows are triangular, and are placed immediately above those of the lower stories, prolonging the vertical lines of openings, to which they form a fitting termination.... First Story, ([fig. 90].)—Hight of ceiling, 10 feet. The usual front hall is dispensed with, and the stairway is placed where it is more convenient and accessible, and is not a conductor of cold drafts through the house. Many think it necessary to have stairways share with the parlors the most valuable and conspicuous position; they should more frequently be placed in some subordinate relation, without seeming to control the general arrangement. The entrance from the front porch is through double doors to the vestibule, and thence to either the parlor or family-room. Side doors lead to the pleasant and shady front balconies. The Parlor and Family-room are of equal size, and may be used as one spacious apartment by opening the sliding doors. The Dining-room is pleasantly situated, and opens into the family-room, rear entrance, and hallway. It has one large bay-window, and two plain ones, an open fire-place, and a dish or china closet, c. The Kitchen is isolated, relieving other rooms of its noise and odors, is convenient to the dining-room, cellar-stairway, and rear entrance, through the rear lobby, and has an open fire-place, closet, and large pantry, range, boiler, sink, wash-tubs, and the necessary pipes for water. The hall is central, accessible from the parlor, dining-room, and rear entrance, and is thoroughly lighted and ventilated by the window at the head of the stairs.... Second Story, ([fig. 91].)—Hight of ceiling, 8 feet. This story contains a hall, four good-sized chambers, with closets, and two windows to each. The Bath-room has bath-tub and seat. A Conservatory connects through sash doors with the two front chambers.... Attic, ([fig. 92].)—Hight of ceiling, 8 feet. The stairs to this are placed immediately above those to the second story, are ceiled in, with a door at the bottom. The rear portion is finished on a line with the two chimneys, into two bedrooms and a hall. The front portion is floored, but otherwise left unfinished as an open garret, valuable as a play-room for the children, a clothes drying-room, and many other purposes.... Construction.—The Foundation, of hard brick and good mortar, is shown by the Cellar plan, ([fig. 93].)—It shows four feet above the grade in front, and, if desirable, may show one-half that hight in the rear. There is usually sufficient earth taken from the cellar excavations to give such desirable grade as shall turn off all water from the immediate grounds and walks. The chimneys are also of hard brick, are independent of the foundations, and are carried up perfectly plumb to the roof, where they are finished with neat bases and caps. The central position of these chimneys is proof against cold-air openings at their sides, and insures saving the heat radiated from them. It is impossible to prevent cracks from appearing along the sides of chimneys in frame buildings, and when these cracks communicate directly with the outside covering, they often admit much cold air.—The principal frame is 20 ft. high, substantially constructed, as indicated by the upright section ([fig. 94]). The main plates are in line with the beams of the attic story, and the roof-purlins are 8 feet above them. The side-rafters are 12 feet long, fitted and spiked to the purlins and plates, with their lower ends extending 2½ feet down from the latter in a continuous line. Rough brackets connecting the rafters with the upright frame-work, forming the foundations or frame of the principal cornice. By this method of extending the rafters downward instead of upward, the desirable hight and proportion of roof are obtained. The exposed surfaces that require siding are reduced from the usual hight of 22½ feet to 16 feet, and the cornices are more substantial and less complex. The siding, roof-boarding, slating, and trimming are done in the usual manner. The gutters are laid in with the slate, as described in [Design V.] The hoods and dormer windows have slate coverings, interlaced with the principal roof, with joinings and flashings of sheet-lead. The following estimate provides for the thorough completion of the building in an appropriate and substantial manner.—Estimate:
Fig. 89.—FRONT ELEVATION.
Fig. 90.—PLAN OF FIRST FLOOR.
