I 
irntuufiiHfmunitl&miuiin 
fivOt.;  YjV 
AOOi 
PBOXT  ELEVATION, 
SIDE  ELEVATION, 
VOL.  XXXIII.  No.  S.  i 
wiiOLK  No.  laeo.  1 
NEW  YORK.  AND  ROCHESTER,  N.  V.,  FEB.  19,  IS7fi. 
[Knterod  i.ocorain^  to  Act  of  Conm-^s^lo  tlie  ypar  137li,  t)>^tlie_ll.ir!.l  l■.thllsl^l,.lc  ro.npany,  in  fOo  oflloe  of  the  l.lbrHrhut  of  (Ion 
1  IMIICK  SX3C  CENTS. 
(  8!i.«.5  I'ER  YEAH. 
'ilural  3lrfl)itfctiUT. 
A  CHXAF  SUBURBAN  COTTAGE. 
In  the  Runxi.  of  L\u>  22<1  tiUinuMVf  gave  a  plan 
and  doacription  of  a  Hnlnii  lian  (NHtagf  costing 
44,000  to  46,000,  and  proniistd  to  la’cscnt  one 
roaderN.  during  the  year,  with  dcHigns  for 
eonnlry  and  suburhan  rfsidenocs  of  differ, 
fnt  styles  and  prices.  Our  dosiro  Lh  t<j  give 
such  a  raricty  of  id.anH  that  those  proi»<>King 
to  build  can  cither  find  ilesigns  adapted  to  f 
tlu'ir  taste  and  moans,  or  snob  hints  and  .li 
suggestions  as  will  enable  them  to  greatly 
facilitate  tlio  labor  and  exijenso  nsnally  at-  , 
tending  the  construction  of  a  rusidcnc«5. 
With  the  above  expressed  wish  in  view  I 
we  this  week  present  a  design  for  a  neat  K 
and  cheap  cottage,  suitable  for  either  a  I 
suburban  lot  or  small  country  place.  The  I 
first  floor  plan  shows  the  parlor,  dining-  p 
room  and  kitchen,  with  main  hall  through  C 
the  ceuter,  and  side  hall  with  stairs  leading  p 
to  the  second  floor.  The  dining-room  has  I 
a  neat  bay  window  at  the  side.  The  en-  I 
trance  veranda  in  front  adds  much  to  the  * 
appcucancc  and  attractiveness  of  the  house, 
es|jecliilly  when  adorned  xirii  climbing 
vines.  The  second  floor  plan  gives  us  three 
chambers,  with  two  closets  over  the  hall.  The 
verydeairahlo  feature  aliout  tliis  house  invenHla- 
tion-~&  inatU’r  sadly  neglected  in  the  erection  of 
houses  and  buildings.  The  attic  can  be  finished 
into  Uiree  aiiartments,  thus  giving  a  csottage  of 
nine  rooms,  exclusive  of  halls  and  closets. 
The  building  is  intended  to  be,  built  of  wood, 
but  brick  could  be  usiid.  If  constructesl  iu  a 
plain  manner,  it  could  be  done  for  42,000  in  many 
localities,  but  could  be  made  to  cost  43,000  or 
43,500.  The  great  difference  in  the  cost  of 
material  in  many  pai-ta  of  the  oountiy  renders 
It  verj'  difficult  to  give  exact  figures.  Our  ob¬ 
ject  iu  the  publication  of  these  plans  is  more 
to  popularize  architecture  and  suggest  Ideas  to 
tliose  about  to  build  than  to  go  into  details,— as 
every  builder  (and  many  other  persons)  can  take 
I  tlie  plans  as  we  give  them  and  make  an  estimate 
approximating  the  exact  cost. 
If  built  on  a  large  lot,  HiuTonuded  with  walks 
and  sbrublx-ry.  It  would  present  an  exceedingly 
hantUonie  appearance,  and  make  a  |)leuHant. 
lutnie-like  abode. 
TTie  HMuns  are  all  of  a  comfortable  size.  On 
fir.st  IliHir; — Pai'lor,  14x15;  dining-room,  14x10; 
kitelien,  1 4x12  Second  floor : — Itoom  over  parlor. 
K/  TCH^N 
PORCH 
P0P.cn 
PARLOR 
mVING  RO OP 
R'JHCH 
KIRHT  FI.01K. 
14x12:  over  dining-room,  14x16;  over  kitchen, 
14x12.  The  scale  of  elevations  is  1-12  per  foot ; 
of  the  floor  plans,  1-16. 
USE  NARROW  BOARDS 
FLOORING. 
The  Practical  Farmer  has  these  sensible  re¬ 
marks  on  an  always  timely  topic A  great  many 
builders  are  not  able  to  assign  a  pbilosophlcal 
reason  why  narrow  boards  are  better  for  a  floor 
than  wide  ones.  If  lumber  were  so  thoroughly 
seasoned  that  the  board  would  not  slirink  on  one 
side  nor  swell  on  the  other,  wide  boards  would  be 
more  desirable,  for  a  floor  of  any  sort,  than  nar¬ 
row  ones,  for  the  reason  that  a  joiner  will  fit  and 
lay  a  board  one  foot  wide  about  as  quickly  as  he 
can  lit  and  lay  a  board  fom-  inches  wide.  More 
than  this,  when  the  edges  of  the  floor  boards  are 
inati'lifd,  there  will  be  more  waste  if  the  pieces 
are  narixiw  than  if  they  are  wide. 
Wlien  floor  Istards  are  a  foot  in  width,  the 
up|M,T  side  is  liable  to  contiaet  more  than  tlie 
under  side,  'nds  is  particularly  the  case  when 
the  floor  is  wet  for  a  short  time  and  uftenvard  is 
allowed  to  lacome  dry.  When  the  tindi.n-  side  nf 
a  rt(K>i‘  Is  exisised  to  the  dampness  of  a  cellar,  or 
to  the  moisture  of  the  ground  Ixmeath  it,  wide 
poor 
BED  ROeV 
CHAMffEP 
HALL 
CHAMiiER 
HOOF 
SEOOND  FLOOR. 
Ixiards  iviU  warp  and  render  the  siuface  of  the 
floor  more  or  less  eorrugatol.  Rut  if  the  Isyards 
are  naiTow,  although  the.  under  side  may  swell  as 
much  as  if  tln^  were  wide,  the  surface  of  the 
floor  will  be  much  more  even  and  true.  Hence, 
wainscoting  should  Ixi  umtow.  When  certain 
pieces  of  furniture  aro  being  made  of  a  wide 
board  or  broad  plank,  it  will  lie  better  to  dress 
out  pioccH  only  a  few  inches  wide,  heat  them 
thoroughly  iu  a  stovo-room,  th«»n  joint  the  edges 
and  glue  them  togethw. 
In  many  instances,  one  has  numeroua  pieces  of 
black  walnut  lumVier,  butternut,  or  other  valua¬ 
ble  timber,  which  might  b*!  glued  together  and 
thuH  make  a  more  desirable  wide  board  than  one 
entire  piece.  The  beds  of  billiard  tables  are  all 
dressed  out  iu  pieces  of  plank  only  tbree  or  four 
inches  wide  and  glued  together  firmly.  The  cor- 
naiHss  lie  WaahinBton.j 
rect  way  to  make  a  neat  and  tnie  drawing-board 
or  drawing-table  is  to  dress  out  narrow  pieces  of 
plank,  heat  them  for  ten  days  in  a  stove-room, 
then  joint  the  edges  true  and  glue  them  together. 
Wlion  the  edges  of  two  boards  are  united  with 
hot  glue  and  pressed  tightly  together  for  a  few 
hours,  the  tiinix-r  will  yield  on  cither  side  of  the 
joint  lieforo  tlic  glue  will  allow  tlie  iiioccs  to 
i  seiiaratc,  Ohio  is  stronger  than  most  kinds  of 
timber.  ['Hieso  suggestious  are  olTored  for 
the  benefit  of  all  interested  in  erecting  or 
repairing  buildings.  | 
♦  »» - - 
CONVENIENT  HOUSES. 
.  Many  a  fine  house  is  made  a  mere  shell 
of,  because  it  is  not  built  with  reference  to 
the  convenience  of  tliosu  who  are  to  occnjiy 
it-  Wethink  when  tt  man  proposes  to  build 
a  dwolUng  a  woman  somehow  sliould  have 
a  hand  in  it,  for  she  alone  can  tell  just 
where  she  wants  this  closet,  that  store¬ 
room,  etc,  A  kitchen  is  better  if  it  is  built 
in  an  L,  with  two  doors  opening  outside, 
HO  that  the  odors  of  cooking  may  not  pass 
into  the  main  body  of  the  house.  Besides, 
a  better  circulation  is  affordtHl  Uw  heat  of 
summer.  It  makes  work  very  Lard  for  a 
woman  when  there  arc  steps  ui  go  up  or 
down  between  the  kitolien  and  the  dining¬ 
room.  A  short  bailor  lobby  is  not  objectionable 
l)etwfH>n  the  two  rooms,  as  that  can  he  occupied 
by  a  chest  of  drawers  or  two  or  three  shelves, 
whicli  always  “  come  handy”  iu  a  house.  The 
kitclnn  should  bo  provided  with  two  closets,  a 
sink,  cistern-pump,  and  always  have  a  painted 
floor.  BcHirooma  aro  healthy  up-stairs ;  but  with 
a  ono-utory  house  this  cannot  be.  And  in  any 
event,  the  sleeping-room  of  the  mistioss  of  the 
house  should  be  on  tlie  ground  floor,  opening 
into  the  living-room,  with  a  largo  closet  in  it ; 
the  bedroom  to  largo  and  woll-vcntilated. 
Of  course,  the  parlors,  etc.,  should  bo  designed 
according  to  taste  of  builders,  but  these  general 
hints  aro  thrown  out  for  the  benefit  of  those 
who  contemplate  erecting  a  substantial,  sensible 
house,  which  shall  be  a  home  as  well. 
