44 
HO USE & GARDEN 
MITIGATING CONCRETE AND STUCCO UGLINESS 
Which Can Be Accomplished by Finish, Tiles, 
Mosaics, Windows, Brick Trim and Shadows 
HAROLD DONALDSON EBERLEIN 
C ONCRETE and cement stucco 
houses have come to stay. 
They represent the latest phase in 
the evolution of domestic architec¬ 
ture both in point of structure and 
general exterior aspect. They will 
unquestionably constitute an in¬ 
creasingly important and perma¬ 
nent element to be considered in the 
future because of the strength, dur¬ 
ability and economy of cement as 
a building material. But concrete 
and cement stucco bouses have a 
serious limitation so far as their ap¬ 
pearance is concerned. An unre¬ 
lieved concrete or cement stucco 
wall surface, unless managed with 
more than exceptional adroitness 
by the architect, is ugly and re¬ 
pulsive. There is no denying the 
uncompromising fact. We may as 
well honestly admit it. 
Concrete and Stucco Remedies 
The majority of cement stucco 
houses are either of frame con¬ 
struction with the stucco coating 
applied over expanded metal lath 
nailed to rough siding, or else of 
hollow tile plastered over with 
stucco. The concrete house, on the 
other hand, has walls of solid con¬ 
crete, poured in a fluid state into 
board moulds which are removed 
when the mixture has set. A house 
built of concrete blocks, previously 
prepared, laid in the manner of 
Two elements are responsible for the beauty of this en¬ 
trance—the rough finish of the stucco itself and the 
shadow afforded by the profecting porch. Allen TP. 
Jackson, architect 
brick or stone, is also to be reckoned 
a concrete house. 
Ordinarily speaking, the surface 
of a cement stucco or concrete 
house lacks the emphasis and con¬ 
trast of color and shadow and, 
therefore, lacks interest. It is also 
usually harsh and crude. Possible 
remedies may best be considered 
under the heads of texture, color 
and relief by projection and 
shadow. 
The surface of a concrete wall 
may be scratched while “green” and 
covered with a finishing coat of 
cement stucco floated smooth or 
else, when dry, it may be either left 
rough or dressed down to approxi¬ 
mate smoothness by bush ham¬ 
mering, which will leave the aggre¬ 
gate plainly exposed to view. This 
roughening does, it is true, create 
some welcome variety from the 
monotonous commercial appearance 
of bridge piers or railway retain¬ 
ing walls, but the “skinning” of the 
concrete is open to the objection 
that the “pores” of the wall are laid 
bare to the action of the weather 
and the penetration of moisture. 
Another way of varying the tex¬ 
ture is to float the final stucco coat 
with a rough board, instead of with 
a smooth float, drawing the stroke 
in a long arc. Then again, the floats 
are sometimes pulled straight away 
from the thick mixed stucco and 
The factors which here mitigate the concrete nakedness are the 
wide overhanging eaves, the small window and door panes, the 
indented arches and mosaic work. Mann <£• MacNeille, architects 
The judicious use of glazed terra cotta decorations in color make 
an effective ornamentation for the cement house. The indented 
entrance porch and the arched window panels also help 
