/uly, i 9 1 7 
13 
a brand of hydrated lime that is 
known to be reliable; clean, 
sharp, angular sand, free from 
vegetable or other deleterious 
matter. Mix these together as 
follows: To 10 bags of Portland 
cement, add 1 bag of hydrated 
lime, and mix thoroughly in a 
dry state until a perfectly even 
color is obtained. Take 1 part 
of this mixture and add it to 2JT 
parts of sand and mix as before. 
Then to this mixture add water 
until you get a good stiff mortar, 
taking care to measure accurately 
the amount of water in order 
that the same quantity will be 
used in each batch of mortar. 
Do not allow more mortar to be 
mixed than will be used in thirty 
minutes, for mortar that stands 
takes on its ‘‘initial set” and dis¬ 
turbing this set weakens the mor¬ 
tar. Apply the first coat by pres¬ 
sure and avoid troweling as much 
as possible. This first coat should be %'s' 
thick and must be deeply and thoroughly 
cross-scratched. Beginning with the second 
day, this coat should be kept wet for seven 
days before applying the second coat, so 
as to “cure” the cement and get a “com¬ 
mercially inert” body. The first coat can be 
allowed to stand for any length of time, pro¬ 
viding that it is wet thoroughly before apply¬ 
ing the second coat, which should be j4" 
thick and treated in the same manner. This 
coat can be given by way of finish a dash 
coat before it hardens, or it may be stippled. 
For the Small House 
For the homebuilder there is a great field 
of architects to choose from, and they are 
working hard to produce artistic and eco¬ 
nomical small houses. In this they are suc¬ 
ceeding most admirably, and the owner who 
does not avail himself of their help and 
prefers to “go it alone” is making a grave 
error, for he has no time or opportunity 
to study the many problems that enter into 
a small house. Incidentally, the small house 
—I make this statement from experience 
—is a much harder problem for the archi¬ 
tect than a large house where he can have 
full leeway in the matter of design without 
A comfortable type of stucco house can be built on the 
square plan. An overhanging second story and low 
icindows and an indented entrance porch give the 
facade a pleasing interest. It is the residence of 
Hiram A. Holdridge, Esq., Lima. Ohio 
having to figure every cent that enters into 
the cost of construction. 
The four advantages claimed in the be¬ 
ginning of this article—those of perma¬ 
nence, beauty, adaptability and low cost- 
should prove conclusively that the stucco 
house makes it possible to produce what 
people want and demand—-artistic, econom¬ 
ical and practical small houses. The day 
of the “jig-sawed” house and the carpenter- 
architects is past. If you could hear, as I 
do, in consultation work, the appeal of the 
man who wants to build an artistic house 
for $1800 or thereabouts, you would see 
the trend of house-building today. You 
would realize how far removed it is from 
the customs of twenty years ago when 
architects were trying to see how many 
molded members they could put on windows 
and door casings, how many twisted balus¬ 
ters on the stairs and so on. Now every¬ 
thing works along the line of simplicity in 
design, plain casings, and simple but effec¬ 
tive staircases. 
The exterior effect must be plain and 
broad, and stucco produces this at a cost 
that is lower than that of any other form 
of construction. At once beautiful and 
satisfying, these houses grow in attraction 
with the passing years, and lend 
themselves most successfully to 
landscape work. 
The careful planting about the 
foundation of the house and the 
judicious use of vines removes 
somewhat the objection many 
prospective house builders have 
against the apparent barenness 
of the stucco house. 
Stucco Reliefs 
As in any faqade, there must 
be the relief of an interesting 
fenestration or of an over-hang; 
such as in the case of the house 
to the left. Wide eaves casting 
deep shadows will further add to 
the interest. An example of this 
is found in the Pasadena bunga¬ 
low illustrated at the bottom of 
this page. The use of wide eaves, 
of course, will be governed by the 
style of architecture. Other re¬ 
liefs may be found in the use of 
brick trim, such as has been successfully 
introduced in the house on page 11 and the 
wall surrounding the house on page 12. A 
still further interest may he added by the 
very way the stucco itself is laid on. The 
end view of the residence on page 12 shows 
the stucco to have been applied roughly, 
making a wall full of interesting color, lights 
and shades. All of these additions naturally 
add to the original cost of the house, but 
they repay in interest and satisfaction. 
The figures given here cover merely the 
cost of the house structure. Its interior 
finish is another item worth careful con¬ 
sideration. No limit can he placed on the 
cost of interior woodwork although in the 
interest of economy and safety from fire the 
woodwork should be reduced to the neces¬ 
sary minimum. Cheap woods well prepared 
and painted will serve their purpose in the 
house of low cost. Painted walls can take 
the place of papered walls and are more 
sanitary. Wall board can be used with 
molding for a paneled effect in living room 
and dining room ; in fact, at very reasonable 
cost the interior of even the cheapest stucco 
house can be raised from the plane of the 
ordinary to the high level of the unusual 
and artistic. 
Given the proper setting the other stucco houses shown on these pages are adaptable for practically any section of the United States. Here is 
one especially designed to meet the requirements of a ivarm climate .— a residence at Pasadena, California, of which Myron Hunt was architect. 
It is a true bungalow showing Spanish influence 
