BLOCKS WITHOUT FACING The appearance presented by the concrete building block is a subject that has engaged the serious attention of men interested in the growth of the industry for a number of years. And it is to be said that some of the problems growing out of the use of these blocks are being solved— and by friends of the block. To the average man, the block is satisfactory in appearance in some one or more of the forms or designs now in vogue. It is safe to say that to the majority of builders satisfaction can be secured by some combination.
A writer of wide practical experience in the manufacture and use of concrete blocks, gives us the benefit of his experience and observa tions in the following paragraphs: The critical home-builder sometimes makes objection to the sameness of the concrete block. This is really the only objection that is urged against the block. It is to the man who objects to the sameness that this article is addressed. We are confident we have a plan of construction that solves the problem for him and still enables him to employ concrete blocks in building. The writer heard an intending home-builder say a few days ago: "I would build my house of con crete, but it costs too much for forms and I can't afford it; nor will I use blocks." The old adage "if thy right hand offend thee, cut it off" applies here. If the face of the block offends you, cut it off. In any case where it is desired to secure solid effects in a wall, the blocks may be made without a face and cast with a rough surface. Then the wall may be laid with them, and a finish of any desired style may be given by a plaster coat of cement mortar.
If you stop to consider a wall of this descrip tion a minute, you will readily see the economy of it. A wall may be laid up with blocks in this manner and plastered in any desired finish, with out the use of a single stick for forms. The joints of the blocks, too, provide for the expan sion and contraction that would have to be fig ured in a monolithic wall. The entire effect will be that of a monolithic wall; but in reality it will be made of hollow blocks and answer every de mand of monolithic construction.
Now this suggestion is made only for the man who objects to the sameness effects of con crete blocks with faces. It does not involve at all the elimination of the face block from the building market, for the artistic face block is here to stay, and thousands of builders will con tinue to find pleasing combinations and designs for buildings. To the builer, the contractor, or the architect who has presented to him an objec tion, the plan here outlined offers an argument and solution.
As to the method of making blocks like those described, it may be said that only the rough material usually employed need be used. The surface that is to be plastered should be rough in order to provide a holding surface; and when the blocks are laid in the wall, the joints should be left free of mortar for half an inch. Then, before the plaster coat is applied, the wall should be well sprinkled so that the mortar will not be robbed of the water it needs during the process of setting.
And now as to the use of cement mortar on brick, it is not an uncommon thing to see a con crete building faced with brick of special color and terra-cotta for different effects. On the other hand, it looks sometimes as if the reverse of this practice were coming into vogue, and, if not now, it soon will be no uncommon thing to see brick buildings faced with concrete or some other product that belongs to the concrete class.
The picture shown in Plate 5 A is a snap shot of the new Whitesides Bakery in Louisville, which is built of brick and is faced with cement mortar. The snapshot shows the men at work on the side of the building applying this coat of mortar, which is of a particular kind. The mix ture is made of cement and crushed tile. The crushed tile includes a variety of colors: blue, gray, white, terra-cotta, etc. As it was piled on the ground ready for use, it looked, from a distance, like small gravel taken from a stream, but close investigation showed its real nature. It is applied to the face of the brick wall some thing like plaster, and then a spray hose is turned on it to wash off whatever coating of smooth cement may form on the outside, so that the tile particles may show as a rough wall. The foundations and corners shown in the pic ture are made of stone, and there are stone trim mings through the building which show up nicely along with the gray finished wall. The roof on the tower, after being completed, was covered with red clay tiling, and there was some terra cotta ornamental effect in trimming, so that altogether the structure presents a very artistic appearance.
The idea suggested by a study of this build ing to the writer was that many of the older brick buildings might be plastered on the out side with concrete in this manner, and suitable trimmings added so that they would present a much better appearance than can be obtained by painting the brick, or by putting a smooth plas ter of cement and sand over it.