May 6, 1899.
THE ESTATES GAZETTE
748
stretchers inside and outside, and filling in with all brick rubbish collected from under the scaffolds in baskets and hods, which jerry work they soon hid by flushing over with mortar.
Scamping, however, can take place over the mortar as well, which should consist of three pants of very good sharp sand and one of well-burnt lime ; but if the sand is soft or earthy there should be two parts to one of lime. In districts of England where sand is not handy, road scrapings are used (generally where the roads are repaired with flint), and local authorities dispose of their road scrapings thus. In other parts of the country, cinders are used and crushed in a mortar mill. This machine enables us also to use up all the old mortar and brick ends, which, when crushed and mixed with a proper portion of lime, form a. substance which will set as hard as cement, and is valuable for pointing, which is so essential for all brick and atone work—a time being selected for this operation when there is no danger of frost.
THE SMALL HOUSES BILL.
The House of Commons Standing Committee on Law resumed the consideration of the Small Houses (Acquisition of Ownership) Bill, on Monday, Mr. Stuart-Wortley presiding.
On Clause 4 (recovery of possession and disposal of house), which was under discussion when the Committee adjourned last week,
Mr. Parker Smith moved an amendment to substitute three months for six months in tlie subsection which provides that, if the sum due to the proprietor from the local authority on resuming possession be not paid within six months’ interest at the rate of three per cent, should be paid on the sum. — The amendment was agreed to, and the clause as׳ amended was added to the Bill.
On Clause 6 (suspension of condition as to residence),
Mr. Parker Smith moved an amendment in the subsection which empowers the local authority to allow a proprietor to let his house for a period not exceeding four months or to be absent fom the house in the performance of any duty arising from or incidental to any office, service, or employment. The purpose of I he amendment was to permit the letting of the house during the absence of the proprietor in the cases specified.—The amendment was agreed to, and the clause as amended was added to the Bill.
On Clause 8 (local authorities and rates),
Colonel Milward moved an amendment to substitute 5,000 instead of 10,000 in the provision that, if the council of any urban district containing a population of more than 10,000 pass a resolution undertaking to act under the Bill, that council shall be a local authority concurrently with the county council.
Mr. Chamberlain suggested as a compromise that the population limit should be fixed at 7,000, and this was׳ agreed to.
Mr. Renshaw moved the first of a series of amendments to substitute “a half-penny” for “ a penny ” in words providing that where the ret loss of a county council under the Bill amounted in any year to a rate of one penny in the pound no further advance should be made for five years.
After a discussion the amendment was agreed to, together with several consequential amendments providing that the limit of a penny rate should apply in the case of county boroughs or urban districts.
The Attorney-General moved the addition of the following new clause:—“ (1) Where the ownership of a house has been acquired by means of an advance under this Act the person who is the proprietor shall be personally liable for the repayment of any sum due in respect of the advance until he ceases to be the proprietor, by reason of a transfer made in accordance with this Act; (2) the provisions of this Act requiring the permission of the local authority to the transfer of the proprietor’s interest in a house under this Act shall not apply to any charge on that interest made by the proprietor, so far as uie charge does not affect any rights or powers of the local authority under this Act.”
The clause was read a second time and added to the Bill.
Sir A. Hickman moved a new clause to enable a local authority to make like advances to a workman for the purposes of building a dwelling-house on certain conditions.
Mr. Chamberlain opposed the clause, and it was negatived.
Sir A. Hickman moved a new clause empowering advances to be made to two or more persons jointly for acquiring a block of houses in which they intend to reside.
Mr. Chamberlain said that the point was important, and it had been strongly urged on him by the miners in the north. The drafting Of the clause submitted was not satisfactory, but on report stage he would bring forward a clause carrying out the purpose of the hon. member.
The clause was withdrawn. The schedule was then agreed to, and the Bill as amended was ordered to be reported to the House.
flat roofs, and for forming valleys, gutters, and flashings round׳ chimneys. It is usually described by weight per foot super, (lead pip-ing per foot run). Flashings should _ be 41b. lead at least, and valleys and roof coverings 71b. or 81b. Lead is largely used by the plumber for water and soil pipes and connections. All lead work requires to be carefully done, and should receive special supervision from the agent to make sure that• this is so. Zinc is used as a cheap substitute, but should never be tolerated as it quickly decays. This applies to zinc wherever used, as it is a continual nuisance, especially in eaves, guttering, and roof work generally.
We will suppose the pupil to have followed ouit the hints made for his guidance, and, therefore, to be now perfectly qualified to act the part of Clerk of Works himself. Without in any way exceeding the bounds of possibility, we will further suppose that he has drawn up a full plan, specifications, and quantities ; that this has received the approval of the agent with whom he is learning; that tenders have been invited and sent in; that the selected builder is all ready to commence the work, and that the pupil has been requested to set it out and superintend operations.
The work having been set out on the site chosen, and rough accurate tracings and copies of the specifications having been handed over to the builder, the labourers begin to excavate the foundations. If there be a sand-bed, a solid bottom must be found, or the sand would soon shift when the house drainage system began to draw it• along with the water. To avoid deep digging, it may be permissible to sufficiently strengthen the foundations by means of extra footings, or a flag bottom, or even, in the case of a heavy wall, by a layer of concrete.
The masons next require watching. If the walling material be stone it must be well bedded on the foundations, and whether rubble or ashlar the stones must be well laid and flushed up with mortar. Plenty of “ binders,” or through stones, should be used to tie outside with inside work. It must be remembered that the best stones are always selected for the outside portion Of the wall, and smaller and inferior ones for the inside. Naturally the result of this is a tendency of the inside portion to shrink on account of the excess of mortar used for the more numerous joints in the inside wall. We have seen a neat new front all bulged, and, on examination, have discovered the inside portion erect and firm. Now, plenty of “throughs” would have prevented this mishap. Care should be taken to prevent damp striking through to the plaster where there are “through stones.” These should be quite !¿in. narrower than the breadth of walling.
To avoid, however, any fear of damp, our pupil’s specifications will, perhaps, provide for 4־iin. brickwork, tied into the stone front by headers; or he may have specified for another method, whereby the •wall shall be battened, and lath and plaster work attached to the battens. But the mention of damp reminds us that this enemy comes up from below as well as through the walls, and that the specifications are sure to have provided for a damp course placed above the level of the ground, and below the flooring joists. Hot asphalt, or a compound of sand and pitch, poured on to the thickness of a quarter of an inch is a simple preventive, but it must be used on all the walls, both inside and outside. Slates, in double thicknesses, and overlapping joints, bedded in cement are another remedy. There are also damp course perforated bricks, which admit air under the floors, and very often brick walls are built hollow and called “ cavity ” walls, with headers of an extra length at intervals, the inner ends of which are dipped in hot tar to prevent damp striking through. Iron ties are also used instead of such bricks. The damp in these cavity walls is supposed to drop down instead of striking past the cavity. Air bricks, too, are used under floors to ventilate the cavity, and all this requires the supervision of the Clerk of the Works.
But we have wandered from stone to brick walls. Now, there are several methods of laying bricks, all of which have for their object the compactness and stability of the walls. These are called “bonds,” such as the “Flemish,” the “chain,” and the “old English perhaps the best of these is the last-mentioned. A common bond used is three courses of stretchers and one of headers, but, speaking generally, there should not be less than one header to every three stretchers. Flemish bond is alternate headers and stretchers in a course, and is used where only one face is to show'. Where both faces are required to be even, the chain bond is more usual. English bond, which is alternate courses of headers and stretchers, is very useful in thick walls, but not adapted for a 9in. wall. We see, then, that the pupil’s supervision must be directed׳ to the proper flushing of the walls with mortar, ¿heir careful bonding, and prevention of damage from damp. In illustration of this, we !mow of a case, where, in the erection of an 18in. brick wall, the bricklayer, watching !he Clerk of the Work’s times of absence, seized opportunities of laying two or three courses of
fulness as commander. Every summer he may be seen cruising about either on the Thames or in Southampton Water. He was for many years commodore of the Temple Yacht Club, and is a member of the Royal London, New Themes, Royal Harwich, and Royal Southampton Clubs. He possesses the Royal Humane Society’s medal for saving the lives of two lads off Erith Pier.
ESTATE BUILDINGS. *
BY H. W. RAFFETY, F.S.I.
III.
The timber used in modern buildings is mostly Baltic pine (pinus sylveatris), which can be purchased in large or small quantities ready seasoned and cut to almost any scantling. It is usually in 5in., 7in., 9in. and llin. widths of various thicknesses. The best quality is described in specifications as best red deal. White deals are spruce firs, and are used for inside work. For long or extra, heavy beams or for ornamental woodwork the American pitch pine is largely used, and for wide boards for any purpose the American white pine (Wey-mouth pine). There is considerable difference and ambiguity in the various trade names given to those foreign timbers, and the same description is often used indiscriminately for different materials.
Estate timber is not much used in buildings now. It is cheaper and more convenient to sell this and purchase the ready - sawn and seasoned׳ deal. Oak is an exception, as this is useful for cills, piers bressumers, and other exposed woodwork, and for ornamental purposes. It requires to have been well-seasoned before use, and to be quite free from sap. Elm and spruce and some others are used for rough hoarding partitions or even floors, but the proper use for estate timber generally is for gate stuff and fencing materials, and for very rough building work, when cheapness, in the first instance, is practically the only object; and it is quite false economy to use it elsewhere.
Good timber should be cut■ from the heart of a round tree, and should show no sap. The fibres should be straight and the annual rings distinct and close together, and there should be no shakes, flaws, or blemishes such as large, loose, or dead knots. Timber should be firm and bright when planed or cut, and should not be woolly and clog a saw. There is a ring about a good piece of timber, and in the same class of timber the heavier the׳ weight and the darker the colour the better generally speaking. Timber of various kinds may be purchased ready prepared. Machine shot flooring boards׳, whether with square or ploughed and tongued edges, matched boarding, tue laths, mouldings, architraves, etc., are instances, and ready made joinery of good quality may also be obtained in this way.
Timber in joist, rafters, and other carpenters’ work is measured and priced at per foot cube. In all measurements of timber tenons and joints must be measured in, and full allowance made for waste. Joiners’ work, where the work is “ wrought ” or planed, is measured by the foot run or fooit super as the case may be. Board floors and all plain boarding would be measured by the square. Work in oak or other special wood would be measured separately.
Of the metals mostly employed in building work, iron in one form or another is the most common. There are, of course, three forms of iron, cast and wrought■ iron and steel. The first, containing a quantity of carbon, is very brittle, but is stiff and suitable for withstanding compression, and is also convenient and therefore cheap to cast into awkward shapes. Wrought iron, the purest form of iron, is tough, but bends easily, it is the most common form in which iron is employed. It is specially suited to stand tensional and shearing strains as in tie rods for roofs and bolts and nails. Steel contains more carbon .than wrought iron, and is stiffer and stronger. It is taking the place of the latter largely for girders and other work where it is more convenient and suitable on account of its relative lightness in proportion to strength and rigidity.
The principal use of iron in estate work are for bolts and straps, door and gate hinges, fasteners, guttering, and down-spouting, girders, and columns; for iron or wood and iron roofs and roof trusses, and for roof coverings in the form of corrugated iron. This last should be of 24 or 22 gauge, and is measured by the square. Other ironwork is priced by the pound, except it is in special forms such as girders, locks, hinges, and columns, which are described and numbered, or as eaves, guttering, down-spouting, etc., which are measured by the foot run and described as to size and shape.
Lead is the most expensive metal ordinarily used by the builder. It is employed to cover
—* From ‘ Land A .־ency ” (new edition). Revised and brought up to date by H. W. Raltety, F.S.I.
MR. JOHN B. FLEURET.
MB. JOHN BEACH FLEURET, whose portrait we present this week, is the senior partner of the well-known firm of Fleuret, Sons and Adams, auctioneers, of 28, Southampton-row, Holborn, W.C., a firm which may be regarded as occupying the foremost position among the many conducting the important business of hotel and licensed property sales and valuations.
Mr. Fleuret was educated at the City of London School, and, like many another English boy, he became possessed of a burning desire to be a sailor. Accordingly, at the age of 14 he became a midshipman upon one of the fleet of vessels owned by Mr. Duncan Dunbar, at that time one of principal shipowners in the Australian and East Indian trade. Thus early his energy and perseverance were well displayed, and Mr. Fleuret soon rose to the position of third officer ; and before he had attained his majority he passed his examination, obtaining a second officer’s certificate, and sailing one voyage in this capacity. He remained at sea seven years, for two years serving on a transport ship on the China and Indian seas during the Chinese war, thus participating in many stirring scenes. Although a life at sea was a pleasurable one to him, Mr. Fleuret decided to turn his attention to business on land, and after having served a probationary period as clerk, he entered his present profession in 1866, starting in coDj unction with his respected father in offices situated in Great James-street, Bedford-row. In 1888, on his father retiring from business, he took his brother, Mr. Alfred Fleuret, into partnership, the firm being known as Fleuret and Sons. The business gradually grew to its present famous position, becoming one of the largest of its description, and enjoying a wide respect and esteem throughout the entire trade.
Some idea of the influential nature of the business done by this firm may be gathered from the fact that during the year 1897 Mr. J. B. Fieuret submitted to public auction, under his own hammer, licensed houses and other properties to the value of over one million pounds sterling.
In the rostrum, indeed, Mr. Fleuret has been uniformly successful, his smart and business like descriptions of the numerous and important licensed properties which come under his charge being always made in ready and well-chosen language, whilst his extensive experience and skill and genial disposition make him a leading and most popular member of the auctioneers appearing at Masons’ Hall Tavern.
In 1892, Mr. W. Adams, a son of Mr. E, Adams, the well-known representative of Messrs. Combe and Co., joined the firm, since which it has been known as Fleuret, Sons and Adams. At no time since the establishment of the firm has it enjoyed greater popularity and commercial success than it does at the present time, Mr. Fleuret’s hard and consistent work and assiduous care and attention being mainly responsible for the gigantic proportions which the business has now assumed. Mr. Fleuret is a freeman of the City of London, and this year has the honour of being the Master of the Distillers’ Company.
He has done a great deal in the interests of “ the trade ” and his profession ; one of his most useful efforts in the first named was his promotion of a scheme for license insurance amongst publicans.
He has frequently been retained as an expert, and given evidence on the value of licensed properties.
He is a Fellow of the Auctioneers’ Institute, having been elected in 1889 ; and also a member of the Valuers of L'censed Property Association, of which he was the promoter. In April 1893, Mr. Fleuret took the chair, and made a strong, characteristic speech at the 15th annual dinner of the St Paneras Licensed Victuallers’ Protection Society, for which he collected the largest sum ever obtained by a president of that association.
Mr. Fleuret is an ardent lover of the sea, and is an enthusiastic yachtsman, having won several cups by his prowess and skil-