HANDBOOK

OF THE

MECHANICAL ART S.

SECTION FIRST.

HOUSE ARRANGEMENT AND CONVENIENCES.

IN detailing our plans and suggestions on this important department, we have considered it best to make them as complete as our limits would admit of, in order that structures arranged accordingly, may contain, in a comparatively complete state, the requisites essential to insure to the inhabitants a high degree of comfort, health, and convenience, as far as these can be obtained by structural arrangements. We endeavour to offer as high a standard as possible, leaving it to the reader to act up to or modify it, as his convenience or notions may dictate.

Before giving the "plans" of the various classes of houses suitable for all conditions of the emigrant settler's life, we shall explain the meaning of various terms used while describing plans of houses, &c. By the term "elevation" we mean the view obtained of a house or other object, when the spectator is standing directly in front of every portion of it. In the case of a house there are various elevations-as, the direct view of the front is termed the "front elevation"-the view of the end, the "end"—and of the back, the "back elevation." Thus fig. 10 is a front elevation. A "section is a view of any part of an object, obtained by cutting off a certain part, exposing the interior arrangement. Thus, when an orange is cut down the centre, the front view of one-half shows the section and interior arrangement. In houses, sections are of two kinds-"transverse" longitudinal." In the former, the cutting line is taken across the breadth of the building; in the latter, along the length. It is evident that a section may be taken through any point of the plan of a house, showing the disposition of the timbers, position of doors, &c., according to choice. A plan," properly speaking, is a horizontal section; the view of the arrangement of walls, windows, partitions, doors, and fireplaces, being obtained by cutting the house throughout its whole extent by an imaginary line, parallel with the ground, at a short distance above the level of the ground. The peculiar features of a ground-plan will be seen on inspection of fig. 8. Plans are of various kinds - as "ground," showing the arrangement of apartments in the ground floor; "chamber plans," show the arrangements

66

66

A

or

of bedroom floor. A plan of this kind is seen in fig. 9, which is the bedroom floor of cottage, of which fig. 8 is the ground.

The sizes or dimensions of the apartments given in a plan properly drawn are ascertained by means of a "scale." In this country, our colonies, and the United States of America, all plans of houses are generally drawn to scales of feet and inches; the divisions in the "rules," according to which the scales are calculated, being 12 inches in a foot, and eight divisions in an inch, called "eighths." Supposing the plan of a house, of which the apartment measured 18 feet by 12, was required to be delineated on paper, it is evident that it would be impossible to have paper large enough to take on its surface the extent of 18 feet by 12; but suppose it was arranged that the space of an actual foot was to be denoted on the paper by the extent of one actual inch, the 18 feet would then be represented by a distance of 18 inches, and the 12 feet by 12 inches. Again, supposing that the size was 18 feet 6 inches by 12 feet 9, as the feet are denoted by inches, as agreed on, it will be necessary to give the inches a diminished size, in prơportion to the feet. Now, as there are 12 inches in a foot, all that is necessary in the present case to be done is, to divide the inch (denoting a foot by arrangement) into twelve equal parts, each of which would denote the space of an inch. Thus the actual size, 18 feet 6 inches in length, of the apartment would be denoted by 18 inches and 6 equal parts of an inch; and the breadth, 12 feet 9 inches, by 12 inches and 9 equal parts of an inch. This, then, is the rationale of scales. In the particular instance above noted, the house would be drawn to a scale of 1 inch to the foot; if inch was agreed upon to be the sign of a foot, it would be a scale of inch to the foot; if inch, 4 inch to the foot, and so on. In fig. 1 we

other leg to the division 6 in the small divisions, denoting inches, to the left the distance thus obtained in the compasses is 1 foot 6. Where a plan is given without the sizes marked, but the "scale" mentioned or affixed, the distance between any two sides of any apartment being taken in the compasses, the dimensions of full size may be easily ascertained by applying it to the scale. Thus, suppose one leg was in the point 12 of the large division to the right, denoting feet, and the other reached to the point 7 in the divisions to the left, denoting inches, the size of apartment would thus be shown to be 12 feet 7 inches. We have been thus particular in describ ing these points, being well aware that our work will fall into the hands of many to whom the "terms" would be as a "sealed book," and to whom the plans would be in a great measure useless, unless the means were presented of becoming acquainted with easy methods of understanding them.

We now proceed to give plans of various styles of edifices: the first we shall present being a cottage arranged in the simplest possible style. A fig. 2, is the only room, which might be described best in the words of "the comedian," as serving for

"Parlour, kitchen, and—
Everything."

Entrance is obtained by the door c at once to the room; light is admitted by the one window b; the fireplace is at d. This arrangement should only

B

о

be adopted at the first outset of the settler; and not even then, unless compelled by want of means, as it is notoriously unfitted as a healthy or convenient dwelling. The next diagram, fig. 3, is designed to show how the arrangement in fig. 2 can be advantageously modified. The outer walls of fig. 3 are extended to o, as in the sketch, and carried up to the level of the eaves; a flat-boarded roof, with waterproof covering, may be thrown over the extension; partitions are run across this extension, as seen; and the following conveniences are obtained: A separate sleeping apartment B is obtained, entered from the livingroom A; a closet C, containing at window a small slop-stone n and cupboard 2. Entering from the end, the water-closet is obtained inthe small space left. Cupboardsee may be easily constructed at each side ofthe fireplace (see JOINERY). In fig. 4 we give a sketch of an arrangement containing two rooms, in point of conO venience being on a par with the one-roomed cottage in fig. 2. In fig. 4the living-room A is approached through the door f, leading from the passage e d. The sitting-room A is lighted by a window in front, h. A bedroom B is provided, entering from the living-room A, and lighted by a window at n. Inasmuch as the livingroom is not entered from the exterior at once, and a bedroom is provided, this arrangement is an improvement on thatgiven in fig. 2. It is, however, deficient in labour-saving conveniences. Fig. 5 details an arrangement which will cost little more than the house in fig. 4, yet containing those conveniences so highly desirable. The living-room A is lighted by the window h;

с

f

d

W.C

the fireplace r is placed opposite the window, thus giving facilities for hav

ing a fireplace in the bedroom B, the flue running up alongside with that of the fireplace in A; or the bedroom may be warmed by one of the methods we shall hereafter describe. The passage d, in fig. 4, is made wider in fig. 5, thus affording space for a porch, entered from the exterior by the door e, containing a cupboard o; space also for a scullery, provided with a slop-stone and shelving, entered from the living-room A. This closet is lighted by a small window, below which it might be advisable to place the slop-stone, instead of the situation we have given it in the sketch; more light would be thus afforded

W.C

in carrying on the operations necessary. A water-closet is obtained in the space left at the extreme end, and entered as seen in the sketch. A rain-water cistern might be placed above the water-closet, a liquidmanure tank below it, into which the slops from the scullery may

be led.

In these examples, the desideratum of having a distinct entrance to the

Fig. 6.

bedroom has not been attained. In fig. 6 this has, however, been noticed in the arrangement. In this example, the projection b a, corresponding to that in fig. 5, is thrown back, so as to make the external wall of the water-closet be in a line with the back wall of the house The entrance is at the side at e, the porch being large enough to form a pleasant small sitting room in summer-time. The sitting-room B, and bedroom A, are both approached by separate doors, as in the sketch

A small scullery is entered from the living-room B, lighted by a small

1

window c, and supplied with slop-stone and shelving d. On the other side of porch, a small wardrobe closet h is obtained, entering from bedroom A; a coal-place v, and water-closet, entering from end of house.

In these examples we have confined ourselves to cottages of one storey; we now proceed, in like manner, to consider the arrangement of two-storeyed

E d

Fig. 7.

B

A

structures.

In fig. 7 we give a simple arrangement, the bedroom floor of which is identical with the ground floor, with the exception of the projection containing the porch, &c. The livingroom B is lighted by two windows, the fireplace being at the end. A is the porch, giving shelter to the entrancedoor to living-room B; f is a water-closet, en

tering from back of porch. Access is gained to bedroom above B, the sittingroom, by stairs E, entered from living-room by the door d. A door at the other side of fireplace gives admittance to a small closet o, beneath head of stairs, in which a small slop-stone is placed. For a married couple without family, or a gamekeeper, we consider this arrangement may possess many advantages. By running up the walls of porch, &c., a small chamber entering from bedroom may be obtained, of size sufficient to hold a child's

Fig. 8.

bed. In fig. 8 we have detailed

an arrange

ment by which more accommodation is obtained at the outlay of very little more material, and by which access is gained to the bedroom without passing through the the livingroom. Entrance is gained to the porch c, containing slop-stone b, by the external door a; d is the entrance to living-room B; G a small closet entering from living-room, placed beneath head of stairs. A watercloset is obtained at f; and, by continuing wall to meet back wall of house, a space for coals may be obtained at 1, a partition being made between it and the water-closet. In fig. 9 we give sketch of bedroom plan of same cottage. His the bedroom above the living-room B, with fireplace c. A small bedroom 7 is obtained by boarding over part of the staircase, leaving room to go easily under it in ascending or descending the