Architectural Details and Measured Drawings of Houses of the Twenties
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Architectural Details and Measured Drawings of Houses of the Twenties
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| ISBN-13: | 9780486157092 |
|---|---|
| Publisher: | Dover Publications |
| Publication date: | 09/05/2012 |
| Series: | Dover Architecture |
| Sold by: | Barnes & Noble |
| Format: | eBook |
| Pages: | 160 |
| File size: | 41 MB |
| Note: | This product may take a few minutes to download. |
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ARCHITECTURAL DETAILS AND MEASURED DRAWINGS OF HOUSES OF THE TWENTIES
By William A. Radford
Dover Publications, Inc.
Copyright © 2014 Dover Publications, Inc.All rights reserved.
ISBN: 978-0-486-15709-2
CHAPTER 1
Logical Methods in Architectural Drafting
AKNOWLEDGE of architectural drafting is vitally essential to the carpenter, builder or contractor, who would develop both himself and his business to the greatest possible extent.
The builder who is able to work out a neat and accurate set of drawings or "plans" fully dimensioned and detailed, leaving nothing to chance, has a very decided advantage over his brother, who, without fully conceived ideas and plans, starts building, and trusts to luck and good fortune that everything will work out all right. Even rough sketch drawings with approximate dimensions are better than none, but only full and detailed sets of plans are advisable.
In evolving a set of working plans the first logical step is the sketch. The purpose of the sketch is to fix the various ideas of either the builder or his client or of both and to give some definite basis for a start.
The medium for the sketch may be either pencil, pen and ink, water color or wash, the first named being the most common and the simplest to use.
The value of the sketch to the "builder architect" can hardly be over-estimated, because if well and attractively done, it may bring valuable contracts, which might not be obtained if this means of expression were not used.
Preliminary or "thumb nail" sketches, as they are sometimes called, should not be over 3 or 4 inches in size. They are not drawn to any definite scale and their chief purpose is to show arrangement. They should, however, be kept in proportion as much as possible.
The type of plan for such a sketch must of course be determined upon before the first drawing is made and the deciding factors are, first, the character of the site, and, second, the style of the exterior.
If we analyze any number of house plans we will find that they may be broadly classified into two general types, namely, the central entrance or central hall type, and the side entrance or side hall type. In the first named, as illustrated (Fig. 1), we have a symmetrical arrangement of rooms opening from a central hallway. This is the typical "Colonial" plan and calls, as a rule, for that style of elevation. In Fig. 2 we have the second type shown; note that in this type we have a plan that is unsymmetrical and is adapted especially to the narrow city lot.
We will take as an illustration of the logical steps to follow in making a sketch the first type, or central hall plan. First determine the approximate proportion of the floor plan, says two as to three. 1. Sketch center line. 2. Draw front and rear outside wall lines representing the width of the wall by a single line. 3. Side wall lines. 4. Locate main partition lines. 5. Minor partition lines. 6. Rough in approximate position of openings, doors and windows.
Study carefully at this time the relation of rooms and the circulation.
In like manner sketch second floor plan. It will be found that the basement, as a rule, logically takes its arrangement from the first floor plan, so we need not consider it in the first sketch.
After line sketches of the plans are made, the front elevation and then principal side elevation should be drawn.
The style of the exterior having been decided, determine first the proportion of the front wall—that is, the height from the ground to the under side of the cornice compared with the width. This height in the ordinary two-story house varies from 20 to 24 feet.
1. Block in this rectangle with center line.
2. Block in height lines for windows and doors.
3. Draw vertical outside lines for windows and doors, determining their positions approximately from plans.
4. Draw roof, taking height as ¼, 1/3 or ½ depth of plan depending on judgment of designer.
5. Draw in porch or porches according to style of exterior.
6. Darken or shade window openings and show shadow under cornice.
7. Sketch in background.
Framing to Prevent Unequal Shrinkage-Settlement
SKETCH No. 1 shows a cross-section of a "balloon" frame taken from an actual example. It is a glaring violation of all the principles of good construction, fire-resistance and sanitation. It's a fire trap, a vermin harbor, and is subject to a disastrous amount of ureequal settlement. At "A" is shown the original condition of the framework just after being built. At "B" is indicated, graphically, the dilapidated and deplorable condition of affairs, a year later, after the inevitable shrinkage-settlement has taken place. And it is to be especially noted that the faults shown are not the result of settlement itself, but rather the result of the difference in settlement of corresponding and adjacent parts. If an engineer were to design a foundation in such a manner as to be productive of the faults shown, he would, most assuredly, be considered an exceedingly poor engineer. And rightly so. Why, then, in the name of common justice, is not the builder who, day after day, continues to design and frame the timber superstructure in the manner shown, deserving of the same amount of condemnation as the discreditable engineer? Wherein is the difference between an incomptent designer of foundations and an incompetent designer of timber framing? As a matter of fact, the latter, in this particular case, is more to be censured than the former, for, in residence construction, seven cases out of ten the evils resulting from unequal settlement can be traced to the timber framework rather than to the foundation.
In the "balloon" framing, shown in Sketch No. 1, the exterior studding extends in one length from sill to rafter plate. Hence, the amount of shrinkable timber contributing to the total vertical settlement of the exterior wall is made up of the 4-inch sill and the 4-inch rafter-plate, equaling 8 inches in all. In like manner, the shrinkable bearing-timber in the interior partition is made up of the 10-inch girder, the two sets of 10-inch floor-joists, the two layers of 1-inch sub-flooring, the two 2-inch partition-soles, and the two 2-inch partitioning caps, totaling 40 inches. Hence, assuming an ultimate shrinkage of ½ inch to the foot, the exterior wall will settle 1/24th of 8 inches, or only 1/3 inch, while the interior partition will settle 1/24th of 40 inches, or 1 2/3 inches. And the difference of 1 1/3 inches is bound to cause trouble—floors sag, door frames are thrown out of square, plastering cracks, and the upper partition sometimes parts company with the ceiling overhead or, perhaps, pulls away from the floor and hangs suspended from the ceiling-joists. Trouble enough, surely! But that is not all. Damaging local settlement also takes place at the outer ends of the floor joists, often leaving a wide gap between the finish floor and baseboard, as shown exaggerated in the sketch. At the second floor line the total shrinkage of the 1-inch sub-floor, the 10-inch joists, and the 8-inch ribbon, will measure the magnitude of the gap equaling, in this case, about ¾ inch, for this shrinkage will always be downward, in the direction of the load, while no compensating relative settlement will take place in the vertical studding which extends thru this "zone" of horizontal bearing-timber. The base does not move in relation to the studding. But the floor does. Hence, the gap. At the interior partitions, however, the vertical studding does not extend thru the floor-construction. Therefore the base and the studding both move downward in response to the settling floor. In other words, the settlement is here general rather than local. Hence, no gap occurs between the finish floor and base. On the other hand, if the settlement continues, the base might buckle, or become split, because of the relative upward thrust of the excessively sagging floor. Moreover, this general settlement, not being equalized, is bound to open up a crack in the plastering at the junction of the ceiling and wall underneath. And, finally, the wide ribbon supporting the outer ends of the second floor joists, is liable to more relative shrinkage than the plastering that covers it. This is the cause of numerous plaster cracks in this vicinity and, if this shrinkage is excessive, the plaster will buckle and, perhaps, fall from this portion of the wall.
Sketch No. 2 shows a cross-section of a "drop-girt" frame as called for by the most approved practice At "A" is shown the original condition of the frame upon completion, while at "B" is shown the same construction after the usual shrinkage-settlement has taken place. While this frame is far superior, in every way, to the "balloon" frame, yet it is, nevertheless, subject to the same resultant evils, even tho these evils be of lesser extent. In the "drop-girt" frame, the second-story exterior studding and the outer ends of the second floor joists are supported upon the 4-inch by 8-inch girt, while the upper interior partition studding rests upon the 2-inch partition cap of the story below, as clearly indicated in the sketch. Moreover, the 6-inch by 14-inch first-floor girder is framed with the top of the joists. Consequently the general settlement has been almost, but not entirely, equalized. There will still be a slight sag in the floors and ceilings, but probably not enough to crack the plastering. The sag in the first floor, in this instance, is equal to the difference in settlement between the 14-inch girder and the 10-inch joists, amounting to but 1/24th of 4 inches, or a little more than an eighth of an inch, while the sag in the second floor will be not quite one-quarter of an inch, and the sag in the second-story ceiling will equal the difference in the total general settlement of the exterior and interior walls, amounting to exactly an eighth of an inch. But, as before said, this slight sagging will probably cause no serious damage. However, the local settlement occurring at the outer ends of the first floor joists, and at both ends of the second floor joists, cannot be so easily overlooked. At all of these points, as shown in the sketch, the vertical studding extends into the "zone" of the floor-construction. Hence, the floor settles in relation to the studding and therefore opens up a gap between the floor and base, being more pronounced at the second floor-level because of the greater depth of shrinkable material existing there between the top of the subfloor and the bearing-surface of the joists. A gap of ½ inch or more is not an uncommon occurrence. An attempt to remedy this fault is sometimes made by placing a base-shoe at the junction of base and floor, and nailing same to the floor only, thus keeping the gap "covered."
(Continues...)
Excerpted from ARCHITECTURAL DETAILS AND MEASURED DRAWINGS OF HOUSES OF THE TWENTIES by William A. Radford. Copyright © 2014 Dover Publications, Inc.. Excerpted by permission of Dover Publications, Inc..
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Table of Contents
Contents
FOREWORD,Title Page,
Copyright Page,
Logical Methods in Architectural Drafting,
Framing to Prevent Unequal Shrinkage-Settlement,
INDEX TO ARCHITECTITRAL DETAILS - For Every Type of Building,