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Great Source of Danger ls
From inflammable Roofs.
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_. VTHE BEST FIRE INSURANCE
I
.llsk Can Be Greatly Reduced by
Fireproof Methods of Home
Construction.
By H ENRY WESTON
The race between fire and new
construction is gradually. but sure-
ly, going in favor of firesafe con-
struction For years. it has been
'estimrited that the equivalent of
one-fourth of all new buildings
- erected burned each year.
The tide has been turned by the
1 ’ home-building public which has
“foome to realize that firesafe and
.. rmanent construction can be com-
ined with good architecture and
beauty. Architects. blinders and
advisors in home construction have
long favored fire-safety in construcv
tion and have succeeded in awaken-
ing an increasing interest in this
type of construction. Wise homo
builders are now demanding pro-
itaction against fire in their homes.
The reasons for the firesafe de
[hand are obvious.
i In winter. with zero weather and
the need for excess heating. fire
hasards built into many houses are
" brought to light. It has been found
that sparks on roofs. faulty fines.
and overheating with excess heat
transmitted to inflammable con-
struction, are responsible for the
majority of house fires.
1 Adjacent fire department protec-
tion is poor insurance for the
1home. In many instances. fires oc-
cur at just the time when fire plugs
- ‘are frozen. or when numerous calls
lmake the department slow in re-
.sponse. if not impossible.
I Bast Fire Insurance.
The. best way to insure fire pro
tection in the home is to build
with materials which will not
{bur-n. Fire department protection.
insurance. and carefulness can
‘ never completely offset possible fire
to hazard.
The largest single cause of fire
loss is that of the inflammable roof.
So highly dangerous is this common
fault of home construction that
118 large cities of the country have
passed ordinances prohibiting the
(use of roofings which will burn.
This is only the beginning and in
m the next. few years we may expect
to see hundreds of other cities fol-
lowing this lead toward reduced fire
risk. _‘
Sparks on roofs in the five years
period between January 1. 1918.
and December 31. 1922. caused a
loss of $50,666,652. or losses at’ the
l' rate of almost one million dollars
every month during that long
- ~ period. With the inflammable roof-
,. ing. the National Board of Fire Un-
; derwriters has no quarrel. But.
. there is a place in the structural
my-..Q--...--a-x--.---"'ar- . .
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tscheme of home building where It
{can be used and there are also
some places where it should be
banned—the roof of the home is
one of the latter.
. The use of inflammable roofings
' names not only loss to one home
- {'"-"‘lbut is respOnsible for many of the
‘dlsastrous confiagrations where
large districts of homes are wiped
gout. Leap-frogging from one roof
.to the next through the district.
fire spreads from roof to roof. It
is thus one of the most‘ dangerous
fire hazards we have. And the
gnome owner who builds with non-
"W’ burnsble materials must pay in in-
"‘"lsurance rates for the carelessness
' . 'of his neighbors who insist on us-
: tug infiammable roofing.
; * A Safe Roofing.
. i Of the many roofings obtainable
which will not burn. concrete tile
is one of the best. intense heat
does not affect it. Direct flame
causes no discernable effect. It
”protects the home from tires from
, faulty fines and from fires originat-
ing in other houses.
i Combined with this valuable fea-
ture there are other noteworthy
lfeat’ures of the concrete tile roof
which should not be overlooked by
the home builder and the home, re-
!roofer. its colors. which can be
obtained in every shade. are
lpermanent. The weather does
)iot cause concrete tile to lose their
uses or make them fade.
ey are true in line so that there
; . are no discards to be thrown away
»' use of warped edges or sur-
faces. They are easily laid. with
which reduces coat of plac-
. and they are low in cost when
ence. as well as the protec-
they afford. is considered.
' Faulty construction can be rem-
' only through care exercised
the design and in the carryin
of this design by the builder.
floor joists should not be carried
. the chimney. If this overheats.
host will be transmitted to the
and in time they will catch
« The joists should be carried
. the chimney on reinforced
" We“. or concrete walls should
erected to support the oists.
of construction wii pre-
of the'joists from one
ya.
can Very Omail.
Bat the rest of the house should
i. keeping. It is possible to
' meet houses which will not burn
sfl at prices which are little, if
. above the amount required to
4 nor-as which will burn. Gon-
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3 to the interior surface of the block.
., builder
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Copyright. American Home Bureau.
___*_.This Bungalow Both Cozy and Roomy
No matter how indifferent we
may pretend to be. We do think it
is fine. to "know something about
art.” But you cannot take a grown
man or woman with settled inter-
ests in life and begin then to instill
a love for it. We have to begin
with the, children. if they live in
homes where they never see a pic-
ture. they have practically to learn
a new language when in later years
they want to understand anything
about this fascinating branch of
life.
Children meet us more than half
way in any effort to interest them
in pictures. They love, color and
they love pictures: the" lure of pic-
ture books is never questioned.
Pictures on the wall are. even more
of a pal for the little child. They
are always there. having neither to
used at prices lower than other
building materials.
‘Not only is their first cost 10w,
but they make possible other sav-
ings throughout the building. For
example. they are generally covered
with stucco. Many persons prefer
the plain block. in which case block
with special facings such as an-
lte chips. marble chips or other bril-
liant surfacings can be cast with
the block.
The use of stucco permits the use
of limitless facings. Colors of any
desired shade or tint can be had.
In addition these colors can be en-
hanced and made distinctive
through the employment of varied
textures to fit the motif of the
house. Fine textures. rugged tex-
tures. sponge finishes. and many
others are obtainable. The home
builder can exactly meet his ideals
through the use of this versatile
material. The architect. too. striv-
ing to express his motif in the
house. can incorporate-this motif in
the color-lugs and textures as ,well
as in the outline and architectural
features of the home. This type of
construction is firesafe: it does not
deteriorate and requires no upkeep
expense.
Plastering can be applied directly
furring and lathlug are not needed
This saves in materials re uired
and abolishes some expensive abor.
The trend today in home building
is toward the distinctive and the
beautiful. How really unnecessary
is the hazard to which we often-
times expose the house our
dreams. We build a home hich
pleases us. which is beautiful. and
which is an architectural addition
to the community. We plan for
years for the home. We sacrifice
many pleasures that we may own
our home. And then. when we
have attained our ambition. we
build of materials which are short
lived. which will burn. and which
cost on large a s-for condition-
ins. repairs“ an replacements
{through the years of the house's
e.
Cities. builders. architects. and
home builders are showing the way
toward reduced fins heard and in
as doing they are aiding the home
to build‘betten'mora aco-
l—E— 45-0"
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:aau NK LIVINGRM ‘ l
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DEDRM' DEDRM. PORCH |
”WNW Izlo'xuie lgtongotov _l
llROl l‘lOOR PLAN
PICTU ES AS COMPANIONS ~
OR THE GROWING CHILD
Please the Instinctive Love for Color and Develop
Imaginative Power. \
By ESTELLE H. RlES
be sought nor put away.
Most of what we know is learned-
througdi the eyes. One can scarcely
exaggerate the necessity for being
surrounded with things that are
worth seeing; and with Impression-
ble children. the choice of.pleas-
ng and suitable pictures is a mat-
ter of first importance.
We will do well to think twice be«
fore hanging in the children‘s room
a scene with a drunken sailor. or a
grocery calendar with a burlesque
(Any reader Interested In this
plan can obtain an exact estimate
of Its cost at the present time
from any responsible architect.
contractor or lumbar dealer. who
can obtain specifications at a rea-
sonable. cost by communicating
with this paper.)
Prospective home builders may
secure an up-to-dote book or home.
building designs. containing 160
good perspective views and blue-
printed floor plans for only 31 by
addressing the horns-building cat‘-
for of this paper.
“jazz-queen" for the child's con-
stant companion. This is not so
far-fetched as it seems. for the
tendency to hang this type of thing
was the. cause of the downfall of
picture hanging. and it is only since
the rediscovery of the fact that
that there are good pictures as well
as poor ones. that we are blessed
with a revival of their proper use.
.Wbolasome subjects.
Pictures that are selected to
please children should be of sub-
jects that are psychologically sound
and wholesome. and that will stir
the.youuglter to good normal con-
duct and fine ideals. Nothfnf mor-
bid or mysterious is perm sslblc.
The subject should be something
entirely within his experience. or
something that his imagination can
intelligently build on. The impres-
slonistic and the subtle will have
no appeal. Something with bold.
strong color. and simple execution
will be readily understood and ap-
preciated. Action in the. picture
lends interest while still-life views
of ancient ruins and the like are
practically meaningless to the
youthful imagination. Small figures
and fine detail that cannot be made
out across the room do not count
with children. for they speak with
a voice so weak that it is hllrdly
understood.
At an earlier day. cost entered
into the selection of pictures but
now this scarcely affects the matter
at all. There are reproductions
available costing only a few cents.
.SHOLILD BE
fame to '
“A living room should correspond
wlth the age. of the people living
in it: as the woman of the house
grows old and her tastes become
more mature. the living room
should in turn. become dignified."
That is the substance of an article
published not’ long ago. It says
that. while the brightness of cre-
tonne and painted furniture may
suit the character of the bride. it
is not suitable to the matron in her
more advanced years. With this
idea in mind. I suppose that if the
woman in questIOn should decide
to have or hair dipped and add a
few sha es of henna to the graying
locks the whole scheme of the liv-
ing room must be correspondingly
changed. i wonder if, by that
same process. window drapes fall-
ing to the floor must be necessarily
cut off a foot or two. if following
the custom of modern' forty~year~
olds. she should bob her hair.
Theoretically. this idea of ad-
vancing the age of the room with
the age of the head of the house
LIVING ROOM DECORATION
CONSERVATIVE
Any Extremes in Treatment Bound to Give Of-
Someone.
a. ALLENELYLE
any room in which people‘ live
should be suited to those people.
but on the other hand, if the wom-
an in her forties should plan a
more dignified room should she
leave the young people rowing up
in the house without c sideration?
Better it is to take the family as
a group and suit the roounto Its
taste” rather than to one in
dlvldual's.
Should Please All Tastes.
Particular care should be given
that each pc on is considered but
that one pe n's age and one per‘
son's tastes are not the criterion
in the matter. A living room done
in a “finpperlsh” manner would
certainly not uphold the dignity of
the home. but a room may be dig-
nified yet not austere. charming
and yet‘ not too somber. so that the
young daughter of the family would
not feel in awe of it as the girl
of yesterday felt about the old-
fashioned parlor. The daughter
should be able to entertain her
guests there as well as the mother.
may be a good one. it is true that
in fact, the right things selected
with good taste can easily be found
which will make the living room
enjoyed by all members of the
family. .
Brightness. cheerincss. and com-
fort are about the first things to
be considered after. of course, the
main essential of good taste.
Head lines in advertisements
shriek to the readers to buy radios.
ping pong sets. plmnug'rupbs, five
foot shelves. billiard tables. ~nll to
keep the young people at hum.- of ,
night. They voice the ever pl'evu-l
lent idea that the home is the
place. Ill “'llli'll peeplc are to be
happy and content, and-in which
everyone feels he has a share, but .
before these accessories will he cf-
llclent‘ the home itself must be ill
pleasant one.
Brightness In Keeping.
There is nothing more essential
to family life,.thnn the living room
—-one that is cheery by things that
are bright. one whose restfulness is
not marred by this brightness he-
lug out of keeping with the rest' of
the room. and which gives a sense
of comfort.
First of‘all. each article in the
room must have, a reason for be
ing: either it Innst add to the com-
furt or the beauty of the room. For
Instance. fl high-backed William and
Mary chair "my be a decorative
piece to stand in a ball but a living
room furnished with chairs of this
type would not he a Comfortable
place in which to.spend an evening.
nor would one chair of this kind
be suitable in a room “hose fur»
uishlngs are in {he t‘olonlal style.
Sensible Lighting Is Feature Here
‘ ,/..
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4/ "(‘1 (WV/’4 LIZ”! II {m
Note How Lamps and Fixtures are Conveniently Placed.
ill
of ‘~ 1'“
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"”5 Affiligfl
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V. ‘3. r “/f
% vitae}!
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that offer all the color and verve
and spirit of priceless originals:
Choose among them fairy-tale pic-
#
Permanent and Attractive
(Any reader lam hi .5...
plan can obtain so‘exaot estimate
mu east as the ammo-a9
any. m n M
«scum: waits-ass dealer. .m
aha obtain specifications at a roa-
sosebla cost by oarnmualoatlag
with: this
tubes. mythical and historical pic-
tures, nature and character studies.
landscapes and animals, and every-
thing that children love. Expensive
pictures are not necessary. A
child's constantly increasing inter-
ests and experiences make. it desir-
able frequently to change the pic-
tures for something more advanced
that will keep pace with the de-
veloping taste. Fairy-tale pictures
are suitable for children not more
than seven. but when they reach
this age they will be more appealed
to by picture-stories of heroism.
Still later. as they have history in
school. one particular hero or event
will especially attract them. Do
not leave [rowing children too long
in the company of very juvenile
pictures. as these lose their influ-
ence just as a t'ooyoung friend
would. The possibilities of pictures
for children are enormous. and
have been admirably met by the
delidiitnl reproductions that pro
greasiva dealers everywhere can
supply.
PLACE OF PICTURES IN
COLOR SCHEME OF ROOM
Lamp Shades. Too, Contribute
Their Share to its Charm.
“There must be colorful spots in
the well-furnished room." we are
told; and well we know it. A'nd
there are the draperies. the up-
holstery and the rugs to give color:
and then there are the smaller dec-
orative spots. which. in fact. are
the best ones to supply the high
points of color. \
Ideally. it is the picture and its
brilliant color that should be the
keynote of the room. in the matter
of color. For it has been painted
by an artist. and artists above
everyone else know the proper way
to combine color most effectively.
Let us assume. then. that there
is a landscape in warm golden col-
011. with touches of soft green and
vivid blue as part of its composi-
tion. The golden autumn colors of
the picture may well be in tons
with the soft buff color of the
walls. the background of the cur-
talus. and the color of the larger
pieces of furniture. There should
be a few high points of color in
the room. and these may be found
in s turquoise blue shade on a
lamp. which sheds a warm light in
the evening because of its gold-
colored silk lining: and there might
be in this room a number of yellow
goon pillows. to pick up the great
the picture. '
m ,lsmpjiadea of a room.
while they be trimmed in
ea. whatever «:3: inductive as a
if p ‘
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Comfortable chairs and a comfort-
able davenport are almost pre-
requisites of a comfortable living
room but comfort does not mean
bigness and awkwardness. A grace-
ful. light piece of furniture may be
restful if it is properly built and
proportioned.
Batter Lighting Possible.
A table or two is also necessary
to the living room. but not the old-
fashioned center table which seems
to have been, at one time. the axis
around which the living room re-
volved. A davenpor-t table. per-
haps. accompanied by an end table
or two. a gateleg or. tilt-top table
are the usual pieces that are found
at the present time. There are many
little. odd, occasional tables. too.
that are useful as well as an addi-
tion to the beauty of the room.
The exodus of the large center
table has also had a great deal to
do with the better lighting that is
found in .the modern living room.
Each person may now have his
favorite chair near a light furnished
either by a standing lamp or one
which Is placed upon one of these
small tables mentioned before.
The fumitura in the living room
need not be matched furniture. The
pieces. of course. mull he in keep-
ing with each other but the idea of
having the major furnishings of the
room. say the davenport with two
overstuffed chairs and a foot rest'
upholstered in the same material. is
an idea that is going out of practice.
A great deal more individuality may
be expressed by choosing different
articles which correspond with. and
set off. each other. Figured velour
Is not‘ the only attractive upholstery.
by all means. A chain of tapestry.
for example, may be just what is
needed to give character to the
room. In choosing these individual
pieces it is necessary to remember
only two things: first, that the col-
ors of the different pieces must be
in harmony. and second. that the
chair frames must be in accord.
the general color scheme. should
at the same time be so lined with
material that they will give warmth
of light‘ when they illuminate the
room. Green and blue and even
lavender are cool colors. and may
be used for the outer trimming of
the shade: the pleasant glow of
evening lights can come through
the shade only if they give out
warm colors—gold. or yellow or
soft roses. or some other warm
tone.
A visit to a furniture store un-
folds much that' is Interesting if
you will only ask your merchant
to explain the different periods of
furniture designs to you. The ino-
tif of a Louis XV suite. a Queen
' . “Age
lHE lllflEN ABE
Ill HJHNITIJHE
llevcr So Beautiful anti Practlv
cal as It Is Today.
PUBLIC TASTE DEVELOPED
Furniture Designers Quick to RO-
apond to Growing Appreciation
of Color. Line and Form.
___4
By GEO. N. LAMB
The mmlcru cm In furniture
making \llll probably be known
Mlllli'1llill‘itpiifl- it. uuissauce ut the
Twentieth f‘tulul'j. liullug llia
l'llglifeculb t‘l‘liilll‘) the influence
that slurtcd \vilh lite iiuliull lit.L
nuts-sauce. culminated in the pro-
(lucliun of lllu'l_\‘ ul-cs of beautiful
furniture. ltulluu. Spanish, Llutch
and English luuslcrpum-s nerd de-
\’t'ln[lt‘tl during this pct'lml. In
l-iuglund arose the William and
Mary. Queen Anne. and the designs
of f‘hfppeutlulc. llcmwlulute. Afl-
um and dilemma; in l‘i'ililt'v'. Louis
NV and Louis XVI. fir-ginning
with the nineteenth century, how-
ever, furniture styles 1.. gun slowly
to deteriorate. The “Empire" was
certainly no imprnw'uu-ill on the
Georgian styles that lll'i'i'L'tlf‘il it.
The Victorian um; nun nurse.
Then came a flood cf nameless
things that culminated lililil)‘ in tho
“t.“uldon flak" and Allb’r-llill styles
that are still :if‘f’ll ill Hill-'r bullies.
but not recalled out: any degree
of pleasure.
Beginning with flan present cen-
t'ury. but having Its :rrculust devel-
opment in the [lil:~l ten years. have
come great changes in furniture
designs and furniture making. The
leaders in furniture (I! ma have rt~
turned to the classical style; and
adapted them to the iuoflcrn homo.
Practically all the classical styles
have been revived. First William
and Mary. tlicn Queen Anne. then
the Georgian masters. (‘lllllllf‘l’ll’llll0,
lleppclvvliite, Adam illtfl Sheraton,
the Hench. Italian and Spanish.
One has been More popular than
another for a year or too but each
has persisted. Today any large
furniture store will show all of
them or adaptations.
The many influences that have
been at pork in the school. club
and borne have given the home-
maker a creator appreciation of
hen ty in color, form and line.
Flt ifurc (ll'rlfflll‘l‘fl have been
quick fU respond to this cultivated I
taste with the result that the buyer
nM‘t‘l‘ before had such a variety of
beautiful designs from which to are
range pleasing combinations for the
home. Whether or not the present
era is to be lmoun us the Renais-
sance of’ the 'l‘ucntlt-th f'cntury. it
will undoubtedly be known as the.
0f Walnut" in 'Allltil‘lf‘l
The entire production of this heat)-
Ilful native cnbim-f-wood had for
several decades been going to the
cabinet makers of Europe. With
the present return to better dcslg
in furniture. and aided by the ups-v
heaval of the great war. American!
walnut came back into Americanl
furniture. slowly at first. and then‘
more rapidly as the trade realized
that there was still plenty of this
wood available. For several years
now it has been by far the most
popular wood. .
Its popularity is not hard to ex-
plain for it possesses a combina-
tion of characteristics that make it
ideal for cabinet-making. its beau-,
ty. strength. durability and stability
make it the favorite with the cab?
fact-maker. It is strong enough to
stand up even when fashioned into
the. most delicate pieces of furnl-r
turo. Its veneers in endless varie-v
ty and sheer beauty of pattern are
ornamental to the. highest degree.
(‘arvcd surfaces are too bulky
and catch too much dirt to suit the
busy housewife so she prefers a
plain surface. The rich “figure" of
a piece nt‘ stumpwood takes the
place of intricate carving. It looks
better. lasts indefinitely. and is lots
less work. Not lllt‘ least of the
reasons for the popularity of Amer-
li'fln walnut is the fact its rich
brown color is Inherent in the wood
itself. therefore. less subject to
change. When It meets with accl-
deuts. it does not reveal the effects'
as does a light-colored wood that
has been surface-stained.
Light Color Effects Will Brighton
a Dark Hall.
Usually the hall is the connecting
link that' unites all the. rooms of the
house into one satisfying whole.
and therefore peculiar responsibil-
ity rests with the, hall and its color.
Ordinarily lying through the cen-
ter of the house. its location quite
likely keeps it but dimly lighted.
Wall color of ivory. fawn. and the
cream-colored effects. as well as
light gray and putty colors will not.
only remedy this by reflecting more
light than others, but will at the
same time contribute to a sense of.
roomlness and be more ingratlating
than the darker tones. I
In the narrow hall. tapestry wall-
paper In llght colors gives an effect:
of width and distance that is bad
in no other way. And this device
also helps valuably in uniting the
color schemes In connecting rooms.
For instance. if the dominating
color in the living room be blue. a
suggestion of blue in the hall tap-
estry paper will anticipate it and
link. up the two parts of the house
into harmonious color relationshl
If the vvull treatment of the ha
does not serve in this as deity“
then the hall furniture or: , ~ ‘-I
tions must come to thp . ”‘
a blue pottery bowl '
ofthekind ..
Anne units. a saint chair-jack
the m it! a table. l
Norwalk Chronicler