The Golden State: Where & How to Live, Secure, Visit, Enjoy and Thrive in California

Estimating Frame And Brick Houses

For enrichments of all kinds get prices from stucco worker before closing estimate. For all odd jobs of plastering, such as coating roof before shingling, rendering cellar walls or lining cisterns, make sure of prices before tender is finally submitted. In order that the estimator may be able to know nearly the actual cost of plastering ioo yards, independent of the plasterer, we have prepared the following table, to which he can add the cost of labor and materials as they obtain in his locality:

AMOUNT OF MATERIAL REQUIRED TO PLASTER 100 TABDS, THREE-
COAT WORK.
Seven bushels of lime, at $
Four-fifths of a load of sand at
Nine pounds of hair, at
1800 laths in place, at
61/2 pounds of threepenny nails, at
Plastering 2 coats; 1 man 2-3 of a day, at
Helper, 1-5 of a day, at
Plaster of Paris
Hard finishing, 1 day, at
Making mortar and scaffolding, 3/4 day, at
Total $

As the amount of plaster of paris used varies with different workmen, and also with the quality of the " putty " employed, we have left that item to be filled in according to the local usage.

If the estimator will copy this table into his memorandum book, and add the exact cost of materials and labor current in his neighborhood, he will always have for handy reference the exact cost of ioo yards of piasteringin three-coat work.

Painting

Painting is usually done by the yard, the same as plastering, with the exception that the painter receives no advantages of openings. At this writing, and with paints at the present prices, the average price throughout the country, as near as it is possible to obtain, for plain colors and plain work, is, for one coat, 8 cents per yard; two coats, 16 cents per yard; three coats, 22 cents per yard. These figures, it must be understood, are subject to change, as the prices of paint vary, and labor is equally changeable; but the figures will stand as a guide in the absence of the local quotations. In all cases, as before stated, the estimator should procure local bids per yard for all work of this kind.

The amount of materials required to paint 100 yards of plain surface is given herewith. For priming or first coating it will require 20 pounds of white lead and 4 gallons of linseed oil; for two coat work, 40 pounds of white lead and 8 gallons of oil; for three coat work, 55 pounds of white lead and 12 gallons of linseed oil. Coloring matter, of course, will have to be added when required, but as the common colors are cheap, they will add but little to the cost of the whole. A fair estimate for 100 yards of painting three coat work, so far as material is concerned, will be 55 pounds of white lead, 12 gallons of linseed oil, 1 pound of putty, 1/2 pint of knotting and from 2 to 4 pounds of coloring pigment when colors are wanted. From these figures the estimator may be able to obtain pretty close quantites of materials required.