The Golden State: Where & How to Live, Secure, Visit, Enjoy and Thrive in California
Estimating Frame And Brick Houses
When properly placed a layer of coarse gravel about 2 inches thick should be filled in between them, and on this from 4 to 5 inches of concrete, as specified, should be laid, according to one or the other of the methods mentioned. The addition of weeping tiles and gravel will add to the cost about 18 cents per yard.
It will be w ell also when w ater is a trouble in this matter to place a line of weeping tiles of large size all around the building just below the line of footings, grading them to the main drain and covering them with coarse gravel to the level of the footings. This would prevent water from getting under the footings and causing damp and decaying walls. For tiles and cost of putting them in place for this service, including cost of gravel, the figure will be in the neighborhood of 14 cents per running foot, the amount being about equally divided between labor and material. The estimator is cautioned against accepting these prices, if local prices can possibly be obtained. He may rely with a reasonable amount of confidence on the quantities, for these are constant, whereas prices are variable.
Ashlar Facing.
In case that portion of the wall showing above the grade is to have an ashlar facing the cost of the work will be very much enhanced, and in order to arm the estimator with the necessary knowledge to figure correctly on the various styles of ashlar facings it is necessary to place the following remarks before him: In granite ashlar where two stones measure I cubic yard the cost per yard will be $25 nearly. If smaller stones are used more dressing will be required, and the cost may run up to $35 per cubic yard. If sandstone is used to make ashlar faced masonry, it will be found to average about $17 per cubic yard. Sometimes these ashlars are very thin, being not more than 4 or 5 inches in thickness and backed up with common rubble of small stones. When this is the case the rubble work should be estimated at the regular rate for that work and the ashlars should be estimated at their actual value and quantity. This will lower the cost very much. Of course all ashlars, thick or thin, should lie on their natural beds.
Other building stones, imported or otherwise, must be charged in accordance with local rates, and these will range between $35 and $10 per cubic yard, with the exception of the marbles, which are high priced. The style of ashlar employed will also affect the cost to some extent. The style may be rock-face, which is cheap and effective, or it may be rock-face yy ith angle-draft, or rock-face with draft line. Then there is pointed work, tooth-chiseled, tool-worked, drove-worked, rough-pointed, bush-hammered, fine-pointed, picked-work, rubble-work and many other styles, the cost of preparing differing more or less with each style.
