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

Estimating Frame And Brick Houses

The excavating being finished, we next want to know the cost of the stone work. In many parts of the country stone work is measured by the perch, which is l61/2 feet long, 1^2 feet thick and I foot high, containing 241/4 cubic feet. In estimating, however, 25 cubic feet are regarded as a perch, and in the solid wall will contain about 22 cubic feet of stone and 3 cubic feet of mortar. In some localities stone is measured by the cord of 128 cubic feet. This, in the opinion of many well qualified to discuss the subject, is the better method of measurement. One hundred cubic feet measured in the wall is considered 1 cord, and the estimator must make a note of that. Corners or quoins are measured without reduction for thickness; then a tape line run all around the wall on the outside and meeting at any point is the total length of the stone work. To lay 1 cord of ordinary quarried stone will require 21/2 bushels of lime and 5 barrels of sand.

A day's work for a mason's helper on work of this kind is to move 1 cord of stone to the mason and to mix and carry the mortar for laying the same. A mason will lay 1 cord of stone in a day of nine hours, therefore it is easy to estimate the cost of putting in a stone foundation after the number of cubic feet in a wall are known, for we have:

1. Cost of 128 feet of stone, delivered $
2. 21/2 bushels of lime and 5 barrels of sand
3. Mason's wages, one day
4. Laborer's wages, one day
Total $

As prices differ in various localities, the estimator can fill in the blanks to suit the prices prevailing in his place.

Brick Work.

There is always more or less brick work to be done in connection with a wooden building, such as fire places, chimneys, piers, etc., and we will next turn attention to it. Brick work is estimated by the 1000 brick, but as the building under consideration does not contain much of this work we will content ourselves with giving a few rules for estimating for fire places and chimneys only, leaving the greater questions to be dealt with at another time. In building common brick fire places and ordinary flues, a workman will lay about 600 brick a day, and it will require a laborer to wait on him and prepare the mortar. To lay these brick will require 11/4 bushels of lime and 7 bushels of sand. One cubic foot of brick work takes 22 brick, so the solid contents of a chimney or fire place should first be obtained in cubic feet; then when multiplied by 22. the number of brick required to do the work is ascertained. The cost thus obtained holds good if the building is two stories or less.