MODERN HOME FROM MUD

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To tie the top of the wall securely and form a base for the plate, a concrete bond beam 6 in. deep and the width of the wall was poured and reinforced with steel rods. This is particularly important at corners, over doors, and at windows. Use 1 X 8 in: boards as forms secured to each side of the wall with twisted wire which will be embedded in the concrete when the ends are cut and forms removed. Anchor bolts are set at all corners and at intervals of four or five feet. To prevent concrete dribbling down between board and wall, place a strip of paper, 2 in. wide, folded to a right angle. Leave the forms in place for several days. Do not expose the concrete to the hot sun or drying winds; cover with burlap or old canvas and sprinkle with water frequently. Any concrete that has dripped down over the adobe brick can easily be chipped off when dry.

After the mortar in the walls has thoroughly set, the bracing in the window and door frames may be removed and the door sills installed, preferably after the roof is on and all floor work is completed, Fig. 15.

ROOF AND CEILING CONSTRUCTION. 2 X 12 in. plates are bolted on the outside walls and 2 X 8 in. plates over the partitions. Ceiling joists and rafters are nailed to these. The sectional view, Fig. 17, illustrates the general construction. In the living room, 6 X 6 in. solid redwood beams are set into the concrete bond beam at each end and notched so that the plate lies flush with the tops. Over these heavy beams random width tongue-andgroove redwood is laid, with ceiling joists over them. Joists, 2 X 4 in., are spaced 24 in. on centers except in the bathroom where they are spaced at 16 in. to accommodate rock lath, Fig. 20. The bracing of the roof structure is illustrated in Fig. 18. This method not only supports the long rafters in the middle but resists end-to-end or gable-to-gable pressure under strong winds.

In all rooms except living room the joists are installed first, directly on the plate, and the ceiling boards nailed on the underside, Fig. 19. In bedrooms, hall, and kitchen this is shiplap knotty pine, in the dining room random width tongue-andgroove oak. A cornice of the same material is installed in every room covering the edge of the plate. None is used in the bathroom as the walls and ceiling are plastered, the former directly upon the adobe brick without metal lath or other retaining device, Fig. 20. Incidentally, the built-in bath tub must be installed before the walls are laid up. All other fixtures can be installed later, although concealed piping should be in place before brick laying is started.

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