Cottage Building in Cob Pise Chalk and Clay Part 9

"The Globe and Phnix system is the result of a number of experiments carried out on that mine. Their mixture, which is stated to be ant-proof, contains more moisture than Pise de terre, and each course is reinforced with old wire rope, or other suitable sc.r.a.p. The material is left in a heap for one or two days before being used.

"Circular huts have been built on the mine of the same material, the forms being made of two rings of corrugated iron in three or more sections joined up with cleats at the end laps and held in position with cross bolts and distance pieces. The inner ring is 9 in. less radius than the outer one."

[Headnote: Pise Buildings for Settlers]

_Extracts from a paper on Pise in the "Farmers' Handbook,"

issued by the Department of Agriculture, New South Wales, 1911_

"Pise is a material readily obtainable by the settler, of which cheap and durable buildings can be easily and substantially erected.

"For the construction of pastoral or agricultural buildings, especially in districts remote from railways, or from towns in which other building materials are cheap or easily procurable, pise is particularly well adapted. In the country earth is plentiful and readily obtainable; in the city or town such is not the case, and this fact, combined with the very bulky nature of the material, prohibits its use in such centres of population.

"To the selector or settler, who, like many of our successful pioneers, is not burdened with a superfluity of hard cash, but who possesses an abundant capital of energy, combined with a certain amount of handiness, pise has an additional advantage (which it shares with slabs, wattle and daub, etc.) over most other building materials, in that it affords him an opportunity of erecting his homesteading largely as the result of his own labour.

"As a building material, pise is infinitely superior and more durable than slabs, galvanised iron, or weather-boards. In fact it is questionable whether it is not more suitable for our climate, and therefore to be preferred to brickwork; for pise buildings, properly protected and finished, are quite as durable and much cooler than buildings constructed with solid brick walls. This statement may be questioned by some whose knowledge of pise is limited to buildings so badly planned that the very elementary principles of building construction have been neglected. This neglect, which is all too common, makes things bad enough, but when to it is added, as is sometimes the case, indifferent workmanship, combined with the use of unsuitable material, the result does not call for admiration, and it is not surprising that a bad impression is created. With no other knowledge of pise it is only natural to condemn it because of such specimens, but under similar circ.u.mstances other better-known building materials of proved excellence would also be condemned. Brickwork would just as readily be condemned if its building qualities had to be estimated by the appearance presented by a brick building which had been constructed of badly-burnt bricks laid by unskilful tradesmen on an imperfectly thought-out plan. Just as with other building materials, the possibilities of this material can only be judged by an examination of properly planned and constructed examples of the pise-builder's art.

Such are found here and there throughout the country, pleasing to look at, affording comfort and satisfaction to their owners. A properly constructed pise building can be finished to suit the taste of the most fastidious. Even without plaster the walls can be 'floated' down and a 'skin' obtained on them which, when limewashed, resembles stonework.

When plastered inside and out they possess the advantages of a stone house, and are erected at a fraction of the cost.

"Some idea may be formed of the durability of pise by the fact that there is a stable built of pise which has been in constant use for over sixty years, and which at the present time is in good order. The good condition of this stable is the more surprising because the external walls are unprotected from the weather, and it is generally recognised that pise-work, especially if unplastered, should be protected from the direct action of rain. Pise buildings are said to have a life of a century and a half.

"The stability of pise buildings is beyond question, as is proved by the following instance:--At Lambrigg, a second-story brick building, with 14-in. walls, and containing ten rooms, is built upon a lower story of pise. The bricklayer who had the contract for erecting the brick portion of the house refused, as it was built upon pise, to guarantee his work.

Some time after the completion of the house he visited it, and after a thorough examination of the building, declared that it was the most substantial brick house in the district, as it had not a crack in it, a feature which was somewhat unusual in that locality. Another case bearing on the same subject is that of a residence at Temora. When this building was being constructed the workmen omitted to leave holes for the bolts which were to secure the verandah plates to the walls, as it was thought these could readily be bored out afterwards with an auger.

On attempting to bore out these holes on the completion of the building, and when the pise-work had become drier, the operation of boring proved so difficult as to be practically impossible, and had to be abandoned.

[Headnote: Builders' Aversions]

"The merits of pise-work have been recognised in France, India, Mexico, and California for years past, and seeing its equal suitability for our climate, it is surprising that these merits have not led to its being more extensively used. The princ.i.p.al reason for this seems to be because our builders are averse to undertaking this cla.s.s of work, and in consequence the bulk of it is placed in the hands of untrained men, who, whilst quite fitted to carry out the pise-work, are not competent to undertake the other constructive work of a building. However, they do not hesitate to do this, as well as to undertake the more important work (though unrecognised as being so) of planning out the building. The result is in most cases an improperly planned and defectively constructed building, which appeals to no one, but has a tendency to bring pise into disrepute.

"The reason for a builder's unwillingness to undertake pise-work is not far to seek. For the successful carrying out of his work a builder relies upon skilled tradesmen; our tradesmen are trained in cities and towns, and as pise is not a suitable material for such places, tradesmen do not become familiar with it. A good builder with a reputation to lose shrinks from placing that reputation at the mercy of a pise-builder, who is not recognised as a tradesman, and in whom, in consequence of this, a builder is likely to have little or no confidence.

"The actual erection of pise-work presents so little difficulty that it can be done by any one who has sufficient strength to shovel earth and wield a rammer, provided he will exercise care to see that the moulds or boxes into which the earth is shovelled are kept plumb and in straight lines. The average settler, even with no previous knowledge of pise-work or building construction, need have no hesitation in undertaking the pise-work of his own buildings if he works to a well-thought-out plan drawn up by somebody competent to do so.

"The necessity of having a plan prepared by some one who understands the principles and requirements of simple building construction, before undertaking the erection of any building, cannot be too strongly emphasised. This great need, which is often overlooked by the settler, cannot be economically dispensed with. The securing of a properly prepared plan is of the greatest value towards obtaining a building of the maximum strength and durability, combined with the best appearance and greatest convenience, for the least cost. Even when a settler undertakes the pise-work of his own building, it will only be in rare instances that he will not have the advantage of trained supervision during its erection. The services of a tradesman will invariably be found necessary to make doors and window-frames, construct the roof, etc. This workman can be engaged when the building is started, and whilst preparing the timbers of the roof, in readiness for the time when they will be required on the completion of the pise-work, can supervise the fixing of the door and window frames, and see they are set correctly, and in their proper places.

"Pise walls are constructed in sections, the extent of which is regulated by the supply of casings available.

"Into the moulds formed by the boxes the earth is shovelled in layers of 4 or 5 in., and then rammed until thoroughly solid before another layer is put in. On the completion of the section, _i.e._ when the mould is full and well rammed, the keys or pins are knocked out of the 'bolts,'

and the 'boxes' taken apart and erected on another portion of the building. The top of that portion of the pise-work on which it is proposed to erect another section should be well moistened and covered with wet bags some hours before the mould is formed. The bottom of the mould should overlap the top of the pise-work by about 6 in. After the 'boxes' are put together, the top layer of pise should be loosened with a pick so as to form a bond with the section about to be built, and if this section adjoins one already built, the ends of the latter should be bevelled off so as not to form a straight joint.

"Material which is too sandy will fret away, and one containing clay will crack when dry. Soils containing these defects should be avoided.

There is, however, such a wide range of soils which are suitable that a holding of any size on which suitable soils cannot be found will be the exception. It is possible to remedy the defects found in one soil by mixing it with another soil, but very rarely will such a course be necessary.

[Headnote: Number of Men Required]

"The plant required will depend upon the number of men to be employed.

Three is the least number that can be economically employed--two attending to the boxes and ramming, and one carting earth from its location to the building and a.s.sisting generally. The plant required for this number of men is given below. If more are engaged, additional plant of the same character will be found advantageous.

"The necessary plant will consist of--2 wooden rammers, 1 iron shod rammer, 2 straight boxes, 2 angle boxes, 3 casings for blocking up the ends of boxes, bolts and keys for same, 12 gauge rods, washers--a liberal supply of -in. washers, 2 shovels, 1 spade, a horse and dray or other means for transporting the material to the building (if required)."

The following detailed instructions are taken from the same authority:

[Headnote: Pise in New Zealand]

SPECIFICATION CLAUSES FOR A PISe HOUSE (NEW ZEALAND)

_Excavator._--Remove the turf to make footings, but not deeper at any place than 3 in. Step where required.

_Pise-Builder_

_Walls._--Erect the walls as shown on plan, external walls 18 in., internal walls 15 in., carried up plumb and true, with all cross walls properly bonded by continuing the pise-boxes around all angles; when necessary, the material for the walls is to be properly tempered with sufficient water. All sticks and vegetable matter are to be removed.

_Suitable material_: to be a pipeclay loam, with a trace of small gravel evenly distributed through it.[8] The boxes to be filled in thin layers of 4 in. at a time, and well rammed until solid; the workmen are not to use their rammers in unison.

[Footnote 8: This was specified because it was the best material near the site.]

The whole of the internal angles, also door and window jambs, to be neatly splayed.

_Floating._--Moisten well the outside and inside walls before the floors are laid, and float same to even smooth surface with wooden hand-float, using weak plaster, where required.

_Bolts._--To hold down wall-plates, provide and build in in. bolts, not less than 15 in. long, and s.p.a.ced not more than 6 ft. apart.

_Damp-course._--Below all walls lay a three-ply Ruberoid damp-course the full width of walls, to lap at ends at least 4 in.

_Ventilators._--Insert below floors, where directed, four 9 in. by 6 in.

galvanised iron air gratings, in wooden frames 1 in. thick by full width of walls; also insert at about 18 in. below ceiling similar air gratings and frames.

_Plugs._--Insert plugs 3 ft. apart for skirting, chair and picture-rail, at the heights directed.

_Frames._--Set all frames plumb and true, and secured in wall before removing head. Lintels and heads must be well and solidly bedded in mortar, at proper heights. The whole of the work to be done in a proper workmanlike manner.

_Fillet._--Finish against intersection of floor and wall with neat 1 in. quarter-round fillet, scribed to wall and floor and nailed to floors.

The pise-builder will require to build into wall at all window and door openings 3 in. by 3 in. shaped plugs, s.p.a.ced not more than 3 ft. apart to secure architraves.

_Lintels._--For all door and window openings provide 6 in. by 4 in.

well-seasoned pine lintels, to extend 12 in. into pise-work on each side of opening.

_Skirting._--Provide and fix in all rooms, to plugs about 3 ft. apart, 6-in. skirting, neatly scribed to floors, mitred at angles as required.

_Picture-rail._--Provide 3 in. by 1 in. picture-rail to all rooms.

_Plugs._--Prepare and tar for pise-builder 3 in. by 1 in. well-seasoned softwood plugs, 15 in. long, as per detail, for skirtings, picture- and chair-rail, to be inserted 3 ft. apart.

STUDDING, WIRE-NETTING, AND PISe

"This is a modification of Pise, which provides a settler in a district where poles and saplings are available with a quick method of providing himself with a comfortable temporary residence without the expenditure of much cash. To construct buildings of this character, a framework of saplings or poles, at intervals of 3 ft. 6 in. to 3 ft. apart, is first erected; this framework is covered on both sides with 1 in. mesh wire-netting. The two sections of netting are held together, strengthened, and prevented from stretching and bulging between the posts by means of wire hooks or loops, which are as long as the posts are wide. The s.p.a.ces thus enclosed by the netting and the poles are then filled with earth, which is well rammed, thus making a solid wall 4 in.