Don’t know if this has been done before but what are some important dates in construction history?
Here’s a couple of examples
1985 First 80% efficiency furnace
1926 First overhead garage door
1916 Drywall invented
Don’t know if this has been done before but what are some important dates in construction history?
Here’s a couple of examples
1985 First 80% efficiency furnace
1926 First overhead garage door
1916 Drywall invented
Learn more about the benefits and compliance details for the DOE's new water heater energy-efficiency standards.
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Replies
2000 b.c. - Last commercial job completed with no labor stoppage (pyramids).
LoL
Just got here.
Hey, I read that we (the builders) went of on a desert retreat and just never came back. Something about working conditions and the promise off a better site in a different area there.
I understand some of the bosses were "drowning" in sorrow.Quality repairs for your home.
AaronR ConstructionVancouver, Canada
Nope Moses lead half the work force out of Egypt.
would that be the first union strike?
Welcome to the Taunton University of Knowledge FHB Campus at Breaktime. where ... Excellence is its own reward!
Large fires in cities changed building codes pretty drasticly. The two I can think of are Chicago and San Fransisco.
thanks for the infoHere's a picture from the san fran fire and earthquakehttp://www.sfmuseum.org/hist10/deadhorses.html
Invention: Thermos bottleInventor: Sir James Dewar, EnglandYear: 1892How Invented: British chemist Sir James Dewar developed the vacuum bottle for storing liquid gases. First known as Dewar bulbs, then sold under the trade name of Thermos, signifying hot, and finally called Thermos bottles, their purpose is to retard heat transfer. This is accomplished by placing one bottle inside another, then creating a vacuum between the walls to prevent heat loss by convection. To cut heat loss by radiation, the walls are coated with a heat reflector, silver solution of aluminum. A rubber collar at the top holds the bottles in place and also serves as a shock absorber. The Thermos bottle can keep liquids hot or cold for periods up to 24 hours.
''Wise men talk because they have something to say; fools, because they have to say something.'' Plato
LoL
San Francisco was destroyed by an earthquake and a couple of years later Galveston, Texas is destroyed by a hurricane. Both were rebuilt without federal government aid. Today that would be impossible, or so we are lead to believe.
Well depends on what you consider Fed. aid. The Army was there, 4,000 soldiers for 4 months, plus they built "cabins" for some of the survivors afterwards. Federal money certainly paid for all that. Another interesting thing is that without the federal aid the insurers losses were so great that it bled the market of money and caused the recession of 1908.
Private aid did step up though , Standard Oil gave (in today's dollars) approx. $2,280,000, as did Carnegie.
Better than $4.5 mil from just two "private" donors.
I don't recall any of the private or public corps putting that kind of money up in aid to N.O. do you ?
They can't get your Goat if you don't tell them where it is hidden.
The kind of aid the U.S. military gave was superfluous. The recession of 1908 can not be said to have been caused by these events. And the list of large corporate and non-profit donors of aid in NO after Katrina is long and filled with large contributions. Voluntary is the only way. Government is a net consumer (destroyer) of wealth and security. If you want I can even tell you how building safety codes would work in a truly free society.
I guess I will have to document what I posted. Allow me though to first disabuse you of the idea that there was no federal aid to S.F. "$1,000,000 FOR RELIEF VOTED BY CONGRESS; Washington Is Acting with the Energy of War Time. NO STOPS FOR RED TAPE Shelter, Supplies, Food, and Medicines Ordered Forward from All Points --Army Handles Expenditures." That is somewhere close to $23 mil. in todays dollars.
Link:http://query.nytimes.com/gst/abstract.html?res=9B0CE5DC1438EF32A25753C2A9629C946797D6CF
But since you label the military aid as "superfluous" I would like to have you explain that.
Let's see 10% of the population in S.F.in 1906 is what the 4000 military on the ground comes out to , not counting naval support.
Can you come up with a number of similar responders for N.O.? ""During the first few days, soldiers provided valuable services patrolling streets to discourage looting and guarding buildings such as the US Mint, post office, and county jail. They aided the fire department in dynamiting to demolish buildings in the path of the fires. The Army also became responsible for feeding, sheltering, and clothing the tens of thousands of displaced residents of the city. This support prompted many citizens to exclaim, "Thank God for the soldiers!"[citation needed] Under the command of Funston's superior, Major General Adolphus Greely, Commanding Officer, Pacific Division, over 4,000 troops saw service during the emergency. On July 1, 1906, civil authorities assumed responsibility for relief efforts, and the Army withdrew from the city."" ""Relocation and housing of displacedThe Army built 5,610 redwood and fir "relief houses" to accommodate 20,000 displaced people. The houses were designed by John McLaren, and were grouped in eleven camps, packed close to each other and rented to people for two dollars per month until rebuilding was completed. They were painted olive drab, partly to blend in with the site, and partly because the military had large quantities of olive drab paint on hand. The camps had a peak population of 16,448 people, but by 1907 most people had moved out.""As for the "Recession of 08": ""The insurance payments heavily affected the international financial system. Gold transfers from European insurance companies to policyholders in San Francisco led to a rise in interest rates, subsequently to a lack of available loans and finally to the Knickerbocker Crisis of October 1907 and a recession of the US economy.[28]"" Quotes are from WIKI but can be easily substantiated with other sources . As For voluntary funds, can you tell me which private donors gave $2.28 mil for N.O. relief. My pointing out the two that gave to S.F does not exclude a very , very long list of others who gave as well. As for your issue with building codes do you know that in the aftermath of the S.F quake codes were reduced to almost non-existent because they wanted to get the city rebuilt as rapidly as possible? Or that in the opinion of those tasked with responding to disaster S.F. actually went backwards following the quake of 1906 not forwards in terms of safe structures because of the lack of codes and that this regression continued until almost the 1960's? You are welcome to try to educate me about how things work in a "truly free society" if you wish but I suggest you either contact me privately or create a new thread in the tavern. I have bored enough people here already I am sure.
Edited 8/18/2008 3:51 pm by dovetail97128
A lot of the time a fire does as much or more damage after and earthquake in old cities. If you read up on the big San Francisco earthquake the city burned for days.
In old cities the houses were right next to each other and they were all wooden. So the fire just ate whole blocks. They couldn't stop it. They even lit back fires burning houses.
As far as your political point. I could care less. This post thread was about construction history.
Not YOUR particular political position or beliefs.
I'm sick and tired of people imposing their political beliefs where they don't belong.
So please, stick to construction history.
Did you ever live in a house with knob and tube wiring?It was discontinued in the 1930's.I lived in a house with knob and tube wiring and I always kind of worried about it.I didn't have any problems though
K&T was used into the 50's in some areas." Knob-and-Tube wiring was the predominant wiring system through the 1920 s and 1930 s; some installations of knob-and-tube wiring continued in houses up until 1950.".
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A-holes. Hey every group has to have one. And I have been elected to be the one. I should make that my tagline.
Thanks Bill
Copper water pipes replaced galvanized during the 1950'sAgree?
A friend has a house that was built, we think, in 55 and had galvanized.And when I was a kid we bought a house in 56 that was built just a couple of years earlier and it was copper.But around 52 we bought some land and built a building that has temporary living on the top floor and the basement and first floor was was space for the nursery business.I know the well house had galvanized.But we had finned baseboard HW, which I am thinking was copper, but I am not sure.I have no guess of what the plumbing was..
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A-holes. Hey every group has to have one. And I have been elected to be the one. I should make that my tagline.
what about cast iron drain pipes changing to plastic?
I don't know.I think that in this area ABS was being used by the mid 70's. I know iwas by the late 70's.And I worked on one house built about 65 that not only had CI for the drain, but had a lead connect to the toilet and connected into that was lead lines from the vanity and tub..
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A-holes. Hey every group has to have one. And I have been elected to be the one. I should make that my tagline.
thanks Bill
How about sliding patio doors1960's ?
I am not a good one to ask. I just have my limited experiences.I think that they date from much older than that. I would not be surprised to find out that the Wright Union or Eschler (sp??) houses had them.And they where probably more common on the west coast before they where here.I would not be surprised to find that they did not become "common" until the 70's, but where used much earlier..
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A-holes. Hey every group has to have one. And I have been elected to be the one. I should make that my tagline.
Thanks Bill, I've seen some 1960's houses around here with what looks like the old original sliding door which is made of wood
I worked on one house built about 65 that ... had a lead connect to the toilet
Yeah, so what's so old about that? ;o)>
I put in a brand-new lead toilet bong three weeks ago when I was tiling a client's bathroom. Much easier than futzing around with plastic.
Okay, the dwv lines were abs and not CI, but the bong is real lead.
History of Construction--April 16, 2008: Dinosaur learns that not everybody still uses lead for toilet connections. Shortly thereafter he is diagnosed as suffering from PTSD: Post-Technological Shock Disorder....
Dinosaur
How now, Mighty Sauron, that thou art not broughtlow by this? For thine evil pales before that whichfoolish men call Justice....
Bongs are for smoking wacky weed.....how high is your John?
I dunno what else to call 'em, and they look kinda like something I saw on a garage sale table one time. Asked the guy what the heck it was and he looked at me weird and said, 'That's a bong, man. You never saw a bong before?'
(I muttered something about having been raised by pygmy kangaroos in the Australian outback and left quietly....)
Dinosaur
How now, Mighty Sauron, that thou art not broughtlow by this? For thine evil pales before that whichfoolish men call Justice....
My folks home built in 60' had lead and oakum on the CI drain lines.
If anyone has every seen this stuff. It's pretty weird to think it kept the pipes from leaking.ML
"It's pretty weird to think it kept the pipes from leaking."It makes more sense if you've ever had to remove a fitting!gk
oakum on the CI drain lines. .... It's pretty weird to think it kept the pipes from leaking.
Oakum has been used for hundreds of years to calk the seams in the decks and hulls of wooden ships. That's what makes the ships watertight. It's made of old, teased-out rope yarns.
Dinosaur
How now, Mighty Sauron, that thou art not broughtlow by this? For thine evil pales before that whichfoolish men call Justice....
I had to check your profile to see where you reside.
About 75% of the renovations I bid are cast iron with lead and okum.
Funny. Philadelphia is filled with old stuff cause it is such an old town
In regards to the lead connections.I was at a plumbing supply having some pipe threaded when a couple of hippies came in. The old guy threading the pipe (older than me) joked "you can't smoke dope in here" to the hippies. Which brought my reply "a lot of plumbers know how to roll a joint, but not many know how to wipe a joint" He did not have a clue what I was talking about.I tried to explain how you go about "wiping a joint" w/out much success. I have done it only once many years ago. For the uninitiated, you make a transition from a drain fitting say from a bathtub to soil pipe by taking a sheet of lead and forming a fitting to connect the two. Pretty much like a tailor taking a sheet of cloth and cutting it and sewing it together to form an arm, leg, and etc. The edges are then overlapped and soldered. Maybe an old timer can better explain the process.
pneumatic nail gun mid-1950s (sorry, not an exact date) but here's a good story.
http://www.herald-journal.com/archives/2005/stories/nailgun.html
that's a good story
copper water pipes were a great advancement but lets not forget about PEX piping. it has lead to some very good energy products for homes such as radiant heating.
After I started contracting, old Tom & Jerry cartoon made so much more sense.
That was the only place i'd ever seen K&T before. Tom would always reach in the mouse hole after Jerry and grab the wires and get a shock.
Family.....They're always there when they need you.
My brother bought a house with knob&tube wiring.
It had been abandoned for a few years, as the owners' heirs were arguing about what to do with it. The first thing it needed was a new roof, since you could see sky from the attic. So my brother, dad, and I put a new roof on the first week bro owned it.
One afternoon, as it was getting dark and we were finishing for the day, I asked who was in the house. Lights were flickering on and off.
It turns out the wiring was so bad that lights and switches were going on and off without human help.
My brother re-wired the house the second week he owned it.
Knob&tube can be OK if maintained. But it doesn't have a ground, frequently the insulation is deteriorating, and usually can't handle the higher demands homes have now.
I've heard of people finding it in the attic and I think I saw it once or twice. From what I've heard as long as you don't damage it by crawling over it or cover it up with something your ok.
The biggest problem with it tiday is that it wasnt designed to be buried in insulation. It needed space around it to dissipate heat.
Family.....They're always there when they need you.
I've removed and repaired k&t. I know there are several homes here that still have some of it in use. Glad I don't own any of them.
It was discontinued in the 1930's.
First house I bought was built in 1942, it had knob and tube.
interestingI showed a house earlier this week which was built in 1930 and it had some old knob and tube but most of it had been replacedI think my personal preference is to "stay away" from houses built prior to 1950 (as far as a house to buy and live in) just to avoid problems and headaches with old pluming and wiring, etc
Re. staying away from old homes, they all have been lasting a long long time.
It is a little tricky working on them and I would not run my table saw off of knob and tube, but it serves its purpose well.
And as far as old pipes, you never get a complaint about noisy drains with CI
I have a friend who's dad was a plumber and he started melting lead at the ripe old age of 10 to help his dad.
Good pointBut I watch people buy the older houses and these are people who don't own any tools and they freak out when the faucet leaks or the coffee pot throws the breaker.I'm helping someone and they would love to buy a 1930 Beautiful Tudor Home in one of the best neighborhoods in townI met her there last week and I measured the detached two car garage and it was built at the same time as the rest of the houseIt has 80 year old tile roof which matches the house.The garage was 18 ft deep and 17 feet wideIt was a tight fit but I got my car in there just to make sure a car would even fitI looked at the toilets which are original?They are two separate componentsThe tank is separate from the bowl and a 2" chrome pipe elbow connects the twoIt's leaking and I'm sure there is probably a large rubber washer that's gotten old and dry.Are you going to buy the rubber washer at Lowes? I don't know but I doubt it
Re. the gasket, no you might not find it at Lowes or HD but what a cool place, it sounds.
I spent 20 years in new construction but grew up in an old Pennsylvania Farm House and love the old stuff.
My mentality is I can fix anything so I would love something like that.
Costs money to have and to fix but that is what you get when you buy old
I'm guessing that state federal or other government funds were used to build the Galveston Sea Wall and to raise Galveston's elevation by 8 to 10 feet. Pretty sure the Army Corps of Engineers did the Sea Wall.
Don't forget Coconut Grove in Boston.
Denver, too. Frame houses were illegal for decades after the last big fire. The fire was late nineteenth/early 20th century, I believe.Bill
Mid 1860's: First Steel reinforced concrete used.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Reinforced_concrete
1885: First Steel Framed building
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Skyscraper
Some where in the mid 1840's IIRC the first use of "studs" as we know them today for balloon framing.
That first reinforced concrete building was in our town. I believe it no longer exists, but I will look into that and seeIf it still stands I'll try and take a picture. Mike
Small wheel turn by the fire and rod, big wheel turn by the grace of god.
1291: Piffin born
but cool thread, ought to be interesting reading.
the first plumbing pipes were made out of logs A drill was used to bore a hole through the center
Very true, which is amazing. I have a piece of a wooden water main that was dug up on a job in Detroit. Hard to believe how well they worked and lasted and rumor has it there are still some wooden mains in Detroit still in service - although the location of such has long since been forgotten.Shawn
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Checker Contracting - SE Michigan
Somewhat related to the wooden water mains. I worked as a landscape architect for several years for a civil engineer. I know this to be true that the city of Camden NJ uses a shared system of sormwater/sewer drains. When new systems go in, they are separate, but as of now, they still join back up somewhere.
rumor has it there are still some wooden mains in Detroit still in service
There are still wooden penstocks in use. There a fairly long one of about 12 foot diameter, a few miles up the Delaware river from Port Jervis, NY, which belongs to the local power company.
It's interesting to see from above, winding along next to a stream until it reaches a small generator plant.
Edited 8/18/2008 10:52 pm by Hudson Valley Carpenter
Check this out from last week.
http://www.ci.arlington.tx.us/news/2008/archive_0708_08.html
Texas has some other peculiar old utilities, still in place. I once installed a backyard in-ground pool in a very old Ft. Worth neighborhood.
The gas main ran above ground, along the back property line which joined with backyards on the adjacent street. The gas line was protected by a concrete channel but still completely exposed.
I have no idea why they didn't bury that line. At least it was easy to find the valve.
There are still wooden mains under the streets in philadelphia. Big ones too.
A buddy works for one of the utility contractors and sees them regularly.
Easy to tap though!!
I have seen a piece of wood water main that was made of various pieces cut in pie shapes and held together with wire then coated with tar. Lasted at least 80 years. My understanding is they only become probmatic when the are allowed to dry out and then re-hydrated. DanT
How about wire nails?
France circa 1830-1850
http://books.google.com/books?id=nPd0pItrrI8C&pg=PA163&lpg=PA163&dq=Wire+Nails+first+invented&source=web&ots=2mjj1Lf_yW&sig=qIAIdBKkiR13YFietrHQUUeYwnY&hl=en&sa=X&oi=book_result&resnum=1&ct=result
I had a neighbor who had found some of the square nails and he had made a display of these nails and hung them on the wall.I can't verfiy this but it's my understanding this was the world's first hammerhttp://www.sears.com/shc/s/p_10153_12605_00930477000P?vName=Tools&cName=HandTools,GeneralPurpose&sName=Adjustable%20Wrenches&psid=FROOGLE01&sid=IDx20070921x00003a
The first crude hammers date to about 2,400,000 BC when various shaped stones were used to strike wood, bone, or other stones to and break them apart and shape them. Stones attached to sticks with strips of leather or animal sinew were being used as hammers by about 30,000 BC during the middle of the Paleolithic Stone Age. Its archeological record means it is perhaps the OLDEST HUMAN TOOL KNOWN.
1971--OSHA goes into effect.
2008--Workers still trying to figure out what safety glasses are for.
LoL
I'm thinking it was putting power of any kind other than human behind the blades that shape our wood products.
In the early eighteenth century wood was being milled with the power of moving water and mills were built along streams.
Then came steam, and now wee have portables with electricity starting I think with black and Decker on the drill.
Welcome to the
Taunton University of Knowledge FHB Campus at Breaktime.
where ...
Excellence is its own reward!
I was a shop teacher in 1981 and if I remember correctly all of our tools were either black and decker or sears craftsman
Actually, Fein invented the electric drill.B&D invented the pistol grip drill.
after all the articles I have read in my life about how B&D exits because of the idea they had to put a drill bitt on an electric motor, I need to ask what is your source for that?I am suspecting his is kinda like who invented the automobile? Withing 2-3 years A LOT OF DIFFERENT PEOPLE IN DIFFERNT COUNTRIES ALL DID, IN VARIOUS FORMSOOPS sorry the caps
Welcome to the Taunton University of Knowledge FHB Campus at Breaktime. where ... Excellence is its own reward!
Piffin,Sorry, your reply to me somehow flew under my radar for awhile.To answer, I thought it was common knowledge that Fein invented the electric drill but here is a source to confirm (it's the history of Fein by Fein if that counts).http://www.fein.de/corp/uk/en/fein/history.htmlThe story of B&D is in 1916 two inventors and machine shop partners were trying to come up with their next product. One night while sitting at the kitchen table drinking and brainstorming they simultaneously look at a pistol laying on the table and that's when they decide to add a pistol grip to a drill motor. Here is a timeline from B&D to support most of that claim:http://library.corporate-ir.net/library/10/100/100780/items/283276/Timeline2007.pdfI have always wondered why they had a pistol randomly laying on the kitchen table.Hmmmm...Just pulled this off Wikipedia, I guess I never specified that Fein invented the first PORTABLE electric drill but that is what I meant.Wiki says: "The invention of the first electric drill is credited to Mr. Arthur James Arnot and William Blanch Brain, in 1889, at Melbourne, Australia. Wilhelm Fein invented the portable electric drill in 1895, at Stuttgart, Germany. In 1917, Black & Decker patented a trigger-like switch mounted on a pistol-grip handle."You gotta read those books mentioned earlier!GKEdited to ask: where did you get your info?
Edited 9/4/2008 9:53 am ET by Dreamcatcher
I have read several articles in periodicals over the years all pointing to B&D. Looks liker that is an urbanical myth.So, where do you leve your pistol laying? ;
)
Welcome to the Taunton University of Knowledge FHB Campus at Breaktime. where ... Excellence is its own reward!
"So, where do you leave your pistol laying?"To be honest, it's sitting on the nightstand.There are, however, a lot of hand and power tools that have unclear histories. Some notable myths start when tool companies make a tool that becomes so popular that it is thereafter referred to by its trademark name such as: Sawzall, Skillsaw, Sabersaw, Portaplane and Dremel Tool. Most, such as Milwaukee Sawzall, were the first of their kind and still exist in relatively original format. Others, Such as the Skillsaw and Dremel Tool, were merely more widely available than similar predecessors. But even the Sawzall had a predecessor, albeit less portable, in the power hacksaw but that is like comparing "contractor" table saws and radial arm saws to today's "benchtop" table saws and sliding compound miter saws.Doesn't Sandor Nagyszalanczy ever come to BT, he'd probably be able to fill us in on the history of power tools.gk
An interesting article pertaining to the histories of tool manufacturers:http://ezinearticles.com/?Power-Tools-History&id=976405gk
Do you know when they first started insulating homes?
yes
MrFixit, and All, To find the first documented use of building insulation you must look someplace cold and use something natural. Asbestos, meaning unextinguishable in Greek; translated as "a" (not) and "sbestos" (extinguishable) is a natural hairlike fiber found throughout the world that has historically "magical" heat, chemical, durability, and insulating properties. Although the Greeks made use of asbestos, they were not the first to use it as building insulation. The first historic account is accredited to the Finnish Corded Ware Culture of around 3000BC (1000 years prior to the Greeks) and it was used as an insulator as well as a binder in the chinking of log homes. While the Egyptians, Persians, Indians, Greeks, and the Romans all used asbestos, none used it as a building insulator (however the Greeks discovered early on that it caused lung cancer among slaves who wore asbestos fiber clothing and the Romans prescribed dust masks to those working with the fiber). Then came the dark ages and then the industrial revolution where asbestos was again used as building insulation, albeit not in the walls but as covering for steam pipes (circa 1860's). Asbestos mines sprung up around the world and it was once again hailed as a "magical" resource. We all sort of know the rest: 30 million tons of asbestos mined in the past 100 yrs. and then tossed into over 3000 different products. Scientific evidence of carcinogenic effects were quashed by government and big business. In the 1950's an explosion of asbestos related deaths caused enough concern for extra research into the effects of prolonged exposure, as well as a push for alternative forms of insulation products such as: Mineral Wool: invented 1870, made from air jetted molten rock, iron, asbestos, or slag; Fiberglass: accidentally invented in 1893 when a jet of air hit molten glass and blasted glass fibers across a laboratory at Owens Corning; Aerogel: invented 1931, similar to syrofoam made by extracting the liquids from a jellylike substance to form a hardened air entrained material; Vermiculite: a natural mineral similar to mica that became popular in the 1920's as a form of building insulation; Then of course there is Cellulose which is a generalized term for any organic material used as packing and insulation commonly in the form of wool, corn cobs, strawdust, wood chips, sawdust, redwood bark, hemp, hemlock fiber, balsa wood, newspaper, cardboard, and ground organic textiles. Although cellulose is credited as the first ever building insulator, due to it's biodegradable properties, it has never been officially documented when it's first use as a building insulator appeared (most signs point to around 6000BC).GK
Not to mention early America (pre-19th century) which occasionally experimented with all sorts of material - seaweed, newspaper, etc.
Jeff
And even prior to that in Asia and the M.E. the use of felt made up from animal hair and other fibers.
They can't get your Goat if you don't tell them where it is hidden.
Sod houses?
I've lived in some old houses that did not have insulationI think insulating the walls and ceiling became common practice in the 1950's
I grew up in a house built in 1870...the walls had been filled with barley husks for insulation. I'm not sure when it was done, but it was done a long, long time ago.
InterestingThanks for the info
There are 1960s era houses around here (central NJ) with 2" fiberglas in the exterior walls. It was more common to have only the attic insulated before then.
Jeff
Thanks for the infoAnother topicWhen did master bathrooms become common?I think of 1950's ranch style housesI've been in many of the older homes that did not have a master bathroom
We had a small one in our (1964) house growing up.
Jeff
The ones around here are small with a shower onlySmall sink hanging on the wallUsually have the old dated ceramic tile
"When did master bathrooms become common?"I suppose it depends on what you consider a master bathroom?From the seventeen hundreds to the 1900's it was common for aristocracy to have a copper tub placed in the bedroom in front of the fire. Even after the advent of modern plumbing, the "bathroom" actually only consisted of a water closet and a wash basin fitted with a spigot while the tub was relegated to either the bedroom or the dressing room.Nevertheless, I would have to believe that the master bathroom as we know it today, began in America and may have originally been installed in an 1890's "american castle" such as the Biltmore. Edit: A quick search found that the Flagler residence Whitehall did have a master bathroom in 1902.gk
Edited 9/9/2008 2:29 am ET by Dreamcatcher
The George Read House in New Castle DE (built 1801) has a built-in bathtub (in stone IIRC) that featured bathing with hot running water.
http://www.hsd.org/read.htm
Jeff
Edited 9/9/2008 8:08 am ET by Jeff_Clarke
Does any one know when they started putting french drain or drain tile around the perimeter of the house (around the foundation) to prevent water from entering the basement?What was the first drain system made of? Was it plastic pipe?
I grew up in a house built in 1912, it had clay tile foundation drains.
They can't get your Goat if you don't tell them where it is hidden.
where did the water drain did it have a sump pump back then in 1912?
Nope, house had a full basement with about 5' of the basement below grade. Foundation drain drained to the storm sewer in the street. I don't believe it was uncommon at all.
They can't get your Goat if you don't tell them where it is hidden.
Did you have any problems with it "plugging up" and not working properly
I am sure that there were problems of that nature. The only reason i know it existed is having to dig it up .
The neighborhood I grew up had been a vineyard prior to being turned into a development. the vineyard had been drain tiled back in the 1880's-90's and collection boxes were scattered around the neighborhood.
Basements had been dug without any regards as to where the water collected by the old drain tiles would flow to . One summer night after a series of serious thunderstorm the old drain tiles from the vineyard collected so much water and delivered it against basement walls that several basements in the neighborhood to imploded from water pressure. The foundation drains simply could not keep up with the amount of water being delivered against the sides of the basements by the old vineyard drain tiles. Our homes basement wall bulged but didn't implode , a neighbor two doors up woke up with their house in it's basement.
They can't get your Goat if you don't tell them where it is hidden.
I think you're speaking of "The Great Basement Crash of 1886". It entirely changed the field of basement drainage forever after.
There were two?Mine occurred about 1956
They can't get your Goat if you don't tell them where it is hidden.
there have been a few throughout history, in fact, some believe we are on the verge of another any time now.
Yesterday I went to the State Fair and walked through the commercial exhibitsThere was a basement repair business and I talked to themTheir business is fixing leaky basements and they also work on foundations.I asked how far out they are booked up and he said "three months"We have a lot of basements and the old basements leakA told him a story about an older home with significant leaking with heavy rains and I told him none of the walls had pushed in and NOT ONE ROOM IN THE HOUSE HAD ANY CRACKS IN THE WALL OR CEILINGI told him this was the result of the home being well constructed and he disagreedHe said it's better for the basement to go ahead and leak and release the pressureThen there's no damage to the walls and foundation
He is correct. Hydrostatic pressure is the cause of the basement leaks , and in some cases collapse.
Foundation drains (when properly installed) act to relieve the pressure just as do the leaks.
Enough pressure to overwhelm either of the relief mechanisms can cause failure of the walls.
They can't get your Goat if you don't tell them where it is hidden.
I'm assuming to daylight.A good portion of the houses we build or work on have drains to daylight. I'm guessing KS is a bit different.
Jon Blakemore RappahannockINC.com Fredericksburg, VA
Believe it or not, they weren't invented by THE French (or even Frenchy) but rather by Henry French (father of Daniel Chester French, the sculptor who did seated Lincoln at the Lincoln Memorial):http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/French_drain
http://www.concordma.com/magazine/janfeb00/frenchdrains.html
Henry French "wrote a book called, Farm Drainage, The Principles, Processes, and Effects of Draining Land with Stones, Wood, Plows, and Open Ditches and Especially with Tiles Including Tables of Rain-Fall, Evaporation, Filtration, Evacuation, Capacity of Pipes; Cost and Number to the Acre, of Tiles, Etc, Etc. Published in 1859, his book with the really long title was quite successful and he was well known in the area for designing drainage systems. People started to call the drains he designed French drains."
Jeff
Edited 9/11/2008 9:19 pm ET by Jeff_Clarke
Most older homes around here don't have a french drain aound the foundation.Many older homes with basements don't even have a sumpI think they started doing the french drains around the foundation in the 1960's & then it became part of the building code at some point in time
I personally worked on a 1924 house here that had drains to drywells (gravel-filled pits, basically).
Jeff
I liked in a house built around 1953.It has and an aluminum foil insulation. It has been a long time, but IIRC it has "paper" laminated with foil on one side like old time chewing gum wrapers.There where several layers of that with air gaps in it. Don't know if the idea was that the air could be trapped (but it makde a series of long columns) or a radiant barrier..
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A-holes. Hey every group has to have one. And I have been elected to be the one. I should make that my tagline.
Maybe the Pueblo Indians or some other "primative" peoples built the first insulated houses.
An early form of home insulation was to use 'light clay straw'-- straw which has been coated with a clay slurry-- as the insulation. This is then densely packed into the cavities.
There are 400 and 500 year old houses in the UK with this material in the ceiling.
I know this because a friend of mine lived in a cob building in the UK for a while, about 15 years ago, and one day they had a small fire in one room. Not much damage happened overall, but they did have to repair some stuff.
Dreamcatcher,Regarding the B&D invention of the pistol handled electric drill:It is my recollection that B&D were doing contract manufacturing for Colt Firearms, some portion of the handgun. That would explain why a pistol was lying on the table as they discussed the business. Pistols...electric drill motors...AHA! Technology transfer at its finest.Bill
Saw a show once about how hard it was to sell the first power tols on sites cause they didnt have any power.
I'm still amazed when I go into attics of old houses and see all the rafter cuts done by hand and how consistent they are.
Family.....They're always there when they need you.
Plywood production begins:
"In 1905, the city of Portland, Oregon was getting ready to host a World’s Fair as part of the 100th anniversary celebration of the Lewis and Clark Expedition.
Several local businesses were asked to prepare exhibits for the event, including Portland Manufacturing Company, a small wooden box factory in the St. Johns district of the city. Part owner and plant manager Gustav Carlson decided to laminate wood panels from a variety of Pacific Northwest softwoods.
Using paint brushes as glue spreaders and house jacks as presses, several panels were laid up for display. Called “3-ply veneer work,” the product created considerable interest among fairgoers, including several door, cabinet and trunk manufacturers who then placed orders.
By 1907, Portland Manufacturing had installed an automatic glue spreader and a sectional hand press. Production soared to 420 panels a day. And an industry was born."
Edited 8/18/2008 12:52 pm by Hudson Valley Carpenter
Plywood had such a bad rep for so many years.I lived in town once where the local people had nicknamed a large cheaply made apartment complex "Plywood City"
Plywood had such a bad rep for so many years.
...nicknamed a large cheaply made apartment complex "Plywood City"
That was true all over the country, until the plywood industry turned things around with better products and a long term PR advertising campaign about the benefits of plywood.
Anyway, you asked for historical references and many people consider plywood to be a breakthrough material.
Edited 8/18/2008 4:32 pm by Hudson Valley Carpenter
Appreciate your inputI remember taking shop classes in college and the teacher telling us of the many positives and the many uses for plywoodOur woodworking textbook showed how plywood was made and the increased strength resulting from the plys having wood grain going in opposite directions and how this added strengthThanks again for your info
Thanks to you for the topic. I've often wondered about the origins of plywood, as well as many other interesting developments in construction. I just hadn't thought to look any of that up on the internet until now.
Technically, the Egyptians made the first plywood when they laminated veneers together, held in place with pegs and some kind of glue. Either asphalt or something else.
Objects made from the ply have been found in some of the tombs over the years. The 4,550+ year old Lyre of Ur had inlays glued in place with asphalt, and I presume the original wooden body was also glued together.
Here's a link to a site showing a modern (playable) reproduction of the Golden Lyre of Ur.
http://www.Lyre_of_Ur.comSome archeologists found some traces of woodworking glue almost 8,000 years old while doing an excavation in or near Israel some years back.In the early 19th Century, possibly 1841, one of the Shaker sisters (the same Shakers who did the wonderful woodworking) invented the circular saw blade and received a US patent for it. Someone described this tool as being "chisels on a wheel"...
Couldn't afford to build plywood cabin today, much less a plywood city.
The earliest invention of plywood is usually credited to the Egyptians around 3500BC but versions of plywood have been found in later Chinese and European cultures. While the 1905 World's Fair debuted plywood as a product, it wasn't until the late teens and mid 20's that plywood became popular as a useful product in the automotive industry. WWII made plywood popular as an efficient building material in barracks, packaging, and even in the production of war planes and boats.After WWII the post war building boom put standardized plywood panels into the mainstream building market and became the sheet goods we recognize and use today.Then came OSB.....and celotex......oh, and sunflowerseedboard.gk
Egyptians made plywood BC
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Church_key
LOL
anything else?
1947- Beginning of Levittown
1994- Fein Multimaster
I am with piffin on the circular saw blade.
What year was beer invented?
I figure it will probably coincide with the date first real building project.
Carroll Sanford invented and patented the metal connector plate for wood roof trusses in 1952.More on the history here:http://www.truss-frame.com/truss-mfg.html
Bumpersticker: As a matter of fact, I do own the road.
Would you prefer to own a home that has roof trusses?Around here that would mean a home built in the 1960's and newer.
"Would you prefer to own a home that has roof trusses?"
In general, I would say yes.
But a stick framed house that was engineered correctly and had everything installed correctly would be fine too.
Any particular reason that you ask? It might be a subject worthy of it's own thread. And it would probably be a controversial one...
Romeo's last wish was to be laid by Juliet.
I was thinking about it from the perspective of being able to change the floor plan I don't know if we're any different from other places but we have some beautiful 1950's and 1960's ranch style homes But some of them have some lousy floor plansthese are homes 2,500 to 3,500 sq ft and they are big ranch style homes.I assume it would be easier to make changes and move walls etc in some of these old homes if they had roof trusses.I don't know - I've never done it.But I saw one guy take out several walls in one of these houses.The large kitchen, large dining room, and large living room were turned into ONE BIG ROOM when he removed those walls and it really changed the house.It really improved the house tremendously.
One downside of trusses is if you have a large enough attic you can convert attic to living space more easily with stick framing than trusses.I do prefer trusses when I'm looking at a house where we will be renovating. I know that they are most likely engineered correctly and we can play with the interior floor plan with little regard to the structure.
Jon Blakemore RappahannockINC.com Fredericksburg, VA
It appears that you've all missed what is probably the single greatest advancement in construction. The invention of the elevator. Before the elevator, few if any buildings were greater that 8 stories tall. Who would want to climb that many stairs?
The elevator allowed for taller buildings which subsequently lead to the use of steel beams in construction. Prior to steel buildings were laid of CMU of some sort. The problem was that the more floors in height, the thicker the walls below had to be. A bulding would conceivably have a solid first floor after acheiving a certain building height.
I refuse to accept that there are limitations to what we can accomplish. Pete Draganic
Elevators
That is a good one. How about the advent of readily available window glass?
They can't get your Goat if you don't tell them where it is hidden.
Tying together the wooden water pipe and the fire topics: fire brigades or departments used to tap into a wooden water main to draw water to fight fire. Used a hand auger. When the fire was out, they sealed the hole with a wooden plug. Hence the term "fire plug", which evolved into a large pemanent tap with valve, AKA a fire hydrant. But some people still call 'em fire plugs.
My vote for biggest advance in construction technology: stud wall framing.
Cliff
Anybody mention Concrete? Rediscovered in the mid 1700's and then improved in mid 1800's with the advent of Portland cement. probably the most used building material in the world today. How about the Modern flush toilet?
Mid 1880's.
They can't get your Goat if you don't tell them where it is hidden.
When my Dad was a kid they did not have a toiletThey had an outhouse
Do you remember when they discontinued lead based paint. It was 1978.Several years later in the mid 1980's I was working on a project needing a couple of gallons of paint and I wanted to use lead based paint and I was able to do so.Do you know how?
left overs or you got some made in china paint...
Life is not a journey to the grave with the intention of arriving safely in a pretty and well preserved body, but rather to skid in broadside, thoroughly used up, totally worn out, and loudly proclaiming<!----><!----><!---->
WOW!!! What a Ride!Forget the primal scream, just ROAR!!!
My brain is a little fuzzy - probably from the lead paint fumes, but my understanding is the public was no longer able to buy lead based paint.But after 1978 tt was still sold for commercial useSo I got some paint through a friend at their job in a commercial setting.He worked at a utility company
Edited 8/19/2008 7:19 am by mrfixitusa
Two good books on this subject, have them both:http://www.amazon.com/Did-Monkeys-Invent-Monkey-Wrench/dp/0684832747/ref=pd_bbs_sr_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1219872289&sr=1-1http://www.amazon.com/Evolution-Useful-Things-Artifacts-Zippers-Came/dp/0679740392/ref=pd_sim_b_4
Thanks for the info on the two booksI think this stuff is interestingFor example when did they invent wall to wall carpeting?Was it in the 1960's?
Early fifties, right after the war when the nylon and other synthetic manufacturers were looking for new markets.
Took off probably in the late fifties.
They can't get your Goat if you don't tell them where it is hidden.
airconditioning
completely changed where and how people liveNo Tag
I'm 50 years old and we didn't have a/c when I was a kidsniff
we didn't either.
some nights it'd be so hot and close in my bedroom my eye balls would melt and stick to the bed sheets...
maybe by midnight the heat would break and I'd drift off.No Tag
Is that what you told yur Mom about the sticky sheets?
They can't get your Goat if you don't tell them where it is hidden.
lol
My Mother died giving birth to my older brother.
We never had a chance to have the sticky sheets talk...No Tag
""My Mother died giving birth to my older brother.We never had a chance to have the sticky sheets talk..."" HUH?
They can't get your Goat if you don't tell them where it is hidden.
Mom is still alive and well so never mind the sheets.
anyway the population explosion of the american south and south west is attributed in great part to the invention of airconditioning.No Tag
Had me going there for a minute. How about asphalt shingles, any idea what year they hit the market??
They can't get your Goat if you don't tell them where it is hidden.
invented in 1903
probably like everything else, driven to modular dimensions and mass production by Levittown and similar projectsNo Tag
did you say the asphalt shingle was invented in 1903?Thanks!
Another great book to add to your list: One Good Turn: A Natural History of the Screwdriver and the Screw.http://www.amazon.com/One-Good-Turn-Natural-Screwdriver/dp/0684867303/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1219935022&sr=1-1
Edited 8/28/2008 10:52 am ET by Dreamcatcher
Thanks I appreciate itIt's kind of like trivia and it gives me something to talk about when I'm showing a house and running out of things to say
Funny thing about windows... I've always wondered... what if glass had never been invented?
<!----><!----><!---->
I refuse to accept that there are limitations to what we can accomplish. Pete Draganic
They would be a lot lighter!
Jon Blakemore RappahannockINC.com Fredericksburg, VA
There would be a whole lot more beer cans in the world.
They can't get your Goat if you don't tell them where it is hidden.
The paint roller was invented in 1940.Does that make you feel old?
Hmm, beats me by 7 years .
They can't get your Goat if you don't tell them where it is hidden.
GFCI outlets were first required on exterior outlets and in bathrooms in 1973
Chart taht I have shows Exterior and 15ft of a pool in the 71 NEC. But the exterior requirement did not go into affect until 73.Bathrooms with the 75 NEC and garages in 78..
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A-holes. Hey every group has to have one. And I have been elected to be the one. I should make that my tagline.
Well, I can tell you, if it wasn't for venetian blinds, it would be curtains for all of us!
I'm working on a 1922 building with the original drywall (invented 1916 +/-) - very cool label on the backside - I'll post a pic later.
Jeff
I'd like to see that, please post it. Mike
Small wheel turn by the fire and rod, big wheel turn by the grace of god.
US Gypsum early drywall labels - 1922 (invented 1916)
View Image
View Image
Interesting that the directions were put on the back (including to make sure that the backside goes against the studs (!) and that for ceilings the length should run parallel to the joists.
Jeff
cool
That is way cool. Interesting that they say to run it parallel to joists, and to stand it up on the walls.
In the seventies I worked with a old French Canadian that went to USG school in the fifties, while rocking in the suburbs of New York.
What area is your job in?
Mike
Small wheel turn by the fire and rod, big wheel turn by the grace of god.
Edited 9/3/2008 1:34 am by ruffmike
Central NJ
Neat!Use a sharp saw to ut it!I see that waas before pifinscrews. good old three penny fine
Welcome to the Taunton University of Knowledge FHB Campus at Breaktime. where ... Excellence is its own reward!
"Use a sharp saw to cut it!"
Yeah - can you imagine taping the resulting butt joints? Before utility knives too I guess.
Not just before Piffin screws ... but before Piffin driver-drills! Can you imagine some poor SOB driving slotted screws in the ceiling with a brace and bit with a screwbit in the chuck? ... 'GD 'newfangled' plaster .....' ;o)Jeff
Edited 9/5/2008 8:44 am ET by Jeff_Clarke
I had a copy of one of those, even framed it. I can't find it I think it was stolen. I like the bit about using a sharp hand saw. I can just imagine the guys surprise when he discovered score and snap.
First sky light
http://www.greatbuildings.com/cgi-bin/gbi.cgi/Pantheon.html/cid_pantheon_km_001.html
OSB in the 80's.
1925- Pickup truck Ford model T Runabout
here is a 1925 ford on ebayhttp://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/Ford-Model-T-Truck-Ford-T-1925-T-Truck-Depot-Hack-Modet-T-from-museum_W0QQitemZ290255575555QQcmdZViewItem?hash=item290255575555&_trkparms=39%3A1|65%3A1|240%3A1308&_trksid=p4506.c0.m245
cool pic. I dont know anything about them really. But would be SOL without my work truck.
I think the cab is made out of wood