A home hardly can be a joy if its upkeep is constantly making raids on the pocketbook. But the need for expensive maintenance can be avoided if the home is built of concrete. For example, the walls of this lovely home at Winter Haven never will demand much attention, since concrete is a permanent material that actually gets stronger with age.
The envy of all the neighbors is the home that is livable as well as a delight to the eye. To be livable a home not only should be conveniently arranged, but it must never be a worry to its owners. Folks who own concrete homes similar to the Austin house enjoy living in them because concrete construction protects them from fire and storm; concrete floors and walls won't need expensive repairs, and properly-built concrete reduces the problem of ill-fitting joints, gaping baseboards and crannies where dirt can hide to make cleaning a hard job.
Iportant to any home owner is the assurance that his house will protect him from the danger of fire and storm. Concrete construction provides that assurance, since concrete walls and floors will not burn and the strength of a well-built concrete house will resist the pressures of driving wind and rain. That is why people who own concrete houses, enjoy peace of mind and find living in them ever a comfort.
Whether people who build a home will live in it the rest of their lives or for some reason will sell it, their purchase should represent a safe, sound investment. Well-built concrete houses are wise investments in that they will retain their original appearance and strength for a long time, and even after years of service will not require heavy upkeep expense.
Because concrete will not burn, houses built with this firesafe material receive low fire insurance rates. In most cases, insurance on concrete homes is lower than on houses of ordinary construction. At Coeur d'Alene this modern home is firesafe because its walls and floors are built of solid concrete.
Overlooking the city of Des Moines is this spacious reinforced concrete home built to fulfill the owner's wish for the most up-to-date residence that could be erected. From the impressive exterior design to the minutest details inside, the house was carefully planned to provide the utmost in comfortable, happy living.
In the walls, solid concrete construction supplied advantages which made concrete the desirable building material. Its adaptability to any form makes it easier and more economical to achieve the desired architectural effect. Its permanence insures a low maintenance cost. Its strength provides protection against storms and its fire-safety eliminates the danger of loss by fire.
The concrete floors not only make this a quiet house, but further insure firesafety and provide rigidity and long life with a minimum of deption. To allow easier and safer movement from floor to floor stairs were replaced with ramps also built of concrete. Curved walls, projecting windows and all the other achievement in modern home are present.
Termites can never damage a concrete house because they can't eat concrete. When walls, floors and foundations are built of concrete, the home owner can forget about the danger of having his house eaten away by those destructive pests.
When the sun beats down "hot as blazes," nothing is so delightful as to step into a cool house. Concrete houses properly constructed with standard insulation are especially cool. In California this concrete house at Rolling Hills is a pleasant retreat from the midday heat of a southern sun. In northern climates the extreme changes from torrid heat of summer to the icy blasts of winter are not felt as keenly in concrete houses.
Rolling Hills, California
James R. Friend, Architect Harman-Pacific Co., Builder
Wm. P. McMahon & Co., Architect
Roberts, Hinkson & Dare, Builders
There is practically no limit to the designs that can be built with reinforced concrete, for not only is it a material of superior strength, but its application is so flexible it will take any form. Massive surfaces, curving walls, long unsupported spans, canopies and even intricate little ornaments such as are blended together in this St. Louis house are all easily formed of reinforced concrete. Here a graceful staircase was built of concrete, and the firesafe, concrete subfloor was finished with composition blocks.
