8ETTEitHOMES

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Bulletin No. _~~(~oP'j .,;J.) January 1949

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Montana state CollegeExtension ServiceBozeman, Montana

Author's Acknowledgment

The author wishes to express his appreciationto the following members of the Montana HousingCommittee who reviewed the original manuscript andmade many helpful suggestions:

Miss Peggy Dunne, Home Economics PublicityMiss &mina Fisher, Home Ma~gement Specialist11iss Marjorie Downs, Family Life Specialist.and

Home Dernonstratiqn LeaderMiss Margaret Kohl, 4-H Club Department1liss Gale Ueland, Home Demonstration Agent, Gal­

latin CountyMrs. Evelyn McCormick, Associate Member Hepresent-:-

ing the Home Economics Department .Mr. Ralph stucky, Sx.tension EconomistMr. E. E. Isaac, Horticulture SpecialistMr. Hugo Eck, Associate Member Representing Arch­

itectural DepartmentMr. E. B. Wilson, Extension Agricultural 8ngineer,

Chairman

Montana Extensiop Service-in Agriculture andHome Economics, R. B. Tootell, Director. Montanastate College and the United states Department ofAgriculture cooperating. Distributed in further­ance of Acts 0f Congress, l~y 8 and June 30, 1914.

PLANNING BETTER HOMES

nr: E., B. Wilson-Extension Agricultural Engineer

The first step toward better housing is goodplanning, and the key to good planning is the per­sonal planning that begins long before detaileddrawings can be made or the improvement started.such questions as when and where to build, how muchto spend, and whether to remodel or build new mustbe decided first.

Only the family that is to make the improve­ments is in a position to decide many of these ques­tions.

There isusually morethan one wayto solve aproblem, andnot everyonewill agreewhich is best.That is whythis publica­tion :ts offer­ed as a guidefor your plan­ning insteadof a bookletof ready .madeplans.

PLANNING AIDS AND INFORMATION

The first step in planning a new house or re­modeling an old one is to collect and study informa­tion that will help get your ideas into form. Get­ting them on paper is the next important step.

It is much cheaper to move a door or windoWwith a pencil and eraser than with a saw and hammer.

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Even mistakes as large as the locations of roomsa~e not discovered until too late. In fact, peo­ple usually live with their hOusing mistakes rath­er than correct them. Plans cannot be made toocompletely or too well.

It is much more important to have a plan fora house than a pattern for a dress or a recipe fora, cake, because the house is expected to last formany years and will cost a large amount'of money.

A good house plan is found only after Jouchstudy by all members of the family. Such thingsas the ages of the family members, personal likesand dislikes, the amount and kind of entertainingto be done, and special hobbies should be consid­ered by the whole family. You will think of manychanges and improvements after the first sketch ismade and as new ideas are found. '

Lists are a must. You will need a list ofthings you must have, a list of things you wouldlike to have, and a list of things you don't want.These are especially necessary whether you are go­ing to remodel or build new. Sometimes there isonly one reason for remodeling, such as a new bath­room or convenient kitchen. If a list of undesir­able things for the whole house is'made, many ofthem will be corrected at the sarne time with little

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or' no extra work. Ifother parts of thehouse are not consid­ered, even more unde­sirable features mightresult.

The planning of afarmhouse is, in someways, harder than plan­ning a house in town.For example, there isthe relationship of thehouse to the otherbuildings. Generally,too, a country home hasmore functions than onein town. It must serve.as a business center or of­fice, it may house part of the processing of farmproducts, and it may house and feed all the workersof the farm.

ARCHITECT'S SERVICE. If you engage an archi­tect, he will take into account your location, fi­nancial situation, farm and family needs, and wil1adjust the house to them. He will need to have thelists of things you want and don't want. He is anexpert at putting these desirable things together

in a plan. He will seeyour bUilding project car­ried to a satisfactorycompletion, but he mustknow y-our wants.

Many lumber dealershave access to architec­tural services and willhave a set of plans drawnfor a customer. Even if

you are fortunate enough to have an architect'sservices, you still need to give a lot of studyto your plans to see that they fit your needs.

EXTENSION SERVICE HELP. Talk with your County

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Home Demonstration Agent and Agricultural Agentabout your house plans. They have various plan­ning aids and can give you some pointers on fit­ting the plan to your needs. Blueprints and plans

of houses are available through them or directlyfrom the Department of Agricultural EngineeringExtension, Montana state College, Bozeman, Montana.Several bulletins are available on subjects direct­ly related to house planning and construction.These bulletins deal with electrical wiring, light­ing, septic tanks, farm plumbing, painting, roofcoverings, use of concrete, ki tchen planning, clos­ets and storage spaces, bathroom planning, fruitand vegetable storage, and so forth.

One bulletin that is especially helpful inputl~ing all of these ideas together is entitled"Your Farmhouse Cut-Outs To Help In Planning't.With the use of scale cut-outs of rooms, closets,stairways, furniture, and so forth, new or remodel­ing plans can be made and checked. This bulletinis valuable in making or checking your own plan orin checking a plan made by an architect or anyoneelse. Ask your Extension Agent for a copy or orderit from Montana state College, Bozeman•

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If several families are interested, the CountyEXtension Agent will arrange a HOuse Planning Work­shop and have Speciali~ts from the State Extensionstaff available for advice and consultation. Ifyou want this service, see your Home DemonstrationAgent or County Agricultural Agent.

OTHER PLANNING HELPS. Good ideas and plans canoften be obtained from magazines, commercial planservices, dealers in building materials, contractors,builders, and trade associations and manufacturersconcerned with housing~ Sometimes these plans maybe more beautiful than practic~, however. Suchplans may have to be altered to tit your needs, loca­tion, or to make them suitable for a farm. They dofurnish good ideas and a collection of them is agood start.

WHEN TO MAKE THE INVESTMENT. The ideal timeto build a new house or make extensive improvementson an old one is, of course, when materials and la­bor are plentiful and prices are low. But at thosetimes your ;income may be low, too, and your savingsmay have togo for other things. Even when materi­als and labor are high they may not be too high inrelation to your in- D\J .come and savings. For .. !l """":-- -,

example, a house that mwould co.st $5,000 in -r--=-=---:-.-1-~--"1940 would· cost about ~ g$10, ~50 in 1948.. With \J J' (1 -.q.._-.Joi;l---'-----'"

the ~ncreased pr1ce of .. farm products, feweranimals or bushels areneeded to build thehouse now. In the caseof wheat it takes about ~s

62%8.s many bushels to s,.o.~Q. ....build the $10;500 house ~....,.

in 1948 as,;r,it did to t a fIIIf'build the :W5,OOO house r::::::a ~in 1940. Similarly, it ~. ~ ..,. ,takes 64% as many steers, \:.80% as many lambs; and ......--··19-+-0....~109% as much wool. COST. of

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These comparisons will vary as prices change.What is favorable now may not be later. A similarcomparison should be made at the time of bUilding.This is especially important when part of the moneyis to be borrowed. To be safe, the percentage bor­rowed when prices are high should be less than whenall prices were low.

CHOOSING THE SITE

Would you locate a new house in the same placeas the old one? Or would a different location forboth the house and the rest of the buildings bebett~r? Does the location you are considering haveelectric and telephone service lines, automobiletraffic, surfaced roads, satisfactory water supply,and proper soil for gardening and landscaping?

Locating the new house, or moving the oldhouse to a new site, is worth a lot of thought.Here are the principal things to consider when lo­cating a new house or making changes in and aroundan old one.

ORIENTATICN. You must know your farmsteadbefore you can layout a good farmhous~ plan. Whereis the highway? Its location will help you decidewhere to locate the rooms. Where will you placethe driveway and the parking lot? Their loqationalmost decides the place for the front and reardoors. Where are the farm buildings? Their loca­tion will help decide the location of the rooms andthe drive. Which way does the land slope? Let thehouse be on higher ground than the barns, if pos­sible. What is the direction of prevailing winds?Let them blow barn odors away from the house. Fromwhat rooms do you want ·the best view? Your decisionmay completely change the room arrangement arrd drivelocation. In what room do you want sunshine? Yourdecision will help decide the location of the roomsand drive.

HOUSE MOST PR01UNENT. Ordinarily the housewill be the nearest building to the public road, butplaced back at least 100 feet from the road. A town

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house will probably face the street. The ruralhome should face the driveway and not the highway.

The driveway andwalks should beplaced so that itis eal;ly to reach .either the front or

. back door. A park­ing a,rea near thefront entrance willhelp attract visit­ors to the front~oor instead of theback door.

NATURAL FEA­TURES. The housewill be much morepleasant and enjoy-able if you have a

good view from those rooms used in the day time.You will want the living areas of the house on thesunny. side, with sleeping rooms on the appositeside. The slope of the land, streams, and othernatural features should be considered in choosinga site.

UTILITIES•. Bring electric and telephone linesin from the side orrear. Keep poles offlawns and run wires e,Wf

. where good trees willnot have to be takenout or damaged.

For further in­formation on farm­stead planning seeyour County ExtensionAgent for bulletinson farrtlstead planning,shelter belts andbeautifying the farm-stead.

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SHOULD YOU REMODEL OR BUILD NEW?

For many families the best w~y to get improvedhousing is to remodel their present home. If thefollowing questions can be answered "yes'i, .it is .probably all right to remodel.

Is the location good?Is the foundation solid, or can it be repaired

easily?Are the side walls straight and not bulged?Are the floors level?Does the chimney foundation set on solid earth

instead o£ wall brackets?

It is generally possible to repair any of theabove defects, but it is frequently very costly.If many of the answer~ are "no", it. might be betterto build new rather than remodel.

MAKING THE PLAN.

Suggestions havealrea~ been given for makingthe plan. These are (1) collection of ideas, (2)making lists of desirable features, and (3) the useof cut-outs. Whether you make the plan yourself orhire it done, it is very important that the plan beput on paper. A floor plan drawn to scale is ofutmost importance. It should show the exact loca­tion of all walls) doors, windows, chimneys andplumbing fixtures, electrical outlets, heat outlets,and so forth. It is also advisable to show built­in cabinets as well as portable items of furniture.

In order to get ·an idea of how the house is .going to look from the outside, elevations or. out­side views should be drawn for each side of thehouse. A better idea of how the house is going tolook can be obtained by making a small pasteboardmodel to scale. In addition, there should be de­tailed plans of all built-in features, such asfireplaces, cabinets, closets, and the like. Care­ful plans of storage space for the things you wishto store should be included. Specifications should

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be drawn showing the size and grade of joists,. studs, flooriIlg, roofing, and all other construc­

tion details.

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It is veryimportant thatall drawings bemade to. scale,with the proper ~mdistance allowedfor walls, halls,closets, and sOforth. Scalesof either1; inchper foot or ~inch per footare recommended.If you are using the cut-outs in the bulletin re­ferred to on page 4, you should use a ! inch perfoot scale to correspond with' the cut-outs.

CHECKING THE PLAN

Before construction is begun plans should bechecked and checked and checked. The followingquestions are offered as an aid in checking yourplans:

EXTERIOR --

1. Have you made use of natural conditionson your lot, such as trees, slope of land, or othernatural features that will make your house moreattractive?

2. Is the location where you can get waterand will the soil support plants for landscaping?

3. Will the outside or exterior of your housebe pleasing to iook at from all sides?

4. Will the shape of the house go well withnearby buildings and surroundings?

FRONT llliTRANCE -

1. Is there protection from storms as callerswaf t on the steps for someone to answer the doorbell?

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2. As you enter is there a. hall large enoughfor·several people to conveniently take off theircoats?

3. Is there a closet where the family an~ afew guests can hang their wraps?

4. If you expect a large group of guests, isthere a room near the entrance hall where the guestsmay leave their wraps before en~ering the 'liVing roan?

5.· Is there enough wall space for a mirrornear the entrance? .

6. Is there space for-a small chest of drawersor a built-in cabinet~orstor1ngsuch articles asglov~s, scarfs, hats and purses?

TRAFFIC -

·1. Is·there acentral hall?

2. Does this hall·connect to all majorrooms, so that trafficwill not be through oneroom to get to another?. 3~ Does it connectdirectly with the rearor most used door?

4. Do stairways,either up or dawn, openinto it?

5. .Are doors, hallsand stairways wide enoughto move major items offurniture through?

LIVING ROOM -

MOllOOM BI!.OM"'"

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1. Will the roomhave plenty of sunshine?

2. Do you have an attractive view from eachwindow?

3. Is there enough wall space for a davenportand a pi'ano?

4. Do the scale cut-outs of your furniturefit the floor plan?

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5. Is there plenty of space to get by eachpiece of furniture? If there is a fireplace, isit placed so that you could move through the roomwithout bothering people seated around it?

6. Is itplanned for theactivities youwant to carryonthere, such as:reading, writing,homework, dancing,card playing andother games, vis­iting and partiesfor various agegroups?

7. Is itflexible? For in­stance, if it mustoccasionally func­tion as a bedroom,is it so planned?

8. Is therestorage space forthe things youwill use in the living room, books, magazines, games,card tables, card table covers and linens, writingmaterials, sheet music, small music instruments,kodak pictures, slides, movies, screen, projectionmachine, record albums, or other equipment?

DINING ROOM -

1. Do you want a separate dining room? Manyhomes are being built with a dining area in thekitchen and living room. If you have a separatedining room, you will want to consider these things.

2. Is the dining room next to the kitchen?3. Is the dining room easily reached from the

11ving room?4. Is the door between the kitchen and dining

room convenient 'to the kitchen, yet placed to screenthe view from the dining room?

5. Is the room or area large enough for your

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around it?to wall forchair?

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table (extended) and for the chairsDoes it allow three feet from tablepulling out or passing back of each

6. Is therespace either forbuilt-in or mov­able furniturewhere silver, lin­ens, extra dishes,·glassware, toaste~

waffle iron andother equipmentmay be stored?

7•. Are thereconvenient outletswi thin reach ofthe table for con­necting an elec­tric toaster orwaffle iron?

8.· Is it pos­sible for the dining room to be located SO as totake advantage of a good view?

9. Can the dining room be used for studying,sewing, and so forth, if desired?

BEDROOMS -

1. Is there wall space in one or more placesin each bedroom for the head of a double bed or theheads of twin beds?

2. Is there enough floor space for the bed tobe placed 18 inches from the wall so that it can bemade without moving it?

3. Is there space for a table, lamp, books ora radio beside the bed?

4. Do you get cross ventilation in each bed~?

5. Is there adequate light in each closet?6. Is there enough wall space for j:.heother

furniture?

·BATHRooM -

1. Is it close to the bedrooms?2. If it is the only bathroom in a two-story

house, is it close to the stairway?

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3- If there is no bathroom near the rearentry, is the bath easily accessible from the

. kitchen?4. Is it placed so that the fixtures are not

visible from the living room or front hall whenth~ bathroom door is open?

5. Can closets be placed between the b~droom

and bathroom as sound proofing?6. Is the tub placed at the side rather than

under a window?7. Is there a well lighted mirror?8. Is there storage space for towels, wash

cloths, toilet articles, soaps, toilet paper, clean­sers and other articles used in the bathroom?

KITCHEN --

there cross ventilation and good lig~t?

there space for a dining area, if.yol).in the kitchen?there a place for children to play nearout of the way of the homemaker?

1. Is thekitchen planned withthe three main cen­ters -- mixing,cleaning and cooking?

2. Are each ofthese centers largeenough for the jobsto be ~one?

3. Is each cen­ter the right work­ing height for thejobs to be donethere?

4. Is5. Is

wish to eat6. Is

at hand but

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UTILITY ROOM-LAUNDRY ~-

1. Will you be using an automatic or a con­ventional type of washer? This will make a differ­enCe in planning the laundry room.

2. Do you want a first floor utility room for.the laundry?

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3. Whether the laundry is on the first flooror in the basement, has it been planned to savesteps while washing?

4. If you are using a conventional type ~ash­

er, does tJ1e room allow enough space to get aroundthe machine and at both ends of the tubs?

5. Is there space for a 6 to 8 foot sortingtable?

6. Is there conveniently located shelf spacefor soaps, stain removers, and starch?

7. Is there space for indoor clotheslines ora clothes drier? .

8. Is there storage space for clothespins,clothesbaskets, and soiled clo~hes?

9. Will you iron here? Do you prefer a built­in ironing board? Has the proper space been plannedboth for using and storing the ironing board?

REAR N'1TRANCE -.

1. Does the rear entrance have protection fromstorms?

2. Is there a storage space in the rear hallto hang outdoor wraps? Are there low hooks for thechildren to use?

3. Is there a place Where dirty boots may beleft?

4. Is there space for storing children's out­door play equipment?

5. If a farmhouse, is there adequate spacefor drying work clothes?

6. Does this entrance have a <b or to the kit­chen, basement, and perhaps to a utility room?

7. Is there a toilet and washroom near therear entrance?

FOOD STORAGE -

1. Is there storage space close to the kitchenfor canned or frozen foods?

2. Is there storage space for root vegetables?

UTILITY STORAGE --

1. Is there storage space for out-of-seasohwoolens?

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2. Is there storage space for such tlungs asscreens, storm sash, step ladder, paints, brushes,tools, fireplace wood, and seldom used equipment?

3. Is there enough storage space for fuel?

HALLS AND STAIRS -

1. Are the halls and stairs wide enough thatyou can move the larger pieces of furniture andkitchen equipment through them? .

. 2. Is there a -turn in a hall or stairs thatwould stop the moving of a large piece of furnituresuch asa bed spring?

3. Is there a light switch at the head andfoot of each stairway and at both ends of each hall?

4. Is there a handrail on each stairway?5. Are the steps ten or eleven inches wide

with risers between seven and eight inches high?6. Is .there a storage closet in the bedroom

hallway for blankets, sheets and pillowcases?7. Is there a closet in the upstairs hall for

storage of cleaning supplies to be used there?S. Is it possible to provide natural light

tn the halls· and stairs?9. Is there a cleaning closet centrally located

for th.e vacuum cleaner and other cleaning equipmentand supplies?

SEiNING AREA

1. Is there space planned for sewing in abedroom, guest room, hall, utility roonl or specialsewing room?

2. Is there a sewing closet in this space forstoring all sewing and mending supplies and equip­ment?

3. Is there space for a cutting table?4. Is there space to conveniently ar;range the

sewing equipment when it is being used?

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SID4MARY

1. Collect and study ideas and information.

2. Prepare lists of necessities, likes anddislikes.

3. Consult the Home Demonstration Agent andCounty Agricultural Agent.

4. Obtain bulletins and plans from the CountyEXTENSION office (See list on opposite page).

5. study your FINANCIAL status and outlook.

6. Choose the SITE carefully.

7. Make the plan, or have i~ made, on paper,to SCALE.

8. Check your plan with scale CUT-OUTS ofrooms and furniture.

9. Check your plan against YOUR LISTS.

10. Check your plan by the questions on pages9 to 15 of this circular.

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BULLETINS CONTAINING HOUSI~G INFO&~~TION

M.P. 622 - Cut-Outs to Help In PlanningM.P. 619 - How To Plan RemodellingM~P. 646 - step Saving U KitchenE.C. 191 - Convenience In Kitchen Drawers,E.C. 192 - Convenience In Kitchen CupboardsF.B. 1865 - Closets and storage SpacesM.P. 638 - Your Farmhouse - Planning A BathroomE.C. 200 - Septic T~sF.B. 1426 - Farm PlumbingF.B. 1978 - Safe Water For The FarmE. C. 202 - Plan Your WiringF.B. 1838 - Electric Light For The FarmsteadF.B. 1698 - Heating The Farm HomeM.P. 633 - Insulation and WeatherproofingF.B. 1889 - Fireplaces and ChimneysF.B. 1452 - Painting On The FarmM.P. 579 - Building With LogsE.B. 211 - Beautifying The Farm HomeE.B. 194 - Shelter Belts For MontanaE.C. 198 - Planting and Care Of Shelter Belt TreesE.L. 2 - Planning MOntana FarmsteadsE. C. 154 - Home storage of VegetablesE.C. 182 - Walk-In Freezer ConstructionCir. 185 - Housing and Sanitation For Farm WorkersE.B. 219 - Housing Farm LaborersF.B. 1772 - Use of Concrete On The FarmF.B. 1869 - Foundations For Farro BuildingsP.C.A. 24 - Building Waterproof Basements With

ConcreteP.C.A. 12 - Repairing Leaky Basement Walls In

ResidencesP.C.A. 25 - Concrete Floors On The GroundF.B. 1572 - ~aking Cellars DryF.B. 1751 - Roof Coverings For Farm BuildingsS.C. 279 - Farm Building Repair