Lloyd Lewis sections

Tom · Post by **Tom** » Fri May 05, 2017 9:32 pm

Wrong.
Flooring in Sturges is similar
and spans a further distance than L.Lewis house.

Tom · Post by **Tom** » Fri May 12, 2017 12:35 pm

Interior flooring in Sturges is covered with a red linoleum.
Outside deck is exposed.
Looks like the Lewis house was finished in carpet.

SDR · Post by **SDR** » Fri May 12, 2017 12:53 pm

Photos of Lewis show carpet but not wall to wall; sections of slatted floor show, as for instance near the doors to the deck.

SDR

Roderick Grant · Post by **Roderick Grant** » Fri May 12, 2017 1:36 pm

Sections show that Sturges was to have the same sort of floor that Lewis has, with warm air coming through slots between floor boards. Later drawings show that, as built, the flooring consisted of 4"x6" redwood boards set on edge, adjacent and "spiked" together, making a virtual 6"-thick solid wood floor.* The covering, which was probably a later alteration, is not sheet linoleum, but square tiles, somewhat the worse for wear. See Weintraub, Hess, "Midcentury Modern," pages 112, 113.

The heating system was probably changed due to the California weather. Steam or hot water heat is too slow to adapt to rapid changes in day vs. night temperatures that characterize the Southern California winter. Hanna had a similar problem, originally intended to be steam, but changed to forced air.

* This same system was used by Mark Mills for the roof of his own house in Carmel in the early 60s, 2"x3" boards covered with aluminum sheet roofing. (HB June 1964)

DRN · Post by **DRN** » Fri May 12, 2017 1:45 pm

Suntop Homes has 4" or 6"thick wood planks as its floor structure; no beams visible....remarkably thin section overall. Heated slab on the ground floor with radiators on the floors above. Not sure if it was designed as steam heat, but it is hot water currently.

pharding · Post by **pharding** » Fri May 12, 2017 6:45 pm

The 1 5/8" x 1 5/8" wood slats with 1/8" slots between them are throughout the house except where there is slab on grade. In the kitchen it originally had linoleum on top of the slats. Elsewhere there are area rugs on top of the wood slats. The hot water heating system with pipes beneath the wood slats works extremely well.

SDR · Post by **SDR** » Fri May 12, 2017 8:31 pm

It would be interesting to know how linoleum or other thin flooring materials held up when applied to separate and potentially irregular pieces of solid lumber, both at Lewis and at Sturges. These sheets or tiles are normally laid over smooth and continuous underlayments. The fibrous backing of linoleum might better resist movement of such lumber than the single and potentially brittle thickness of rubber or plastic tiles ?

SDR

JChoate · Post by **JChoate** » Fri May 12, 2017 9:51 pm

Sturges floor tile:

(Alan Weintraub photo)

SDR · Post by **SDR** » Fri May 12, 2017 10:28 pm

Bingo. On the other hand, a rubber-like membrane like one made for a roof might be just the thing -- not available in Wright's day, naturally.

I'm amazed to hear that Sturges was drawn -- and built ? -- with 4 x 6 flooring. One thinks of mill-construction flooring, nominal 3" lumber splined together.

SDR

SDR · Post by **SDR** » Fri May 12, 2017 10:34 pm

SDR · Post by **SDR** » Fri May 12, 2017 10:49 pm

Ramsey and Sleeper, 1932, p 218

SDR · Post by **SDR** » Fri May 12, 2017 11:22 pm

Why would Wright specify a structural floor almost twice as thick as in standard mill construction, with a span of far less than that of the mill joists -- 6'-6", as opposed to eight to eleven feet -- unless the extension of the floor planks assists in the cantilevering of the balcony ?

Yet in one of these drawings the interior floor appears to stop at the doors, with a different floor material for the terrace:

SDR · Post by **SDR** » Sat May 13, 2017 9:05 am

Ah. Note just above, in last drawing: "Resawed 4 x 6 spiked together. So, 3 x 4s on edge. 3 x 4 is not an available size . . .

SDR

Tom · Post by **Tom** » Sat May 13, 2017 9:08 am

Never made the connection to mill flooring even though it's called out on the drawings.
Indeed before now don't even think I knew what mill flooring was.
Very cool.
SDR: why do you say that the floor is twice as thick as a standard mill floor?
Choate: Have you been in that house? Got more pics?

Fundamental lesson in cantilevered tectonics.

Tom · Post by **Tom** » Sat May 13, 2017 9:28 am

SDR - Never mind I think.
I see you final note re: "Resawed 4x6 spiked together."
The floor is 4x6 sleepers.
But in Choates photo the floor looks like wide plank boards running
in the opposite direction than that of the mill flooring in the drawings.
Exterior deck through the glass looks like it's running in the original direction.
Puzzling.