1907 V Illustrated Descriptive Catalogue of Portable Houses Manufactured by The National Construction Co., 604 Morgan Building, Buffalo, N. Y. U. S. A. i -1- Introductory T HE NATIONAL Portable and Sectional Houses have become a mod¬ ern necessity, not only to the pleasure seeker, but they are eminently suited for all purposes where a light, yet strong building, artistic in ap¬ pearance and capable of resisting all sorts and conditions of weather, is required at a reasonable price. As permanent dwellings these houses are comfortable in every way and the interiors are really artistic and have that homelike appearance which is frequently denied buildings of a more elaborate character. They can be erected by two men in a few hours, skilled labor being quite unnecessary. Cedar poSts answer ad¬ mirably for a foundation. The entire building can be removed and re-erected with ease as often as required. For Commercial Purposes:—-Many of these buildings are successfully used year after year as Photo Galleries, Club Houses, Lunch Rooms, Bath Houses, Real Estate Offices and for purposes of a similar nature. It is safe to assert that no Structure can give greater satisfaction as an Auto House, Boat House, Stable, Workshop or Studio. The material can be of wood, Steel or composite con¬ struction, according to the wishes of the purchaser. For temporary Churches, Hospitals, Schools, Stores, Voting Precincts, etc., the NATIONAL Structures are unsurpassed. / Houses built on our plan consist of sections that are keyed into each other and are interchangeable. When erected they are as rigid as a permanent Struc¬ ture and will give better results than any house erected in the ordinary manner; the quality of the material and workmanship is such that a NATIONAL house will laSt and look well for twenty-five years. In matter of coSt the NATIONAL houses will be far less than that charged by local contractors, and quality of material considered, our prices will compare moSt favorably with other manufacturers. We desire it to be understood; how- over, that our ambition is not to sell a cheap house, but to give our customers a* building sound in every respect at a reasonable price, and with fifteen years ex¬ perience in portable house construction behind us, the prospective purchaser can reSt assured that when buying a structure of our manufacture he is neither experi¬ menting or being experimented upon. -2 Specifications SIDE WALLS—These are constructed in various materials and of suitable height, width and thickness. All lumber is dressed and given one coat of priming and one coat of best lead and oil paint on exterior and one coat of best linseed oil on interior. WINDOWS—All sash is made from soft pine, air and kiln dried. The rabbets are oiled and great care is used in glazing. The windows can be either check rail or casement as may be beit adapted for purpose. DOORS—These are made from finest Southern pine and are 6 ft., 4 in. high by 2 ft., 6 in. wide and 1 3/8 in. thick. Customers may have either four- panel, five-panel or glazed door. Auto Houses, Churches, Workshops, etc., have doors of special size and construction. ROOF—With our system various materials may be used, including wood shingles, waterproof canvas duck, asbestos, steel shingles, sheet steel, tin, etc. Un¬ less otherwise ordered we use a special grade of waterproof canvas duck that is quite durable and looks well. FLOOR—This is built in sections from Southern pine 7/8 inch thick and free from knots or shakes. It is cut narrow, surfaced, tongued and grooved, and laid on joists of suitable thickness. PARTITIONS—In every case extend from the floor to the roof, thus mak¬ ing a solid truss or support. They are constructed in two parts, the lower can be removed at any time, if required. FINISH — All houses are sent out complete in every detail, and ready for mmediate use. Skilled labor is not required to erect and all that is necessary is to set the house on posts, natural stone, cement block, wooden sill or brick. The ex- erior is given one coat of priming and one coat of best lead and oil paint previous to shipment. — 3 — Style No. 201 Size 9 ft. x 9 ft. Example of Auto-House Constructed of V-jointed siding, tongued and grooved. This Auto-House can also be built in Steel, (Imitation Pressed Brick or Stone), or of Fireproof Composite Construction. Auto-Houses O UR style of construction is especially well suited for small or medium sized garages. Practically any size house can be built and the doors can be glazed or solid, as re¬ quired. The side walls may have one, two or more win¬ dows, according to size of house and location. We recommend, when possible, our customers to have a cement floor; but we sup¬ ply a suitable hardwood floor and runway when desired. On the following pages are contained a description of various materials we can use for these buildings. Our standard designs have met with general approval, but we shall be pleased to submit plans and estimate with special sketch for an auto-house desired to conform to the architectural detail of any residence. — 4 — Matioiaal Style No. 202 Size 9 ft. x 12 ft. Example of Auto-House Constructed of V-jointed siding, tongued and grooved. This Auto-House can also be built in Steel, (Imitation Pressed Brick or Stone), or of Fireproof Composite Construction. Single Wall Construction T HIS is the simplest form of building we construct; the sec¬ tions are light, yet very strong, and are built of standards with eave and bottom rail properly mortised and tenoned. The standards are surfaced on four sides and plowed in center to receive the siding, which is V-jointed, tongued and grooved and surfaced on two sides. The roof is built in sections also; we recommend for this our waterproof canvas duck. This is thoroughly painted and laid over patent felt on to the roof boards, which are tongued, grooved and surfaced on the inside. The floor is of 7/8 inch pine, constructed in sections and laid upon joists of suitable thickness. Windows and doors can be placed where de¬ sired or may be as shown in illustration. — 5 — National Style No. 203 Size 9 ft. x 15 ft. Example of Auto-House Constructed of V-jointed siding, tongued and grooved. This Auto-House can also be built in Steel, (Imitation Pressed Brick or Stone), or of Fireproof Composite Construction. Steel Construction F OR a certain class of buildings it is quite necessary that they should be absolutely fireproof, and for this purpose we recommend our Steel Buildings. These can be in imitation of red brick or concrete or with rock face stone. It is surprising what an artistic, strong and durable building can be made from sheet steel, and, when kept painted about every two years, these buildings are practically indestructible. By our system of construction they can be erected with ease, taken down with equally good results and removed to new quarters. The in¬ terior may be lined with steel or asbestos as desired, and the roof constructed of sheet steel corrugated, or with patent metal shingles. We use in these houses a special grade of sheet steel fully guaran¬ teed, and of great strength and durability. — 6 — Style No. 204 Size 12 ft. x 21 ft. Example of Auto-House Constructed of V-jointed siding, tongued and groooved. This Auto-House can also be built in Steel, (Imitation Pressed Brick or Stone), or of Fireproof Composite Construction. Composite Construction T HERE has for long time been a demand for light building ma¬ terial, which will resist rot and rust, be weatherproof and render permanent protection under all. conditions. We have accomplished this in our Composite Construction. The exterior of the building consists of annealed steel sheets which have been immersed at a very high temperature in a bath of cement compound of special formula. After this immersion the sheet of steel is passed through rolls removing surplus com¬ pound and rendering the coating even and clear. Pure asbestos felt is then applied to both sides under great pressure and each sheet is afterward cooled slowly in a press gradually contracting and hardening until its different component parts — steel, cement and two layers of asbestos felt—are united into a practically solid mass. The result is a material which will resist fire, water, gas and the ravages of the elements for an indefinite period. — 7 — Style No. 10 A NATIONAI T HE above is an example of one of our three-roomed cottages des siding and the interior is of Southern pine, tongued, grooved: roof is of shingle or can be of asbestos or patent canvas if req to contain six or seven rooms if required. IL COTTAGE lesigned with a view of permanent occupation. The exterior is of bevel i and matched. It can also be lined with art burlap if desired. The equired This style of cottage can be constructed in various sizes and Style No. 400 Size 6 ft. x 9 ft. Example of a Child’s Play House (Can also be used as a Bath or Tool House.) Constructed of V-jointed siding, tongued and grooved. This house can also be built in Bevel siding with colored Burlap inter¬ ior if required. Bath or Play House f i ^HESE houses are built in the single wall construction and are adapted for either purpose. As a play house the walls may be five or six feet in height while the bath house will require seven feet walls. We can fit the in¬ terior with seats or partion if required and for seaside purposes these houses cannot be equalled. The amount of real enjoyment that a child can get from a play house is surprising while another great advantage is that they are out of harm’s way and in case of bad weather arising a shelter is afforded at once. A number of people also use these buildings as tool-houses and for garden pur¬ poses. They are really ornamental, useful and quite inexpensive. In fact they will repay their cost in a very short time. A canvas roof is recommended. —10— N at Style No. 402 Size 9 ft. x 15 ft. Example of Office or Workshop Constructed of V-jointed siding, tongued and grooved. This building can also be constructed of Bevel siding with colored Burlap interior, panelled. Office or Workshop T HERE are many times that an office building is required on short notice. The one illustrated will answer admir¬ ably for this purpose and it can be built any size desired. The solid sections in front can be replaced if required by window sections, thus giving more light and we can fit the interior with pigeon holes and fitments best suited to the purchaser’s needs. For real estate men these houses meet a felt need while the general contractor will find them better in every respect to the home-made article, As a workshop where one can do the odd jobs arising from time to time in house or garden they will be found invaluable. —11— National Style No. 403 Size 9 ft. x 15 ft. Example of Cottage Constructed of V-jointed siding - , tongued and grooved. This house can also built in Bevel siding with colored Burlap interior or of Steel or Composite Construction. A Small Cottage f 1 1 ,HESE little buildings, simple in design and construction, can be erected anywhere in a few hours. They are easily transported by road, rail or sea, and quite inexpensive, durable and weatherproof. As a Summer Cottage we recommend the single wall construction, this being the lightest form we make. The interior would be oil finish and partitions could be put in as desired. In many cases persons simply divide into apart¬ ments by using curtains and this has many advantages over the permanent partition when it is desired to open the whole room. We can supply folding beds or bunks when required, and such furniture of a portable character as would be necessary. -12 National Style No. 404 Size 12 ft. x 21 ft. Example of Cottage Constructed of V-jointed siding, tongued and grooved, This house can also be built in Bevel siding with colored Burlap interior or of Steel or Composite Construction. A Summer Cottage W E here show a cottage of a more pretentious chara^EST, well suited for a summer residence or camp. The design is also well suited for homestead or mining purposes and in this case we build of a material calculated to stand the heavy strain which houses of this kind have. For all the year round use, double walls and roof are recommended, except when required for a tropical country; we then recommend a double roof with a single wall, with plenty of porch room. If at any time it is desired to enlarge the building this can readily be done by ad¬ ding extra sections. A porch may be constructed surrounding the entire building or three sides if desired. - 13 - National Style No. 405 Size 21 ft. x 21 ft. Example of Cottage Residence Constructed of bevel siding with large sections. This house can also be built in V-jointed siding or of steel in imitation of pressed brick. Small sections can be used with equally good results. L — * A Cottage Residence W E have here a structure that at once conveys the idea of a cosy little home. It is not necessarily a house to be taken down every year, but it is constructed with a view of it being a permanent residence and with this idea it is specially insulated and therefore calculated to be a warm house in winter and a cool one in summer. It can be built in either large or small sections in practically any size that can be easily handled and it will be equal in every way to any building constructed by a local contractor at a great saving in cost. It is without doubt the best house on the market today. - 14 - V Style No. 406 Size 12 ft. x 24 ft. Example of Cottage Residence Constructed of Bevel siding with large sections. This house can also be built in V-jointed siding or of Steel in Imitation of Pressed Brick. Small sections can be used with equally good results. A Cottage Residence “■ T HE interior of these cottages are not only insulated but they are lined with a special burlap colored in artistic shades and panelled. Base boards are supplied and picture rails. The interior can be ceiled if required using either metal or wood ceiling material or the roof boards can be stained and varnished with open rafters thus giving a Colonial effect or burlap to harmon¬ ize with side walls may be used. The roofing can be of stained wood shingles, metal shingles, asbestos or canvas. Suitable fire¬ proof openings can be made for chimney and the entire building is fitted perfectly in every respect. — 15 — A Final Word T HE NATIONAL houses are built to satisfy the most critical person and only such materials are permitted to enter the construction of the various houses as shall be best adapted to the particular use for which the the Structure is intended. In every case the customer has the benefit of an expert opinion and we are prepared to advise on matters upon which a person may be doubtful. In this way, those desiring a Cottage suitable for a Summer Camp would obtain a building altogether different from one that would be beSt suited for the Yukon Mines. In appearance both would be similar but the insulating material used and the fin¬ ish "wifuld be entirely different. This is perhaps a small detail but it is of the great¬ est importance to the purchaser. One would not purchase a fur coat for a summer vacation nor a du£t coat for winter use and in the matter of Portable houses, to have an efficient building it is necessary to put in such materials as will meet the given requirements. Again our sections vary in height, according to the nature of the building. A portable church or store would have walls ten or twelve feet high, while for a summer cottage or auto house walls eight feet high would be ample. The size of studding used in walls and the floor and joists and rafters will also vary; experience and common sense have shown that ,to have a uniform size for every kind of building is simply to court failure and with a Portable house, as in other buildings, there are certain laws and conditions to be fulfilled, otherwise when one least ex¬ pects it the inevitable happens. The NATIONAL houses are constructed from Wood, Steel and Composite Metal, each of these materials being treated in this catalogue under their particu¬ lar heading. It would be quite impossible, except at enormous expense to illustrate every form of building that we construct, hence the illustrations contained herein are simply examples of what can be done and we are ready to submit plans and estimates for any description of building. All of our houses are fully guaranteed and are built with single or double walls with roofing material best suited to customers requirement. 16 — AVt^Y UBKAPY V" v