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Show The usual method of bonding adobe was similar to what is called "common bond" in regular brick walls. In this system five to seven rows, or courses, of "stretcher" bricks (bricks with their long faces showing) were alternated with one course of "headers" (the short end showing). The headers overlapped the bricks in the stretcher courses thereby securing, or bonding, the wall. 9 Adobe walls were typically one header and two · stretchers deep, making the walls about 11-12 inches thick (figure 139). While adobe was inexpensive and easily produced, there are signs that it was never completely integrated into the Sanpete Valley building tradition for it had both functional and aesthetic deficiencies. lacking the hard protective glaze of burned brick, adobe was particularly susceptible to the ravages of weather and deteriorated rapidly if exposed to water. Also, its dull, earther11 appearance remained incompatible with the prevailing architectural aesthetic which favored smooth, artificial wall surfaces. coat of plaster. Both defects were remedied through the application of a This practice shielded the soft brick from the debilitating effects of the rain and cold and because the plaster was often scored and painted to resemble either brick or stone, it also lent the house an aura of social respectability (figure 140). 10 By the -1870s, many adobe houses in the valley displayed decorative veneered exteriors. Stone was another popular early Sanpete Valley building material . A cream-colored oolitic limestone was discovered that, while softer and more porous than the famous oolite stone found near Bedford, Indiana, nonetheless proved ideal for the Saints' building needs. 11 like adobe, the attraction of stone initially lay in its accessibility and major /\ · quarries were established at Manti, Ephraim, Spring City, and Fairvie\'./. 254 |
