Variations in concrete blocks
Variations in type and production of concrete blocks.
“Imitation stone” blocks:
The earliest type of concrete block made at the Boyd Brothers Company factory was the imitation stone block. This type of block imitated the appearance of various types of “stone” surface textures. The Boyd’s imitation stone blocks were made with an Ideal “down-face” block-making machine. The machine had interchangeable face plates which allowed the block manufacturer to choose from several different plates that could be used to vary the surface design of the finished blocks.
Ann Glllespie notes that the “down-face” type of machine made it possible for a block manufacturer to put a fine textured concrete mixture into the block press, followed by a coarser, more durable mix of concrete to form the main part of the block. The result would be a durable block with a better quality design on its facing side.[1] Further, the Boyds employed a “sand finish” in the facing of their blocks which “consisted of Portland cement and graded sand, combined in the approximate proportions of 1:3 (one part cement to three parts sand).[2] Gillespie notes that the Boyd’s use of a finely graded sand with a low ratio of cement resulted in a “slightly rough, sandy texture, which clearly anticipated the “exposed aggregate’ finish characteristic of their later blocks.”[3] This was in contrast to the 1:2 ratio blocks made by many manufacturers of the period, and resulted in a more waterproof, less expensive, but aesthetically pleasing block surface.[4]
Smooth blocks are the “Panel-Face” blocks used mainly for quoin (corner) blocks.
Photo by Gillespie. APT Bulletin, p.44
When the Boyd’s first began their enterprise, they made only the “rock-face” style of block (see above). This style was intended to imitate the appearance of a roughly-chiselled stone block. At first, the Boyds used this block style for all applications, but eventually it was used mainly on sections of walls where a rugged texture was desired.
often a light gray colour and used for main wall blocks.
Blocks on left are the “Vertical-Tooled” blocks which were used mainly as quoin (corner) blocks.
Photo by Gillespie, APT Bulletin, p. 44.
The Boyds soon added the “bush-hammered” style of block face to their selection. The first use of the “Bush-Hammered” blocks appears to have been in 1910, when three Osgoode village houses are noted as built from these blocks.[5] Other styles of blocks were also added to the selection such as the “Vertical Tooled” block, and the “Panel-Face” block. In 1913, Harry Boyd commented on the styles of blocks and their uses:
We made only one style of block at first — with Rock Face, and all the blocks the same.
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
We introduced the Bush Hammered Block with Tooled Margin, in white and in sandstone finish with natural color Rock Face in several different patterns for the foundations; Granite Faced [Boyd seems to be referring to the block style which Gillespie has identified as a “Panel-Face” block]; Vertical Tooled Blocks for jambs, corners, etc., and made columns in white work. We adopted the use of “TYCRETE” Waterproofing Compound in the manufacture of all blocks excepting partition and stucco blocks. Finally, only 25% of our present output is in natural gray Rock Face, and these are used mainly for foundation purposes.[6]
The early Boyd block houses of Osgoode village have been constructed with one or more of the aforementioned block styles. In addition, there are at least two other styles of “imitation stone” blocks which probably originated at the Boyd Brothers Co. factory. These include a block which has a “lattice” style of face pattern (found on the west side porch foundation of 5493 Main Street), and another with a “basket-weave” pattern (found on a section of porch foundation at 3243 George Street). It is interesting to note that these “lattice” and “basket-weave” blocks are employed in place of the wooden lattice that is traditionally used to enclose the open space below wooden porches on houses at the turn of the century.
Blocks were sometimes tinted to colours other than the natural concrete colour using various compounds. Red iron oxide could be added to produce a reddish-brown colour simulating sandstone.[7] Blocks could also be lightened by the addition of white Portland cement.[8] Based on the example of Osgoode village, the red-tinted blocks do not appear to have been popular. The only existing examples identified in the village are a house and the old Orange Hall at 5508 Lion Street (demolished).
House located at 3243 George Street, Osgoode.
In contrast, blocks tinted to lighter or darker grays were frequently used in village houses and were usually incorporated into the architectural design to accent details such as quoins, door and window surrounds, and lintels as in the above example.
Red “rock-face” block section above front entrance to hall.
Block damage due to effects of water seepage and freezing.
Perhaps It Is fortunate that few red “Rock-Face” block buildings were built in the village. It appears that the red blocks are prone to crumbling in places where they have been exposed to water seepage and freezing (see above example of the Orange Hall that has been demolished since I photographed it in 1993). Presumably the incorporation of iron oxide has had a negative effect on the composition and durability of the red blocks.
Footnotes:
1. Ann Gillespie. “Early Development of the Artistic Concrete Block”, APT Bulletin, Vol. XI, No. 2 (1979)., p. 37.
2. ibid, p. 43.
3. ibid, p. 47.
4. ibid, p. 43.
5. PACFile: MG28.tll.71.Vol. 1.5. — JOB LIST. Entries of 1910 show houses built for George Otto, Harry Boyd,
and Milton Boyd using B.H. (Bush-Hamered) blocks.
6. Ideal Ideas, p. 5.
7. Gillespie, p. 47.
8. ibid, p. 47.
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