How Long Does a House Live

By F. P. Cartwright, Construction Engineer, National Lumber Manufacturers' Association

llouses are much like 'persons. If their ills and wants are carefully attended to and if they are not attacked by serious diseases they may live to be very old.ff neglected, on the other hand, or if subject to climate or use for which they we.{e not designed, they may go to. pieces rapidly. A well_ built hous-e, like a heaithy peison, has a prospect of much longer life.

Many houses, though in good condition and capable of many more years' service, are torn down to make wav for the growth of our great cities. Many other houses, oftett of the finest type, are abandoned by iheir owners because the neighborhoods in which they aie built change in character and are no longer desirable for residence purposes. Such houses are then used for stores or small factbries and much of their true value is lost. Such houses are said to have suffered in value from obsolescence.

Otheq houses, more fortunately located, live out their entire lives until destroyed by coirosion and decay, as the shelt_er of happy families. To discover how long such dwellings may last an extensive investigation has been made by the engineers of the National Lumber Manufacturers' Association of the records of assessors, engineers, valuation experts and others with experience in the appraisal of real pro_perty. It was found that while individualdwellings may and do last several hundreds of years as, for example, thl famous frame house at Dedham, Massachusetts, which was built in 1636, their average life is much shorter and com- plete structural depreciation will generall;r occur within one nundred vears.

Contraiy to expectation, it was found that fra,me clwellings depreciate in value only a little more than those with walls of brick or other masonry.

_ The _average rate per year which must be charged ofi for depreciation was found to be one and three-fourtlis per cent for fraine and one and one-fourth per cent for brick.- It was brought out by many of the authorities consulted, however, that this difference is almost entirely eliminated if proper care is taken of the home. A stitch in time saves many. and minor repairs here. and there will often prevent extlnsive deterioration of the structure which. would occur if snch repairs were neglected.

HOO HOO LUNCHEON FOR P^ARSON SIMPKIN AT PORTLAND

Parson Simpkin_was the guest of honor and the principal speaker at a special luncheon of the Portland Hoo Hoo Club, March 24. President Harry L. Potter was in the chair and there was a good attendance. The Parson g-ave a fine talk, in the course of which he said that in his opinion Hoo Hoo was the only thing capable of reaching out and welding together all branches of the lumber industry. He suggested that the Portland club should hold a golf- tournamdit and outdoor concat in the near future.

We have prepared a folder on "Why you ehould use Redwood in Your Home" containing a reprint of the article "lndeatructible Redwood" which appeared in the May | 9th issue of Literary Digest, together with sample pages and description of our booklet "Redwood Home Plans." A supply of theee folderg for free distribution will be gladly Eent you on request. Write for them.

LongBell Doors are made throughout of California White Pine

They ate easily worked-cost less to fitrmortise and hang

They have a beautifulgraintake any finish perfectlY

If vou hadbeen looking around this dealer's ' yard

-he would have shown you his sheds of Long ' Bell trade-markedDouglas Fir -and this is what he would have said(an actual occurrence):

"Ve've been Eetting excellent lumber frour l,ong-Bell at Longview,'!7ashington."

*We recently unloaded 4 Lon-g-Dell car con'taining 40,000 feet of Finish, Flooringand Drop Siding."

"Our vard manager and his associates said it - *m the fineit car of lumber they had ever seen.tt

They give long, time satisfaction and charm

Sell Long,Bell Doors!

Dealers interested in a satisfactory, profitable business find Long-Bell ftade'marked Douglas Fir a dependableinvestment. A Lons-Bell stock sells the customer-and,beEause of its quality, brings him back for more.