Better Construction tVill Use More Lumber

By Jason C. McCun, West Coast Lumbermen's Association Los Angeles, California

Better construction will be the watchword of the future, according to Harry Lee Martin, vice president of the Pacific Mortgage Guaranty Company, large lenders of money on California real estate, in an address made before the Los Angeles Realty Board recently.

Mr. Martin stated there was a lively interest in the construction of good homes and commented further:

"The acquisition of a home and home building are on a more intelligent basis now and will be in the future. Lenders of money will impose more supervision over quality of construction and within the next few years there tvill be many good durable buildings erected."

The Pacific Mortgage Guaranty Company is one of the several home loaning organizations in California which protects its investments and investors through supplementary specifications setting up minimum requirements which must be followed by builders borrowing money from them. The published specifications as prepared for the company by Wm. L. Campbell, architect, require that lumber materials and fabrication shall be, unless deviations are consented to by the company, as follows:

"All materials shall be new ."

"All (framing) lumber shall be West Coast Lumbermen's Association grade-marked No. 1 Douglas Fir, except that wall sheathing and sub-flooring may be grade-marked No.2."

"All finish shall be mill sanded. All fir panels in doors and elsewhere shall be vertical grain. All window sills shall be clear Redwood, and all door sills shall be Oak. All mudsills shall be No. 1 Redwood. shall be bedded in cement grout, and bolted to foundations every 8 feet."

"No joists shall be spaced over 15 inches c.c., and no 2x6 inch shall span over 5 feet, and no 2x8 inch shall span over 8 feet, and no 2xl0 inch shall span over 15 feet."

"There shall be no studs less than 2x4 inch. All studs and joists shall be sized."

"Al1 buildings shall have sub-floors throughout, laid at 45 degrees, mitred over joists and face-nailed with two 8d nails at each joist."

"The exterior walls of all Class D buildings, over one story, shall be diagonally sheathed solid . . . ., nailed with two 8d nails at .every stud. All ceiling joists shall be tied. Floor joists shall be doubled under bearing partitions."

"Two story buildings may be sheathed with 1x4 inch, 4 inches apart diagonally, nailed as above."

'!All top plates shall be doubled."

"The heads of all openings over 3 feet .wide shall be trussed."

"Studs shall be doubled around all openings with header resting on top of one piece full length trimmer."

"In all residential income buildings, install full mitred molded casings %*l% inch at all doors and at least stool and apron all windows. Bull nose jambs may be installed only upon approval of detail by the company."

"No doors other than closet doors shall be less than

2 ft. 4 in. wide and all corridor doors shall be at least l/a inches thick. All corridor or communicating door jambs shall be rabbitted."

"Finish Pine floors shall be No. 2 Clear & Better T&G, VG Oregon Pine ('B&Btr' VG Douglas Fir flooring)."

All points where quality or fabrication might slip to inferior materials or workmanship, have been efiectively protected in this loan specification.

This is an opportune time for lumber dealers to contact building loan and mortgage companies in their territory and sell to them the idea of loaning for new construction on specifications which will assure good construction and more permanent values. By use of such specifications the lumber retailer will realize more sale of lumber per job and with grade-marked lumber specified the business will be free of competition from grade substitution. In the end it also means to the industry that its market will be protected by the proper use of lumber.