"Masonite House of Applied Research"

In its continuing research to develop hardboard applications that will improve home construction and lower building costs, Masonite Corporation recently completed the "Masonite House of Applied Research." This house was erected near the company's central Research and Development Laboratory at St. Charles, Ill. In the planning of this house the Masonite research staff consulted with the Washington office of the Lumber Dealers Research Council (Lu-Re-Co) in handling many of the details, drawing upon the council's practical experience.

As a proving ground for laboratory ideas in development over the past two years, the research house includes several innovations in both materials and applications. Some may have industryrvide impact, while others in the "blue sky" category may never be marketed, according to O. W. Frost, director of research and development.

Frost said that the house was built to test the practicability of:

1. Large componertt units up to 8'xl2' of pre-primed, exterior, load-bearing panels having no obvious joints to mar their appearance.

2. Joining stress-skin panels which have both interior and extterior surfaces applied in the shop.

3. Prefinished modular component interior panels that are erected by time-saving techniques.

4. Floor-to-ceiling height passage doors and cabinet doors that have a novel convex construction and require no fitting.

5. A simple mass-production of making and installing cabinets.

6. A nerv fype of prefinished hardboard roof panel that combines both sub-roof and roof covering.

Exterior wall components in the research house are innovations primarily because of their large size, their stressskin glued construction and the methods used in joining them in the wall so that they show no obvious joints. They point the way to a better built house using the minimum of materials and without the common earmarks of panel construction.

New V-Groove Siding

The joint problem rvas handled in several ways. Some of the panels have as exteriors the company's new XNinety V-Groove Siding. llere the horizontal v-shaped grooves hide the joints between panels. On other portions of the exterior surface an experimental type of rnolded siding with lap type, horizontal shadowline was trsed. In these panels two 4' wide sheets of siding are mounted horizontally rvith a ship-lapped joint between the tlpper and lower boards which is lost in the shado'ivline. This unique panel combines the strength advantages of a large sheet with the horizontal lines of lap siding. The use of window panels and off-sets disguise the joints in many cases.

was spread on the edges of both Panels and the panels brought together in the proper position. A tapered spline was dropped into the space formed by joining the grooves in the two panels. A second tapered spline was inserted and hammered to a tight fit and the unneeded end was sawed ofi. The result is a weather-tight joint and a strong, rigid wall with greater rack resistance than is possible with joints held by nails.

Some interiors of the component exterior wcll pnnclr of the "llqsonite Hou3e of Applied Reseorch" ore foclory-finished cherry-grcined hordboord, requiring no on-the-lob finishing ond liille moinfcnonce. Tcchnicionr ora rhown ioining lwo componenl unirr by driving o rpline into q grooyo belwsen odjoining poncls. fhe tapered spline bcing hsmmend inlo plocc fttr ogcinrl o rplinc previously dtoPpsd inlo thc slot.

The house will be occupied by a member of the research staff so that in the months and years ahead frequent checks can be made of the new products and application techniques.

The inside surface of some of the exterior walls is Royalcote Cherry woodgrain in the new Honeytone color. Ffere, again, the vertical lines absorb the joints. These factory-finished panels elirninate the need for on-the-job decoration and provide easy maintenance. In other panels the inside surfaces have the hardbo'ard applied horizontally and the horizontal joint is 6lled and finished to make a smooth wall surface.

Since the skins are factory-applied to both sides of the component loadbearing panels, it was necessary to devise a new method of joining the sections. Groves were made in the vertical ends of each panel edge. Epoxy glue

Loborotory techniciqns line up one of the 8'xl2' componenl exlerior woll ponels ot the "Mcsonite House of Applied Research." Fobricoted in the shop, the oulsize panels reveql no obvious ioints. The exterior hordboqrd shown is on experimentol type of molded siding hoving a lop-lype shodowline. The horizontol shipJopped ioint between lhe two 4'xl2' pcnels comprising lhe componenl unit is lost in o shodowline.

To start assembly, an exterior component panel was positioned, plumbed and held in place temporarily by a brace. The end of the bottom rail was then solidly toenailed to the base plate previously installed on the foundation. An overhanging lip of the exterior surface was then nailed to the edge of the plate, thus anchoring the panel.

After an adjoining panel was positioned by the spline method, the two exterior component panels were linked by a metal plate nailed across the joint on the top edges. At the outside corners the meeting panels were joined by nailing a 2x2 lumber strip to each panel, thus locking the outside corners (Continued, on Poge 24)

MIIULDINGS & MILLWORK

CUT.STOCK & LUMBER "lllcH SlEtRA" SPTCIALTY PROIIUCTS

PLYII'O(III & Il(l(IRS (Truck and trailer shipments -single or double-DFPA Interior Sheathing)

DFPA grade-rnarked plywood products from West Coast Veneer at Crescent City, Calif.

For mouldings, millwork, cut-stock, and lumber, call: Frank Morrisetlte or Bob Clark

For lumber and specialty products, call: Bill Davis

For plywood and doors, call: Dan Krieger

Exhibits, business meetings and good fellowship characterized the 11th Annual Woodrvork Institute of California Membership Meeting and Millvvork Seminar held March 29 and 30 at the Ambassador Hotel in Los Angeles, California.

Hailed as a great success, the two day event was inaugurated Thursday afternoon, 2:00 p.m. with the opening of the exhibits. Such prominent W.I.C. members as United-states Plywood Corp., Tarter, Webster & Johnson, Ifouston Waterproofing Mfg. Co., and California Panel & Veneer Co. were all represented.

What's New in Millwork

Over 150 millwork manufacturers' personnel and architectural representatives assembled for the seminar discussion, "What's New in the Millwork Industry," which followed. Speakers for this afternoon session were: Burdett Green, Area Representative, Fine Hardwood Association; Ross Rasmussen, Area Sales Manager, Weyerhaeuser Co.; Dr. O. H. Schrader, General Manager, Washington Division, U.S. Plywood Corp.; Larry Price, I\{anager, Research and New Product Develooment. The Pacific Lumber Company and Wayne Gardner, Technical Representative, National Lumber 1\4anagers Association.

Glenn Miller of Pacific Lumber Dealers Supply, Inc., llarbor City, rapped the gavel to open the evening session rvhich attracted 300 persons. Retiring president, Reg Taylor explained the Woodwork Institute's Certified Compliance Grade Stamp Program and the beneficial effect it has had on the industry and architectural profession in a talk entitled "Two Years of Quality Control."

Problems of Contractor

Clarence Wapner, past President of the Il.C.A., School Builders Council, delivered the next address; the problems of the general contractor relative to his position with the architect and millwork manufacturer.