A Modern Home Built of Laminated Lumber

Bv C. W. Buckner, Northern California Representative Harbor Plywood Corporation

A nernt departure in home building is shown on this page. It has been my contention for many years that laminated lumber, or plywood as it is better known, should have a much broader use in the building of cottages and even large homes than it has enjoyed in the past. There has alu'ays been a lot of prejudice against laminated lumber by people who rvere of the opinion that the glue would

$5000 or more. The house illustrated on this page was recently completed at 6000 Outlook Avenue, Oakland, Calif., which is in the Mills College district, and consists of a living room 73'4"x16'U', a kitchen 8'O"xlO'8", bathroom 5'4"x8', a bedroom l0'8,'xl3'(', two clothes closets 2'8"x 2'8", a sieeping porch 8'0"x10'8" and an entrance porch 5'4"x5'('. (See floor plan also illustrated.)

The house has a solid concrete foundation, floor joists of 2"x8" O.P., studding 4"x4", surfaced four sides and spaced at 37' centers, giving it a beautiful beam effect. All overhead joists and rafters are surfaced four sides, giving the inside a beautiful paneled finished effect. The floor is 5-ply 5/s" treated rvith "Inrvood", the outside rvalls are S-ply %", the partitions are 3-ply, the roof is S-ply f" covered vvith tar and gravel, making it a specially fire resisting roof.

It is strictly a factory fabricated house, every part of it being cut to pattern at the factory and delivered at the home site ready for rapid assembly, and on account of the parts all being rnachined to pattern in the factory instead not hold the plies together if it was exposed on the outer u'alls of buildings. Horvever, it has now been demonstrated beyond a doubt that improvements in the manufacturing of glue have made it possible to produce a laminated Iurnber or plywood that will withstand the ravages of the elernents as well as or better than solid lurnber.

A few years ago rve introduced laminated lumber or plyrvood as a suitable material for concrete forms, and the past year has shorvn that it is now becoming a recognized concrete form material that has successfully withstood the conditions to which it rvas exposed, and in many cases has been used as many as six, eight and even twelve times.

It was next successfully introduced as a boat lumber, *'here it has again demonstrated its adaptability to withstand the moisture and at least one San Francisco jobber is carrying a complete stock of laminated boat lumber up to 16 ft. lengths.

With these practical illustrations and demonstrations of its adaptability to outside uses, I began planning for the building of small beach cottages or mountain cabins, but I have found the call also extends to two, three and four roonr cottages and even to modern homes costing up to of being sawn to length on the, job, it is far more rigid and stronger than the house that is built in the old-fashioned way.

This house is treated both inside and outside with "In. wood", a combined rvood preserver and paint that not only *'aterproofs and preserves the wood, but at the same time gives it a beautiful color effect that it is almost impossible to secure in any other r,vay, and on account of it being a one coat preparation that can be applied either by brush or spray, it is an economical finishing material .and is almost everlasting. Many floors treated rvith this preparation have rvithstood the wear for five or six years without needing further treatment, and it can be had in any color.

The floor plan can be changed to suit the requirements of the individual purchaser as the house is built on a unit ized plan, that is, the first unit consists of the living room, kitchen and bathroom; the second unit is the bedroom, and when a clining room is desired another No. 2 unit can be addecl at the other end of the kitchen either at the time that the first unit is erected or at a later date if the purchaser desires. Unit No. 3 is a sleeping porch, and at a small aclclitional expense this can be converted into a kitchen and the ioom norv designated ort the floor plan as a kitchen can be used for an additional bedroom. Any of the rooms can be enlarged either in width or length in 32" or multiples thus making the building conform to the reqtrirements of the owner as 32" Harbord laminated lumber is usecl exclusively.

The total cost of fhe house illustrated, including foundation, erection, electric fixtures, plumbing and painting

sAsH & D00R c0.

and ready to be occupied was less than $1600. The cost of the building and erection exclusive of the paint, foundation, electric fixtures and plumbing was less than $900.

Laminated lumber is fast coming into favor on account of its sound proof and cold resisting qualities. This is because it is made' up of several rotary cut sheets of wood laminated together at right angles with a high grade waterproof casein glue. Another advantage is that it can be secured in large sheets and the walls instead of having joints every four or six inches have joints only every 32", and these are sealed with Laucks' casin body joint filler, making the walls practically air tight. Where a smooth inside wall is wanted instead of the beam effect as shown in this building, it can be secured by lining with /4" 3-ply wallboard and then treated either by staining, painting, papering or with a plastic paint. A house constructed in this manner will overcome many of the de{ects and annoyances that have been caused by checking and pitting of the old-fashioned lath and plaster walls.

Note: Tlrc itouse ztos manifactured by the Motlrcny Sash €r Door Co.,42 JJ_ East l4th, Oakland', California, and was desi,gned, and, sold by C. l4t. Buckuer,557 Market Street, San Frqncisco. Calif ornia.

TIATHEl{Y ,,HARBORD,, PANELS AND WALLBOARD

Distributorc of

Manufacturers and Vholesalers of Sash, Doors, Screens and MATHENY

PLY\TOOD COTTAGES

Oftce, Factory and Vatehouses:

4200 E. l4th St.' Oakland, Calif.

Fruitvale 367O and 3671

C. Buckner

557 Market Sceet - San Ftancisco

Distributor of

MATHENY PLYWOOD COTTAGES

Alco COLI^APSIBLE ($eillecc)

PLYWOOD COTTAGES

GArfeld 8529