Responsibility of the Generul Contractor In the Laying of Successful and Artistic Oak Floors

By F. M. Connelly, Woodhead Lumber Co.

At the risk o,f offending some of our contractor friends I shall start.out by-saying. that_the_avtf,age contractor does not givJ the tlardwood tloors in a.building a square deal. He usually does not pay.sufficient attention to the prdper preparation of the-build_ ing so that a floor can be laid whiih witt'i" every way please the owner and which will give lasting satisfaction.

- -It is my purpose to point ou-t in this article some of the dif- trcultles.and problems, a conscientiou$ flooring contractor has to tace,,a-nd the mann(r in which the contractor Ean aid in removing the difficulties and solving the problems.

_ C_alifornia is the biggest consumer of. Hardwood Flooring in the United. starls, using approximately 25 per cent of ttre ef,'tiri output of the Mills. In the early hist-ory the average Mill cut iti own timb.er and there was. a uniformity ;f trxture, ind grade, and color whlch_no longer exists because-the Mills now laieelv'Durchase their Jog_s in the open market, and rec<jve timber grown at ditferent altitudes, on different soils, and under differeni climatic and other conditions. In addition to this tho constantly increasing value of Oak and other hardwood stuinpage have made -it neceJsai] to us.e a greater percentage of the <ntire log, some of which in tne .day-s ot :cheap stumpage was wasted, or put into the lower grades for other purpos(s; so that it is impossible today to secure the same .percentage_ of long lengths, or the same degiee of uni_ iormrty of, color qnd texture. And larg<fy on account of this increased value of Oak there has been a tend-ency to use thin flooring, and in no place has this tenderrcy gonc, to such an extent as i-n Los Angeles.

In this market we now use three thicknesses of flooring- 3-8 inch, l-2 inch and 13-16 inch. The 3-8 inch flooring, *fi", first.manufactured, was intcnded to be used to cover e*istirii nooi, in old buildings, and it rvas not expected that builders *o-"uld "t- tempt to-use such a thin flooring in new buildings except when laid over a kiln dried T & G Pine or other floor. Oak absorbs moisturc more_ rapidly than is generally known and when it is not properly ventrlated and. kept. thoroughly dry it will contract, and expand, a-nd -rot in a short time; and yet it is safe, to say that two-thirds of the homes where a 3-8 inch'floo.r is specified, ihe contractor pro- vides for a sub-floor of rough 1x6 gteen neither shiplapped or T & ,G, and somr(times not giving it enough attention [o even see that it is perfectly level, with the result that the finished floor is bound to be uneven as it naturally follows the sub-floor. As this su.b.-floor. contracts, as it dries, the openings bcteen the boards widen allowing a greater degree of moisturJ .to accumulate under the Oak floor at these points than elsewhere, which is another pro- lific cause of trouble.

The' importance of thorough ventilation cannot be overstated and this .a_pplies to _all Hardlvood floors, to a greater degree of course with a thin floor, such as 3-8 inch or l-2 inch, than when the standard 13-16 inch is used. Very few houses are properly vr.;ntilated. When properly ventilated ihere must be no dead air spacg. An owner may consider his house is absolutely dry underneath, a_nd yet in the summer months the heat is con6tantiy drawing.moisture from the ground evc,n when the surface seems perfect_ly dry'. As this moisture can reach the Hardwood floors, trouble will result. Sometimes the moisture from sprinkling of the lawns will get undtlr the house and if the circulation of air" is not perfect the same bad results rvill follow. A thin floor will sometimes ab- sorb the moisture and will show bad effects from the wet plaster of a new home.

By taking a fcw precautions the general contractor can do much to assist the Hardwood floor contractor in giving the owner that service and satisfaction to which he is entitled. - The house should be 2 feet off the ground. Thc..re should be at least on€ V€o- tilators to every ten feet of space. Some owners object to ven-

(Continued on Page 28)

AMERICAN LUMBER STANDARD GRADF-TALLY HOMER T. HAYWARD LI'UBER COTPEIIY BI'YS CARD YARD

(-_ ^__-___-

Consignee Destination

,.1t"'i,""f:r?;::ll""H,lf.hi:

il:Jt

man at wat-

The Hammond Lumber'Company yard at Hollister.has ' ' ' ' ' ' Lumber companv b.;;b;;ht bt- th" -H;.t il H'.y*ard Lumber comMill .. ..Order No..... pany, wh6 took possession on the l3th of this month. car No.. .weather. .Date or Shipment.

LAUGHLIN ON UONTH'S TRIP

I*r-tc:B-eil Lu-m.ber -Co-panv, left- Los Angeles on thc Green, Part Dry, wet, Heavn Dry. cleai, cloudy, Rain. nighi of the lTth' to take a month's trip to practielly all SIZES: CAR: ur' ^4'r' of_the points at rvhich_his company operates. Standard. Extra Standard. O.K.. Leakv Roof. Poor Doors. He rvent first to San Francisco, where he was joined !f Standard' standard' o'K" Doors'

Route via. sroCK: *EATHER.

ff:H;.":'Jtf;'.t"ltl'i,i/"*T;';

Feet Pos. Size Length Grade Kind Tally By Whom r,,^ 1-^^--,r-,r +^ T ^-*i.J Afrar a wisit there- Mr. Kind rallv Bv whom f,"" -pt"."eded 'to Longviei. After a viiit lhere, lfr. /L"ue6ti''rvil|gotoKansisCity,andtothesouthernmills.

[ Oi Novembir 5th, he will visit his old home, Chamber-

-rI lain, South Dakota, rvhere he will attend the golden wed- tW ding anniversary celebration of his parents.

L. H. IVES & COUPANY SHIP HUGE CARGO TO NEW YORK

.Checker Rechecked on order by.

....Checker

Lumber in this shipment has been inspected under the official Grading Rules of the. Association.

IMPORTANT:-Carefully observe conditions of load upon arrival at destination. If a closed car, not€ if door seals are alt intact and make a record of seal numbers. Carefully tally contents of car and if same does not correspond with the above record secure 1g$enendent re-check, preserving original. cer-tified unloa,iing tally. 'l his inlormation necessary to support claim for loss or damage. All claims must be filed within ten days after arrival of shipment.

The steamer El Abeto, under charter to L. H' Ives & Company, of Seattle, towing the barge Dqculan- reJueled at Lis ittgeles harbor iecentlly, enroutE to New York with a cargo of 3,25O,000 feet of Fir.

It i"s stated that this vovase will mark one of the longest circuits of its kind in ira-ritime history. The El Abeto carried a million and three quarters, and the barge was loaded rvith a million and a half feet.

Burbank Yard Has New Xanager

Mr. Walter Decker, formerly manager for the Uotoq Lumber Co-p"tty, at Marysvilie, is the new-manager of theViney-Millikd yard at -Burbank- He replaces Mt' J' H. Trumbo.