Will Build Experimentol Will Hold 2-Week Demonstrotion Air-Conditioned Subdivision On Kiln, Drying of Wood

Chicago-A unique experiment to determine the effectiveness and cost of air conditioning for the average home will get underway shortly in Austin,Texas, where a completely air conditioned subdivision is to be built next Spring.

This was disclosed in Chicago at the recent ConventionExposition of the National Association of Home Builders.

The project is a joint research endeavor undertaken by the National Association of Home Builders, representatives of the air conditioning industry, and the University of Texas. ft promises a wealth of practical dividends for builders who are considering air conditioning for their own construction and for home owners who want this added living comfort at the lowest possible cost.

Cooperative studies sponsored by NAHB's Research Institute and various industry groups already have produced valuable information'on design, installation, operating and maintenance factors of air conditioning systems in medium and small house construction readily available for homes in modest price brackets, and the Austin proiect is intended to meet this need.

Final plans and specifications for the 14 homes to be built in the research village by members of the Austin Ifome Builders Association will be fixed immediately after NAHB's Convention meeting, but the target date for completion of the houses has been tentatively set for May 1.

All 14 homes will sell for approximately g12,000, plus land, and will contain 110O square feet of floor area. They will include a wide range of housing styles to provide as much data as possible for the research investigators. The project will have single and split level homes, using both wood frame and masonry construction.

By agreement with the families who are buying these homes, the air conditioned dwellings will be subjected to 12 months of exhaustive tests under actual living conditions. Representatives of the Air Conditioning and Refrigerating Institute, the National Warm Air Heating and Air Conditioning Association, and the University of Texas rvill join with NAHB researchers in conducting the tests.

The investigators will try to obtain p,recise data on operating costs of various types and sizes of home air ,conditioners, noise levels and design problems.

Madison, Wis.-A practical training demonstration on the kiln drying of wood will be held at the U. S. Forest Products Laboratory here March 29 to April 9. Applications for the Z-week demonstration are now being accepted at the Laboratory, a,ccording to Raymond C. Rietz, chief of the Laboratory's division of timber physics.

"Enrollment will be limited to 30 men,,, Rietz said, ,.so, that we can give individual attention to each class member.,'

Since 1946 more than 700 men have learned ways to conserve lumber, increase kiln output, and reduce drying costs in a series of demonstrations by the staff of the Laboratory. They include dry-kiln operators, seasoning supervisors, engineers, and other officials from woodworking plants in the United States, Canada, and Latin America. Some companies have sent a number of their employees to these demonstrations.

The fee for the demonstration is $2@ per man. This covers Laboratory expenses for the actual time of the specialists in charge, and the costs of materials and publications used as texts. It does not cover travel or living expenses. A firm may enroll as many representatives as it wishes.

Subjects to be covered include basic principles of air drying and kiln drying, types of dry kilns. kiln equipment, kiln operation, kiln tune-up, and moisture control during storage and production.

"ff a man can do simple arithmetic, he can easily master the work" said E. F. Rasmussen, dry-kiln resi:arch engineer in charge of the demonstration.

The men enrolled in the demonstration r,vill operaie kilns under the supervision of,Laboratory specialists. They witl also u'ork practical problems on the use of balances, scales, ovens, moisture meters,. thermometers, recording-controling instruments, and otier dry-kiln equipment.

"Special emphasis will be placed on new, accelerated schedules developed at the Laboratory," Rasmussen said. "These modern schedules can reduce drying time 20 to 35 percent in many cases.

"We will also spend some time briefly discussing such subjects as gluing, machining, preservation, control of stain and decay, and strength properties," he said.

Enrollment blanks can be obtained from the Laboratory at Madison. Wis.