Build-lt-Yours ell Saen*o House

One Sunday a ferv rveeks ago more than 5,000 people swarmed through a beautiful ranch home in the green hillside suburbs of Portland, Oregon. For a house that was not even on sale, it was a big turnout and it may be the tip-off to new markets for the retail lumber dealer. Why?

Because the builders, a determined young ex-GI, Tom Riley and his attractive, plucky wife, went to work themselves with a saw and hammer to make their dream of a home of their own a reality. Here are the high points of Riley's story. He put up $7,450 for materials purchased at retail from a nearby lumber dealer. By building the home himself with simplified plywood construction, he got a rambling, modern ranch house with seven rooms-1,480 feet of floor space-including three bedrooms, two baths and a double garage. The property is now estimated to be worth more than twice the money invested.

Anybody Can Do It

Actually, Riley, a free-lance writer who srvears that until a year ago he had done little more in the building line than fix a leaky faucet, served as the guinea pig for Popular Mechanics magazine. Except for the masonry, he and his wife built the entire home themselves with the occasional help of a friend. The house was sponsored by Popular Mechanics as a demonstration project to prove that its new "build-it-yourself" dream home can be built by anybody who is willing to work hard and follow careful instructions and a good plan.

Blueprints and a step-by-step, how-to-build book on the house will be offered by the magazine September lst. Plans are $13.50, the book $3.5O and both together 915. They may be had by writing Popular Mechanics magazine, frZ East Ontario Street, Chicago 11, Illinois. On the basis of past experience, the publishers expect to sell 5,000 sets of drawings and 60,000 copies of the book. That and the enthusiastic public response to the open house invitation should be ample evidence of the vast reservoir of interest in the build-it-yourself home-a potential market which some retail dealers have already managed to tap.

Outstanding Plan

Abundant built-ins and ingenious planning by Portland architect John J. Whelan mark the design of the house as outstanding. Noteworthy features include a handsome brick island wall fireplace,between living room and kit,chen and a free-standing storage cabinet eliminating the usual hallway between bedroom and bath. A basic version of the plan, which can be expanded when time and budget permit, provides for two bedrooms and carport. Riley says it can be builit for $5,000 for materials at current prices.

By using especially designed roof-trusses which are prefabricated on the site before erection, the entire roof load is planned so it rests on the walls. This permits any arrangement of interior partitions desired. Or, the builder can erect a shell, complete with roof, and move in while still installing his partitions. Roof trusses consist of. 2x6inch joists and. 2 x 4-inch rafters or truss members. They are joined at the ends, the peak and in the center by /s-inch fir plywood gusset plates. Riley cut out parts for all the trusses at once, assembled them with No. 8 common nails and then set them in place.

Plywood For Simplicity

Because the house required the ultimate in simplicity, plywood was used for all structural and decorative features. By planning the interior on a 4-foot module, there is a minimum of cutting and whole panels can be quickly and easily set in place. The handsome exterior lines of the house are achieved by wide-lapped siding of Plyshield, the siding grade of Exterior fir plywood. Subfloors are s/s" Plyscord over which was laid the Plypanel grade of fir plywood to provide a smooth base for cork tile and other finish flooring materials in the house. Panels used for concrete forms in footings and foundations were .subsequently cleaned and re-used in the subflooring. Plyscord sheating and roof decking speeded building and assures a more solid, stronger house.

In the interior various types of wood panels applied against a rigid fir plywood backing are used for walls. Floors and one wall in the den are cork tile. An unusual effect in the ceiling was achieved by scoring /s-inch fir plyrvood in 24 x 32-inch squares and painting with a textured paint. Bedrooms were papered over /s-inch Plypanel. Colors are handsome pastel tones which harmonize with natural wood finishes and beautiful stain-glazes on hard'it'ood panels.

Growing Trend

Riley swears that anybody who can hit a nail squarely and make a straight cut in a2x4 can build the house. He says:

"Building a house is 90 per cent sheer physical labor, and, with complete instructions, it requires no more skill than anybody can acquire in the actual process of building. Actually, anybody who is relatively competent home craftsman could do a better job than I did in much less time."

If he is right, and his house proves that he should be,

Jcrpcnese Sen Plyrvood Is Admired

In addition to their Lauan and birch plywood, imported from Japan, Ziel & Co., Inc., San Francisco, are also mar' keting very successfully Japanese Sen plywood, which is ash, and is light silver in tone, according to R. S. (Bob) Reid, sales manager of this firm's plywood and lumber department, who states further: "Its figure is very interesting, and it is accepted and admired by everyone who has seen it. This Sen plywood can be finished in any of the modern light colors which are in popular demand among home owners, and the many industrial users of hardwood plywood for interior decoration.

"We are now segregating Philippine lauan plywood into two colors, white and red, which in Philippine Mahogany terminology is light red and dark red. This has not been done heretofore, and it offers a continuity of color in any one package of lauan plywood of approximately 500 square feet. "

Wcrlter Ruth With Sand Door & Plyvrood Co.

Sand Door & Plywood Co., Los Angeles, has appointed Walter Ruth as salesman handling the Southwest part of Los Angeles, and the San Diego territory. Ife rvas formerly rvith the Hoffman Radio Co.

it means new business can manag'e to capitalize build-it-yourself homes.

and new profits for dealers who on he grorving trend toward such