Revised Pqrticleboord Stqndords

Considered

A revision of the commercial standards for particleboard is bein-g, circulated to the industry for consideration, according to the U. S. Department of Commerce.

The Office of Commodity Standards has been cooperating with industries in establishing voluntary nationar standards trirough ge1e14 tra-de acceptance procedures for over 40 years. The staniard identifies the principal commercial types, "l"oo, densities, dimensions, and properties of wood partilLboard

.By comparison with the 196I edition which covered onlv one board with density as ordered, this revision gives requirements and test methods for ten basic particleboards in two iypes (int-erior and exterior), in a fixed range of densities from b-elow 32 lbs/cu ft to over 50 lbs/cu ft, anJ in two classes of properties for each standard density range. An accelerated aging iest is added covering the exterior type boards. Moisture "coitent requirements are modified to provide for relating moisture content to conditions of use when such conditions ire krrow' before shipment.

_-The revision, dated July 6, l9&, is now being circulated to all particleboard pr-oducers and to the furniture, kltch"n counter, door, and flooring fabricators, as welr as to home buirders. architects and l1tjt_lt^::oply dealers for their views. It is remporarily designated TS-55948 and^ copies are available while the ."pply lasts from the Office of Commodity Standards, National B;;u; of Sa$dardE, U. S. Defexrncrrt of bonreice, k".ld"gr":n;t.,e 20234.

45;0@ Unsold Homes in the Weaf

An estimated 45,000 unsold new homes on the pacific Coast represent serious builder mistakes which competent market research could have corrected, a nationally known marketing consultant has said.

-Speaking 'before the Pacific Coast Builders Conference, Sanford R. G-oodkin, president of the nationwide, Los Angeles-based firm which bears his name, cited the following recen-t statistics compiled by his stafi to back this estimate: Z7,Ogg unsold new homes in the five-county Los Angeles complex; 4,574 in th6 eightcounty San_ Francisco Bay area; L,769 in Sacramento, city ind county, and 935 in four counties of the Portland, Ore., metro, politan area.

, "A staggerin_g amount of ihterest and promotional money is being- expended in this giant holding operation, which should have been avoided," he added.

M-ajor mistakes, Goodkin said, which overlap because unsuccessful projects generally sufier from more than one mistake include: overpricing or giving poor value for price, 70 percent; poor exterior elevations, 50 percent; bad floor plan, 60 percent; and poor financing arrangement, 4O percent.

"But the value of research and marketing analyses depends, finally, on its interpretation, which must be-spelled.out in firm recommendations," he said.

'oBuilders must still make their own decisions, but they should not, in 1964, be doing so with blindfoldi over their eyes,', 'Goodkin concluded.

Awqrd fo Vermiculite Director

Edward R. Murphy, managing director of the Vermiculite Institute of Chicagq was the recipient of the ASTM Award of Merit at the annual meeting of the American Society for Testing and Materials held at the Conrad Hilton Hotel in Chicaso on June 24. The award was in recognition of distinguished sirvice to the society, T. A. Marshall, Jr., ASTM executive secretary, stated. It rqas one of only 20 made this year.

Riverside Site Selected for New Certqin-teed Pipe Plont

Certain-teed Products Corporation has purchased 38 acres in the Jurupa district of Riverside County, California, and will build a new multi-million dollar plant for the manufacture of asbestos-cement pipe products.

with tip-up concrete walls, will have 120,000 square feet of space under roof. Separate air-conditioned offices will house plant management, trafrc, sales, service and purchasing personnel. Included on the fully-landscaped grounds will be an aiea of 250,000 square feet for storage of pipe.

Located three miles north of the center of Riverside and approximately one mile west of the Riverside Cement Company's Crestmore plant, the site is sheltered frorn high winds by the surroirnding hills. It is pait of the former Rancheria Esplendida property, and has just been sold to Certainteed by the Riverside Cement Company.

Certain-teed markets its pipe products through sales agents and distributors na' tionally, and maintains nine district sales offices including two in California, at Los Angeles and San Francisco. In southern California, The Republic Supply Company of California is the sales agent.

Wide Wod Use in APortments

Among major apartment projects to take advantage of the new permissive uses of fire-retardant treated wood is the recendy completed Marshall Street apartments in Redwood City, Calif., built by owner Odd' stad Homes.

The 94,280 square food Type I building utilized 37,000 board feet of fire retardant studs processed by the Baxco-Pyreilote pressure-impregnation method. This materi' ul tto* qualifies under the 1964 Uniform Buildtng Code for several new uses, includ' ing framing within non'bearing one-hour firl-resistive permanent partitions in Types I, II and [V one-hour buildings.

Malcolm Meyer, president of Certainteed, the nation's second largest producrr of asbestos-cement pipe made the announeement. Ground will be broken very shortly lor this new construction' The plant, a modern, well-ventilated building

Founded in 1904, Certain-teed Products Corporation is a leading manufacturer ^of u.phalt roofing, insulating siding and mill' work producti as well as pipe. It also markets asbestos sidings, fiber-glass insulation. insulation board and hardtboard. Certain-teed's services include distribution of building materials and a complete pro' gram of aichitectural pldnning and financing of new homes.

Permission to use the fire'retardant studs was granted by S. A. "Mike" Kreisso chief city Luitding official, based on his knowl' edge of the ICBO research recommenda' tions, which seryves as an interim guide to building officials until provisions of -the 1964 B;ilding Code have been adopted by the various cities.

Fire retardant lumber was supplied by J. H. Baxter & Co. of San Francisco.

Use Cqnvos

An attractive fence can be built easily by lacing carlvas panels over a redwood frame.

lBl's "Quiet Home Progrom"

The first organized "quiet home" program which provides standards to help builders, dealers and architects solve the problem of excessive household and apartment noise has been announced by the Insulation Board Institute.

Charles M. Gray, manager of the association, said the new technical and promotional program is built around the IBI Quiet Home Qualification Standards.

"The Quiet Home Standards," said Gray, "enable a builder to economically provide families with a meaningful quiet atmosphere for single family homes and garden apartments. And, while developed primarily for use in new construction, many of the techniques can be used in remodeling existing structures.

Gray compared the sales appeal of the quiet home theme with 'othe great home selling ideas of past decades such as the furnished kitchen, the family room, and the development of the ranch-style home.

o'The idea of buying a home or renting an apartment with built-in peace and quiet has almost universal appeal,,, he said, ooThis has been proven in sales made by builders in key market areas like Oakland, California."

The IBI Quiet Home Qualification Standards are divided into two parts, minimtm requirements and desirable options.

Gray said individuals who are interested in the IBI Quiet Home Program may obtain participatiori forms from representatives of the fourteen IBI member companies and from the IBI office, lll W. Weshington St..Chicago.

Mqrlite Boy Areq Plqnt

To handle the increasing demand in the Bay Area for plasticfinished Marlite wall and ceiling paneling Marsh Wall pioducts has anonunced the opening a new warehouse and branch office at 777 l39th Ave., San Leandro, Calif.

Howard Robison, western division manager, has announced that the new 24,100 sq. ft. brick and concrete block buildins will replace a smaller facility at Emeryville. Charles G. Robbi"ns is the manager of the new warehouse at San Leandro.

Other Marlite warehouses on the west coast are located at Los Angeles and Seattle. Marsh Wall Products has nine branch offices and warehouses across the countrv.

Wqlnut Veneer Action Hqiled

Donald H. Gott, secretary ex-officio of the walnut veneer advisory committee and spokesman for the industry, says the U. S. Department of Commerce action of June 24 "should resolve the walnut veneer controversy."

The department declared that it "continued to urge the use of l/36-inch walnut face veneer to conserve the nation's walnut timber resources."

"The Department of Commerce's news bulletin," Gott said, "fully explains the need for this program and should resolve the matter. Persons desiring to refrain from complying witlr the conservation order are within their rights to petition formally the Department of Commerce in consultation with Christian Heiter's special committee on world trade, the State Department and the Department of Agriculture."

Gott pointed out that exports of walnut, o'America's heritage wood," had soared several hundred per cent since the wood became a world favorite. Before Commerce established a quota program of reducing overall consumption of logs at 16 percent less than the avcrage of the L96l-62 base period, Gott said, studies by the U. S. Department of Agriculture showed that the supply of quality American walnut veneer Iogs would be exhausted in five years.

-T;jl

Best You Know This Man

He's Mister CHIP in Northern California. He's the man who knows this franchise Comprehensive Home Improvement Plan inside-out, the plan that has evolved as the most complete home improvement program ' available for you, the Building Materials Dealer. He can provide you with everything you need to enjoy a nice profit in this rapidly expanding field . everything from -know-how, advertising, promotion ^

^.rJ selling equipment, business forms, personnel training anddown-to-eirth pricing. He'll provide you with in-yard training and consultation, as well as facts on how to finance this comprehensive plan. The details are complete and ready for you' Are you ^ ready to include a new, profitable department in your operation ?

Newly-Formed Four Stor lumber

A unique new lumber sales organization, the Four Star Lumber Sales Company, has been formed in Roseburg, Oregon. The firm was created by four stud mills for the expressed purposl of selling their four stud brands.

The mills are L & H Lumber Company, Sutherlino Oregon; Round Prairie Lumber Company, Dillard, Oregon; Sun Studs, Inc., Roseburg, Oregon and Winema Lumber Company, Chemultn Oregon.

Sales manager of the new Four Star organization is L. D. "Bud" Rousseau. For the past 15 years Bud has been an account executive with North Pacific Lumber Company of Portland.

Workiqg nvith Rousseau as assistant sales manager is Ted Barnes, former sales manager of L & H Lumber Company, one of the "stars" in the Four Star film.

Rousseau states that buyers will benefit from this new sales organization because tley will need to make only one call to place orders for their choice of Douglas Fir, Hemlock, White Fir or Cedar species. They will have immediate access to a larger, consistent source of supply and a far wider selection of product sizes.

The total combined annual production of these four mills is 165 million board feet. According to Rousseau, the Four Star Lumber Sales Company easily represents Oregon's highest stud sales volume.

CAIIFORNIA LU'$EEN METCHANT

Promoles Keorns, Becker

Insular Lumber Company has announced promotion of R. S. Kearns to vice president and director and J. J. Becker to general manager of the company's operations in the Philippine Islands. Insular Lumber is the leading manufacturer of export Philippine mahogany lumber and. millwork.

Becker, who succeeds KearnJ, has been assistant manager since 1962, when he joined Insular from Winton Lumber Company of Martell, Calif. For the past year Becker has been responsible for logging and manufacturing operations while Kearns concentrated on development of logging production and other company facilities in the firm's new 117,000 acre timber tract in the southern part of Negros Island.

Kearnso prior to serving Insular, was general manager of Dwyer Lumber Cbmpany, Portland, Ore., and from 1950 to l95B general manager and later vice pres. ident of operations of Winton Lumber. From 1947 to 1950, he was a partner in Mason, Bruce. and Girard" Portland consulting foresters, and from 1935-40, Professor of Forestry, Oregon State College.

EFFICIENT DISTRIBUTION old-Growth DouGtAs FIR from spocek Bros. lumber co., Mqnchester

Precision-trimmed STuDsDouglos Fir . white Fir . Redwood

REDWOOD AIR-DRIED ond KttN-DRtEI) o FRED C. HOTMES tUl,tBER COMPANYo Speciolizing in Mixed Shipments of Douglos Fir & Redwood Produclion & Home Ofice: Fred HO[ME9/Carl FORCE/J|m BUCKNER P.O. Box 987 Fort Brogg, Co[f. fWXz 707-573-8259 Phone: YOrklown 44058 Boy Areo: Phil cOSSt lN-Ocklond o TWX:4r5-89r-98g9 Phone: KEllog 3-5326 Wholcrole O'nly o Arcoto Ofice: Frun HOIMES VAndyke 2-3657 7074'27-0458 as an Com-

Reseorch Society Annuol Convention

More than 700 people attended the IBth annual meeting of the Forest Products Research Society, making it one of the bestattended meetings in FPRS history. The meeting was held during late June in Chicaeo.

H. O. Fleischer assumed the presidency, succeeding F. E. Dickinson, director of the l]niversitv of California l-orest Products Laboratory in Richmond. Cali{., who will remain on the executive board as past president. Fleischer is now director of the division of Forest Products and Engineering for the U. S. Forest Service in W'ashington, D. C.

C. M. Kreider, vice president and general mtrnager o{ BrooksScanlon, Inc., Bend, Oregon, was named president-elect; and A. F. Muschler, technical director o{ Edward Hines Lumber Co., Chicago, Ill., was elected vice president.

Eleeted regional board members rf'cre: Willard Gullicksen. president of Churchill Cabinet Co., Chicago, Ill., {or thc north central region; and C. P. Berolzheimer, vice president and research director of the California Cedar Products Co.. Stockton. Calif., lor the southwest region.

K. E. Huddleston was ie-appointed executive secretary of the Society, which maintains its international headqrrarters in Madison. Wisconsin.

Breqkthrough in 203(kl Loons

There may be good news ahead concerning the government's 203(k) program ($10,000-20 years). Heretofore, all efforts to make it workable have fallen flat. An amendment in the upcoming housing bill will authorize loan guarantees where there is "an acceptable risk" involved. reports House and Home magazine. Formerly, properties had to be proved "economically sound." Big problems recurring, however, are red tape in processing 203(k) loan applications. and lenders' unwillingness to accept the allowable interest rates.

These problems may be solved, norv. by a Long Island, New York, mortgage broker. John Pergola, whose little-publicized plan is catching on there. Pergola widely advertises 203(k) in newspapers to Long Island home owners. He packages the program Ior home owners, contractors and lenders alike. arranges loan processing and closing for customers' convenience. handles all necessary paperwork, arranges for FHA inspection as the work progresses, and provides a Ioan advance oI 50o/o of the FHA approved contract price. The plan works so well that banks are buying Pergola's 203(k) paper and paying him a 2/o frnders fee.

Elimination o{ all red tape-handling the papenvork from beginning to end-is the key to stlccess, according to Pergola, who has now closed over 100 203(k) loans. Pergola's method points to the potential in the program for mortgage brokers willing to do the work" could open profitable opportunities and unclog the log jam holding 203(k) back. For complete details o{ how Pergola does it write The National Home Improvement Council.

Durhom New Cqlif. Celotex Veep

Thomas M. Durham has been appointed to the position of vice president - sales oI California Celotex, Inc., City of Industry, California. according to G. H. Collins, president. Cali{ornia Celotex is a suhsidiary of The Celotex Corporation.

Durham served as assistant regional manager, acoustical department-western region {or The Celotex Corporation since April, 1962. Prior to that time he was an acoustical sales engineer for several years.