Plywood Sales Opportunities

A recent breakdown of Douglas fir plywood sales throughout the nation shows that approximately 40 per cent is sold for housing, 15 per cent for heavy construction and 45 per cent for other uses which range from garden furniture to railroad cars, generally lumped under the catchall category of industrial sales.

Volume-wise the retail dealer's largest plylvood sales are in the field of housing. Last year, approximately 400 square feet o{ ply'rvoocl was used in each nerv house built, with some using as many as 4,00O or more square feet.

Plyvvood has many sales-advantages in the hidden parts of a house for such structural applications as sheathing, subflooring and roof decking. If the builder or architect is interested in savings, he can easily see that the large area covered by each 4'x 8' panel will materially reduce application time and cost. Where it takes from l>etrveen three and four hundred pieces of lumber for sheathing and subflooring in the average small house, fer,ver than 70 pieces of standard 4x8 plyu'ood can do the same job. This means, of course, less .cutting, less nailing, less labor.

Additional economies can be secured by using plywood panels for concrete forms on foundation work and using them again as subflooring or sheathing.

Plywood's contribution to overall strength of the structure is a matter of proven record, U. S. Forest Products Laboratory tests show '/a" plywood nailed to framing members of a rvall rvith openings for door and r,r'indorv is more than tu'ice as strong, has twice the relative rigidity of 1x8 lumber sheathing-another vital plywood sales-fact.

Recognizing plywood's great strength and rigidity properties, FHA has recently ruled that f" plywood is acceptable when joist spacing is not over 16". If %" plywood is used, joist spacing can be increased to 21'. Under the same ruling, plyu'ood sheathed houses no longer require corner bracing.

Adaptability to every architectural style or design effect has made Ilxterior plywood increasingly popular as a siding material. Plywood panels sarvn lengthr,vise in half or thirds can lte applied as attractive extra-wide lapped sidings. Applied flush, plywood goes hand in hand rvith modern designs calling for smooth, unbroken surfaces; a picturesque board and batten effect can be obtained by applying panels vertically rn'ith narrorv wood battens over vertical joints and intermediate points.

Other portions of the home ollering extra plyrvood profit opportunities are the so called "costtlme jelvelry" spots such as gable ends, soffits and moclern fencing. For soffits and breezeu'ay ceilings, Exterior plywood panels create smooth, unbroken areas that set them off in flattering contrast to the rest of the l-rome. In California particularly, plywood outdoor fences are becoming increasingly popular to enclose outdoor living areas and fit exactly today's trend tor,vard private outdoor living.

The wide range of interior finishing effects make plywood paneling a popular interior finish material. Plywood's easy r,vorkability, strength and large size make it a natural choice for othei' interior uses such as kitchen cabinets and storage walls.

The same desirable characteristics that make plywood preferred for nel,v construction, also make it a standout for remodeling-particularly for the home orvner who plans to do his own attic or basement remodeling. Plywood is easy to 'ivork with ordinary carpenter tools, speeds work by covering big areas fast-al1 vital sales-fa.ctors in selling plyrvood for home remodeling.

Plyrvood has myriad applications on the farm-each one a potential sale for the alert rural building material dealer. Each of the service buildings on the farm-and the farm home itself-is suited to at least partial construction and remodeling with durable Exterior plyrvood.

The sales-points of plywood for farm uses are literally built right into the product. Large, light weight, punctureproof panels speed construction no matter whether the farmer or carpenter does the work. Plywood holds nails and screws right at the very edge, provides extra structural or bracing strength which simplifies framing.

Exterior plywood is the material that farmers like to use for silos, hog houses, chicken houses, brooders, barns and milk houses. In dairy barns and milk houses, for example, the advantage of smooth, puncture-proof, durable Exterior plyr,vood walls is all important in raising healthy productive stock.

Plywood has gained wide acceptance for small portable farm structures such as hog houses. The selling opportunities of prefabricated farm structures are tremendous-particularly if the present trend of pre-building farm structures in lumber yards continues. Many retailers have added new profits by prefabricating small farm structures with plyvi'ood right in their own yard or by teaming up with a local farm builder..

Another example of plywood performance on the farm is the over 25@ Exterior plywood grain bins built last year to help meet the critical grain storage problem. The speed 'ivith which they were built and their performance srnce stand as stark evidence of the results of research and testing 'ivhich have made Douglas fir plywood the best all around farm building material.

Those same plywood properties-durability, strength, size, workability-applied in an entirely separate field offer fertile sales opportunities among boat builders.

\\reek-end sailor and professional alike have found Exterior plyrvood ideal for all marine construction or repair rvork. Tl-rey've found the big panels simplify and speed construction... build stronger. tighter craft that are light and easy to handle . give long years of rugged service.

Use of the big sheets eliminates the necessity of caulking as in most small boats built by amateurs, a single panel will cover the bottom from keel to chine and cover the sides from chine to gunwale. Plywood's unique cross-laminated

Low Inlllal Cosf! Fosf Conslrucllonl fowers Bulldlng Cosfs!

Forest Hordboord mode of selected Douglos Fir fibers into glossy smooth,duroble ponels ore ideql for mony building uses. An exclusive controlled mqnufocluring process produces Foresi Hordboord ponels of uniform quolity in two grodes. Stqndqrd Forest Hordboqrd for interior use. "Treoled" Forest Hordboqrd for weother resislonce, exteriiFEASY 70 SEI.I,I

) lnitiot cost is tower.

) faty 16 yeyft-soves conslrucllon timo.

) Smoorh surfcce tqkes o beoutlfut losting finish.

) Can be benl, patterned for countlesi usolr

) Voriety of sizes qnd thicknesses soves money.

) Duroble-hqrd surface tqkes rough usoge-lqsts longer.

&,#,@fu*

FASY 7C) WORKT Urc ordinory woodworking foolr. FOREST HARD BOARD sows, ploncr, drills ond glucr. Comcr in convcnicnl, workoblc sizcr.

II0IEL 3lZE3: 1'x1', 1'x6', 1't8', 1'xl0', l'rl2', ond 4'rf6'. (lhicknotu ol l/8n,3/16o, ona l/lb,1

IVIAPPED 6 PANEIS TO A PACXAGE

Sefl Forest Hardboordl construction makes it punctureproof, splitproof against all ordinary boating hazards.

For a superior iob . . . dl lower cos].

Of great importance to all boat builders is the observance of two requisites for successful boat building with plywood: first, use only Exterior type plywood with completely waterp:oof bond for all boat work-inside or out; Exterior type plywood is positively identified by the EXTDFPA branded on panel edges. Second, use the right grade of Exterior type for each marine application. Standard Exterior plywood grades are adequate for most parts of small pleasure boats, including hull planking.

For hull planking on boats subject to extreme or rigorous use, such as racing craft, cruisers and commercial boats, Exterior panels of special physical construction should be specified. These panels have select outer plys and special inner-ply construction and are bonded with the same completely waterproof adhesives.

The recent development of extra-long plywood panels serves well to expand plywood sales opportunities in marine construction. These king-size panels often cover from stem to transom with a single sheet. Most popular lengths are 16, 20 and Z4-f.oot sheets for outboards, sailboats and small cruisers, although plywood manufacturers can make and ship lengths up to 50 feet on special order.

The broad heading of industrial uses offers one of the greatest potential plywood markets. Included in this category are sign and display makers, as well as thousands of small manufacturers who include at least some plywood in their product. fn fact, almost all manufacturing plants represent either a real or potential plywood customer for the sales-seeking retail lumber dealer.

Chcpco House Open To The Public

The Chapco House, built to show the various uses of Chapco Board, is located at 3723 Anderson Street, La Crescenta, Calif. Chapco vertical exterior siding is used on the outside, for interior rvalls, and flooring. The house is open to the public for inspection.

New Plywood Plcnt At Culp Creek, Oregon

The Cottage Grove Plywood Co. at Culp Creek, Oregon, is the most lecently completed plant in the Douglas fir plywood industry. Wilbur D. I\fartin, formerly with Buffelen Lumber & Manufacturing Co., is plant superintendent.

Building Additioncl Kiln

Redr,vood Dry Kiln Co., 3400 East 26th Street, Los Angeles, has started construction of a fourth unit. This will increase the capacity of the kilns to about 300,000 feet in a charge.

Freight Ccrr Shortqges

The fnest materials and machinery are no better than the men who use them. Under set fot by experience manufacturing Blue over a quarter century of skilled workerq aided by laboratory control methods, guard this long production line against imperfectioo.

H. V. Simpson, executive vice president of the \\r.C.L.A., says that on account of the civilian and military demand for lumber and other commodities requiring transportation, it cannot be estimated when cars will become plentiful. August this year shows 9000 less freight cars were received by the industry than in August, 1949. Simpson says that "many sawmills will soon have to close or operate part time on account of the severe car shortage." Financial difficulties are already being experienced by some operations and many mill yards are now filled. Then he summed up by stating that "we can produce no more lumber than we can shio."

Combination

Cosey Doors, of quolity conslruclion throughoul, hove honesl functionql design, cleon oppeqrqnce, long life, perfect weqlher proleclion ond ventilqtion conlrol. The sliding gloss sosh, locked on lhe inside when closed, is odiustoble lo ony desired degree of ventilqtion. The glozed oluminum sqsh is completely weqlher proof ond is removqble. The screen, of l5-mesh golvonized, is held by only two lugs. Cosey Doors qre monufoclured lo very exocl specificolions from top quolity stock. With only reosonqble cqre ond point proleclion, they give lifetime service.

Tacoma Lumher $ales, Inc.

714 W. Olympic Blvd. tOS ANGEI.ES 15, CALIF.

Telephone PRospect ll08

Brqnch Olfice: 1030 G Street, Arcctcr, Cclil., Phone 705

CABGO and BAIL fIR and REDWOOD

NEPNESENTING

St. Paul d Tacomcr Lumber Co.

Tqcomcr, Wcrsh.

Defiance Lumber Co.

Tccomcr, Wash.

Dicloncnr Lumber Compcrny

Tcrcomc, Wcrsh.

Kcrrlen-Dcrvis Compcny

Tccomq, Wash.

Tcrcomcr Harbor Lumber & Timber Co.

Tcrcomcr, Wcrsh.

G. t. Spier Co.

Arccrtcr, Cclil.

Also Northern Ccrlifornicr crnd Southern Oregon FIR and REDWOOD MIttS

Elmer \(/ill:ams in \(/holesale Business for Himsell

Elmer Williams, one of the best known lumber salesmen in Southern California, started in the wholesale lumber business, August 1, making his headquarters at his home, 59 Ntadison Avenue, Placentia, Calif. His telephone number is Placentia 331.

He is representing the Morris Lumber Company of Eugene, Oregon, and they are specializing in the sale of old growth yellow fir, 8 to 24 feet.

Mr. Williams has had many years of experience. He was with American Hardwood Co. for some time, and with W. E. Cooper Wholesale Lumber for a number of days in the Eureka area, hunting, golfing and fishing, Mackin Lumber Co. as manager of their Los Angeles operation.

Forest Fire Dcnger Reqches Peck

San Francisco, Sept. lG-The costliest forest fire season in California since 7924 is now at its peak of danger, Federal and State forestry chiefs said today in a joint warning to hunters and all others who will be in the outdoors this fall.

"This has been the most explosive fire season California has had in 26 years," said a statement issued by DeWitt Nelson, State Forester, and Perry A. Thompson, U. S. regional forester. "An unusual lack of humidity dried the forests and ranges this year to such a degree that some fires l-rave traveled a mile in a few minutes. The peak of danger is right now, from the cumulative eft'ect of months of dryness." '

They urged hunters in the deer season opening Sept 16 to take these precautions : Smoke only in camps, habitations or areas marked "Smoke here." Don't learre campfires or rvarming fires until you kill the last spark. Iteport forest fires to the nearest forest station, peace officer or telephone operator.

So far this year, California has had over 4,0@ forest and nrngc fires. Fast-moving fronts of flame have taken six lives and burr.red more than 200,000 acres.

I):ur-ragc to rvatersheds, timber and other natural resources may exceed five million dollars. Cost of suppressing the fir-es is at least several million dollars-u'hich comes orrt of taxpayers' pockets.

Nelson ancl Thompson declared this year's outbreak of fires is surpassed only by. the disastrous season ol 1924 when 2.600 forest fires burned 1,500,@0 acres.

Ed Martin