OONSOLII}ATBD LT]nIBBB OO.

(a

dlvlelon ot T|re Gharles Nebon Co.) Yard, lfoeks and Planin$ Mill

Wilrrrington, Oalifornia

fhe Stqnford Srudy

(Continued from Page 63)

:he consurnption of lumber (ls well as pllzrvood, hardboard, rnsulating b,:ard, shingles, and shakes) in the past and for future ta-get years, the residential ccnstruction market was broken dor.vn into :narkets for each product by each of the housing comPori:nts.

Cantow Corr,rPANY

FRED C. HIILMES LUMBER Ctl.

Wholesole lumber

Douglos Fir - Redwood - Whire Fir Concentrqtion Yord qt Fort Brogg f ruck or Roil Shipmenfs

Fred Holmes Cqrl Force Box 987, Fort Brogg, Colif. Phone 7681

For each oi these represeirtative dwelirngs for each of these years, tlte maximum possible lumber use was deter:nined by crmptrting the nraximum amount of lumber rhat might crnc.ivably be used for each housing compolent. The naximum possible lumber usr: in each component r,vas ihen multiplied by the residential housing rrnits started by type in each year. This gave the over-all 'naximum possible market f:'r lumber in residential con.struction.

The marker: participation ci the building materials used in each component rvas determined as a p€:l'centage of the rnaximum possible lumber use. By this method the seprrate efiects on the consumption of lumber of number of ,iweiling uni's built, size of units, architecture, and the competition of other materi;.ls were determined for past -,.ears and could be estimated for the future.

Lumber consumption has declined steadily from 18,900 board feet per dwelling unit in l92O to 10,520 board feet in 1953, a 44/o drop. By 1975 it is expected lumber consumption per dwelling unit will decline to about 8,700 board feet, or about 17/o below 1953 levels'

Roughly half of this decline in lumber use between 1920 and 1953 was due to changes in the size and architec-

Representing on a wholesale, direct mill shipment basis some of the older and better Fir and Pine manufacturers in Oregon and Northern California GREEN OR DRY ROUGH OR SURFACED

By rail or tnt.ck

[ore$t Products $ales Compilry

8404 Crenshaw Blvd. INGLEWOOD, CALIFORNIA Pleasant 3-ll4l Teletype LA 858

ture of dwellings; this represented a market loss for competing materials, too. Of the market remaining, the consumption of lumber in 1920 was about 63/o of the maximum possible. By 1950 this had dropped slightly to about 59(/o of the maximum possible, but by 1953 it had fallen to about 52/o. Thus, between 1950 and 1953 lumber participation feli off more rapidly than it did in the previous thiriy years. This loss u'as largely attributable to the growing popularity of slab-type construction, which cut into lumber's market for foundations, floor framing, sub-flooring, and finished flooring.

Large-scale builders throughout t1.re country believe the trend to slab foundations l,vas to reduce costs. Lumber prices have been rising r-elative to cement prices, and it costs less to install slabs than conventional-type foundations. Additional savings by using low-cost composition tile in place of hardwood flooring result in an even .ivider cost spread between the tu'o types of construction.

The trend toward more slabs rviil probably continue, but some limit must be recognized, because this type of construction cannot be used to a maximum advantage on sloping terrain and because cement suffers cost disaclvantages in some sections of the country. Large-scale builders are installing about 8O/o slab floors now. Since about 75/o of all residential floor space in new construction is on the ground floor, it is possible that about €fi/o of all nerv residential floor space might be in slabs by I975. (Another section of The Stanford Study will appear in the next issue.)

Veneer Group Considers New Finishes

Washington-A research program for development of .r. process that will make finished hardrvood veneer more resistant to burns, scratches, alcoholic liquids and other deteriorating influences 'ivas discussed by the Fine Hardr.vood Association directors at their meeting September 17 at the laboratory of f imber Engineering Company, research affiliate of National Lumber Manufacturers Association.

C. A. Rishell, Teco's director of research, presented e proposed program that would seek to develop a process or material, or both, that .ivould provide the required qualities. W. S. Robertson, of DuPont Company's sales department, cited the availability of finishes having one or more of the characteristics desired by the veneer industry, but stated that he knerv of none having all of tl.re resistance qualifications.

733 Vest Fourteenth Street

Long Beach, California

Phone Long Beach 6-5237

Teletype LB 88-029

Direct Mill Shipments