NEIffTAN.IIEED LUMBER COTPANY

Pressure-treofed Fire Retordont Wood Recommended for Acceplonce

Glenn B. Vance. State Fire Marshal of the State of California' announced in late September that after two years of preparation, the revisions to Title 19, "Public Safety", of the California Administrative Code, were to be ready for formal filing possibly in October.

This is the first such revision of these regulations in 12 years. Public hearings on the changes have been completed.

One area in the Fire Marshal's regulations particularly reflects the performance approach. This is the acceptance of pressuretreated fire retardant wood in types of construction where prior to this time only non-combustible materials such as steel, concrete and masonry have been approved, Pressure-treated fire retardant lumber will be approved in the revised state regulations for nonbearing partitions in all types of construction and for roof decking of light metal frame structures. There is no penalty in fire insurance rates and no sacrifice in fire and life sa{ety from this realistic code revision.

It is reported that Vance feels the acceptance of treated wood will permit greater flexibility in the choice of building materials, permit more economical construction and help our state's lumber industry. Fire retardant wood was accepted only after extensive study by the State Fire Marshal's stafi of tests by nationally recognized testing laboratories and by the study of actual fires in buildings built of fire retardant treated wood.

The Office of State Fire Marshal is a state department established to protect the citizens of the State against dangerous and costly fire hazards. The Fire Marshal's regulations apply to all places of public assemblage, all schools"{public"and private) including state colleges, and to all institutional occupancies such as jails, hospitalso nursing homes, etc. During the last fiscal year, the State Fire Marshal's Office checked plans for more than 3.3 billion dollars' worth of construction.

Unusuol "Weqtherproof" Home Rides Out Hurricone

What happens to a so-called 'oweatherproof" new home during hurricane-force winds clocked at lI8 m.p.h.?

The question, which could have been embarrassing for GeorgiaPacific Corp., has been asked by many of the 15,000 persons who visited the company's highly publicized national Idea Home, completed on an exposed Portland hillside only days before the worst storm in Oregon's history. Insurance adjustors report more than 40,000 structures damaged in the Portland area alone by the big October blow.

The G-P damage report-Nothing, not even a dent, although homes in the immediate area were badly damaged. The "weaher- proof" house was constructed with a new type of synthetic-rubberoverlaid plywood.

A report from the big forest products manufacturer says the house was ready for photography by American Home magazine, which dispatched a New York editor to the sceneo the morning after the hurricane.

"It took a few hours to clean up debris scattered from other areasrn' G-P explained.

The home also will be shown on at least two national color TV network programs in early 1963.

It was built by Jack C. Nunn, president of Portland Home Builders Assn., who said it will be occupied as soon as national magazine and TV photography is completed. A final public showing was held the Sunday before "the big hurricane of. 1962,"

"We now feel safe in saying the new Hypalon (synthetic rubber) overlaid plywood is weatherproof," G-P said ofrcially-and conservatively.