Red Cedar Shingles and Shakes Show Production Come-Back in 1948

(The lollowing qrticle prepcred lor Merchant by the Red Cedcr

Rcd cedar shingle production during 1948 has displayed a continuation of the upward trend which has been registered since the end of the war and, although not yet reaching the pre-rvar rate of output,. is norv at a substantial figure.

'Hard hit by wartime log and labor shortages, the shingle industry has shown a healthy recovery since the end of hostilities. Output in 1945 was only approximately onelralf that ol 1941, with the 1948 total expected to be approximately mid-way between these two years.

California, which claimed 105% of the shingle industry's total output last year, is expected to show a somewhat higher figure for 1948 when statistics are available.

Close observers of the shingle industry' attribute much of the "come-back" made by red cedar shingles to their increasing use for sidewall construction, in addition to roofs. They point to large residential projects in many sections of the country with rvalls built of cedar shingles, as evidence of this trend.

In most cases, the shingle .ivalls are built with double layers of shingles on each course, a technique known as double-coursing, and the industry, through the Red Cedar Shingle Bureau, has placed great emphasis in its advertising and trade promotion on this type of construction. Double-coursing utilizes a top-grade shingle or shake for the inner and completely concealed layer. With half of the shingles of an economy grade, and with extended wea.ther exposures giving greater ,coverag'e, this type of application boasts real advantages of economy.

One outgrowth oI the increasing popularity of doublecoursed sidervall construction has been the growing prominence of machine-processed shingles. These processed shingles, knorvn popularly as shakes, enable builders to accentuate horizontal lines on sider'valls, in conformance with current architectural trends.

The shakes are applied double-coursed, with an under layer of low-grade shingles, thereby producing heavy bands of shadow at each course line. Cedar shingles are converted into shakes in a machine which grooves or striates one face and at the same time precisely trims the edges of the shingle so they are parallel and at right angles with the butt. They usually are applied with edges closely fitting. This fact, coupled with the grooves in the exposed face, almost completely eliminates the vertical joints be-

The Cclilornicr Lumber Shingle Burequ)

tween the shakes, providing smooth and unbroken expanses of wall separated by the deep shadow lines of each course.

The many advantages of red cedar shingles and shakes for sidervall construction are featured in an all-color motion picture produced during the year by the Red Cedar Shingle Bureau, entitled "W'alls of Wisdom." The film stresses the beauty and e,conomy of double-coursed sidewalls, as well as the construction methods involved. It is being shown by Bureau representatives before audiences in all parts of the country.

While cedar shingles are enjoying steadily increasing usage for sidewall purposes, they also have maintained their traditional popularity for roofs. They assure roof coverings which are durable and long-lasting, have a high degree of insulation, and are most attractive. Aside from their longJasting characteristics, which provides low cost when figured on a per-year basis, cedar shingles also are found to afford advantages of economy due to the use of spaced sheathing boards. Whereas many types of roofirig require a solid sheathing deck, red cedar shingles, because of their inherent strength and rigidity, can and usually are applied to spaced sheathing boards. This practice enables builders to make appreciable savings in sheathing lumber as well as labor of application. Engineers point out that wood shingles constitute the only form of roof covering that actually adds to the strength of the roof section, this being due to the stiffness of the shingles themselves combined with a "bridging" efiect produced by the conventional overJapping method of laying, whereby a three-layer roof is produced.

During 1948 an important change was made in the grademarking of Certigrade shingles, which are produced by member mills oT the Red Cedar Shingle Bureau. The name of the second grade of Certigrade shingles was changed from No. 2 to Red Label, the change being made in deference to requests from dealers and shingle distributors throughout the country. The nelv name, Red Label, is expected to enable dealers to merchandise this l2-inch clear shingle more readily, without the disadvantages of a numerical designation which was felt to be inadequately descriptive of the merits inherent in this type of shingle.

Good Attendance at Hoo-Hoo Club No. 39 Dinner Meeting

,IIoo-Hoo Club No. 39 turned out a good crowd at their November 15 dinner meeting at Hotel Claremont, Berkeley.

The speaker of the evening, Homer P. Buckely, Oakland attorney and Commander of the 10th district of the American Legionr gav€ a believe it or not talk on the odd quirks in many of California's laws. It was good entertainment and the speaker got a good hand.

Mel Matheny led community singing, and.as usual this was a big success.

President Tom Jacobsen presided. Chris Sechrist was program chairman, and introduced the speaker.

Door prizes consisted of football tickets. Two East-West game tickets donated by Bill Davis, Davis Millwork Co., Berkeley, were won by Victor Roth. Two tickets for the 49ers-Cleveland game November 28, donated by Wendell Paquette, Lumber Terminal Co., San Francisco, were won by Bill Haskin, U.S. Plywood Corp., Oakland.

Dry Shed Enlcrged At Sccr Frqncisco Yard

Gamerston & Green Lumber Co. recently completed an expansion of their dry shed space for Sugar pine, Ponderosa pine, and plywood, at their distribution yard, foot ot Tunnel Avenue, San Francisco.

They can now handle under cover up to 350,000 feet. R. T. (Bob) Bonner is in charge of the pine and plywood department. He is assisted by John Gamerston.