WHOTESATERS

New Horizons for Lumber in 1956

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:r continuatior-r of the shopping center boom t'hich is being spurred by the trend to Suburbia. This movement to the suburbs is li'orth closer examination for it means nelv lumber markets on several different fronts.

More and more industries are locating on the fringes and in the suburbs of the big cities. Industrial leaders find land cheaper on the outskirts, it is easier for most of their employes to reach their place of work, and plants are further removed from potential target areas in event of enemy attack.

All this augurs well for the use of lumber which is ideally suited for the one and trvo-story buildings typical of most suburban construction. Engineered timber construction

{eaturing solid and glued laminated members is proving increasingly popular for factories, churches, schools, supermarkets, recreation centers-practically all the buildings t'hich contribute to suburban living and industry.

Lumber Shows to Best Advantage

On the residential building front there is the encouraging fact that no material shows up to better advantage than lumber in the modern one-story ranch or rambler-type homes that dot the suburban countryside. And because they represent one of the most efficient uses of lumber in home building, prefabricated Lu-Re-Co wall panels are being stocked by more and more retail lumber and building materials dealers.

Many deterrents to the use of wood in nerv construction have been removed in recent years. Building codes today are being written, or revised, with more recognition given to wood's excellent performance record. Growing appreciation of the advantages of lumber, resulting from stepped-up advertising programs and better product publicity, promises continued improvement in the volume of sales for construction purposes.

Among the new wood products to be introduced in recent months are abuse-resistant hardwood plywood surfaces developed through research financed by the Fine Hardwoods Association and conducted by the Timber Engineering Company, research affiliate of the National Lumber Manufacturers Association. These surfaces, which can't be marred by cigarette burns, nail polish, fruit juices or the like, are produced bya combination of approved finishes and the laminating of aluminum foil into hardwood plywood construction.

There are many other ways in which wood can be improved and turned to new use. Much work along these lines is already underway. Yet there is a real and urgent need for the lumber industry to put greater emphasis on research.

No time could be more opportune than the present for an expansion of industry research activities. Lumber is one of the ferv major construction materials currently in plentiful supply. Although maufacturers of competitive materials have expanded their production capacity at a rapid rate in recent months and years, their goods are still for the most part in relatively short supply.

This presents a challenge to lumbermen to develop neu' and improved uses for lumber and rvood products-first,