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28 THE DAILY TIMES-GAZETTE, Tuesday, March 31, 1953 WHAT PEOPLE WA ' New inventions are brin about more changes in modern homes than the average new house indicates. You may find a few innovations in one house and a few in another, but when a maximum of tried and tested new wrinkles are grouped to- gether, an entirely new house results. This has happened in Wichita, an. A house has been erected there to demonstrate what peo- le said they wanted and liked in a national survey. The house. includes more money sa features than architects an builders are likely to find in a one-house show in a long time. In the first week it was opened, 22,500 persons passed through its doors. A good sized home--compris- ing 1,266 square feet, plus 444 square feet of carport and stor- age. space--this house is air conditioned the year-round and designed to sell between $13,500 and $14,000 in the Wichita mar- ket, which is not among the low cost areas. Some Unusual Features With a trussed roof, instead of the usual rafters, it has no load bearing partitions. Its en- tire oak-finished floor was laid in one operation. Then storage walls--rows of prefabricated, pre-painted closets -- were moved in to create the sepa- rate rooms. Sills and plates of the frame- work were fastened to the foundation. by shooting steel pins out of a Remington gun, instead of by meticulously bor- ring holes to fit the timbers over previously embedded bolts. Windows and doors, including large floor-to-ceiling corner win- dows, pre-fitted in load bearing frames, were set in as the frame- work went up, eliminating the conventional practice of going back and installing these parts after completing the framing. These window and door frames require no interior trim around them. Their edges are mortised to permit standard gypsum wallboard to be fitted in snugly without cutting it from its modular dimensions. Fast Building Features The outside of the house is finished with shiplap siding, each board automatically level- ling over the top edge of the lower board by virtue of a notch, or rabbet, The entire house stands on a floating monolithic slab for which footings, foundation and subfloor are poured in one op- eration instead of three. "This house eould be put up in 18 days after the slab is poured," says Ken Stowell, the builder. "The actual time consumed on this demonstration house was between 25 and 26 days, with a five-man crew. That included the setting of the storage par- titions." .As for savings, the builder cites first the simplified pourin, of the foundation in whic two complete operations are roped. hen he lists the time saved by using the gun to shoot the anchoring pins. Many Big Economies He used oak flooring because of local demand, but by laying it in one continuous run be- fore any partitions were in, he said he saved 30 per cent in labor. Stowell estimates the pre- fabricated load bearing window frames cut $200 to $250 from labor and materials. He credits the shiplap siding with saving 60_per cent in labor time. Ralsing the roof trusses took this builder a day and a half without #hy jig operation. Be- cause of the spacing of the trusses, he could use industrial Plywood for roof sheathing. Al- hough the roof overhang is un- usually wide--3 feet--he needed no soffit finishing on the under- side. Paint was applied directly to the plywood. Ned A. Cole, architect of Austin, Texas, who designed the house, says open planning and ease of circulation dictated the layout. "You can get to any part of the house from the entrance hall without entering any other part of the house," Architect Cole explains. "You can get to the bedrooms from the front door, or from the kitchen, without oing through the living room. e dining room is off the kitchen for easy serving. Ter- race and living room adjoin, so that in good weather you have an exceptionally large living area." What People Ask For Yet neither the architect, nor the builder was striving to be "just different" with this house. They were commissioned by the Coleman Co., manufacturers of home heating and cooling equip- ment, to produce the house in accordance with the results of a national survey. The survey showed what peo- ple liked and wanted most in a new home. Year-round air con- ditioning was one of these wants. The inclusion of this feature in the Wichita show house was responsible for still more innovations. Large glass areas are of the picture window type, fixed and not opened. But to meet per- sistent inclinations to open win- dows, especially between sea- sons, adjustable glass slats, or jalousies are provide in lower panes. However, the air condi- tioning system in the house in- cludes a fresh-air intake from the attic, where entire gable ends are devoted to louvers for efficient roof ventilation. The air Sondltioning plant op- erates on the high-velocity, 312- inch duct system with blending chambers for recirculation of certain percentages of indoor air to keep operating costs down. Even new ceiling blenders are engineered to induce a certain amount of gentle suction of room air into the mixing cham- bers. Because of the way the house is built and the way the heatin and cooling system is installed, any changes in ropm sizes or arrangement would be simple by shifting the storage walls. This one-big-room principle of building is credited by the builder with saving about 30 ner cent in man-hours of labor of uve OINING 23'9"x /5'9" BEDROOM Ux10'¢" in the application of the gyp- sum wallboard. Cutting and taping is minimized by the elimination of wall and ceiling corners in individual rooms, he INVENTION HOUSE shown com- pleted at the top. Trussed roof construction at left. Heating and cooling plant is concealed in a closet (center right). Black blocks on plan show storage walls. says, and by modular measure- ments. The ceiling is fastened to furring strips across the bottom of the trusses. All Houses Benefit By 'Ranch' Heat Zones Modern rambling one - story houses with heating problems presented by longer heating ducts, extensive attic and roof areas and broad expanses of windows, have brought about improvements that benefit all types of houses. One of the major develop- ments is the control of indoor temperature by zones, This makes it Fossible to maintain one level of temperature for bed- 10oms, another for living rooms and cooler degrees in kitchens, laundries and recreation areas. Separate thermostats control the various zones and make it possible to concentrate more heat in northern portions of a house to offset the chill of northern exposures, while decreasing heat in rooms warmed by large sun- lighted windows facing south. An advantage of zoning heat in two-story houses is fuel econ- omy brought about by avoiding the over heating of upstairs rooms in order to keep the first floor comfortable. Since heating plants have been increased in efficiency while they have become more compact--fit- ting into comparatively small closet space -- some ramblin houses have been zone heate by the installation of two or more separate furnaces. This ar- rangement eliminates overly long pipe runs and aims at re- ducing fuel consumption. A bed- room wing, closed off for most ot the day, can be warmed by one furnace operating at low capacity while that part of a house being used is heated by its own small furnace. However, maximum flexibility is obtained through the use of electronic thermostats. The stra- tegic location of these instru- ments depends entirely on the individual house layout and even on its surroundings. Dr. Waldo Kliever, research director for the Minneapolis-Honeywell Reg- ulator Co., says even trees that shelter or shade a living room, or tall shrubbery that forms a windbreak, are factors determin- ing the location of thermostats. NT IN A HOME Conditioned Air Assumes Fancy Airs Wonderful claims are being made for air conditioning. Enthusiasts say a hostess' make-up will stay fresher! Our cereals and crackers won't get soggy. Heat rash on the baby will be less likely and he, or she, will nap comfortably sum- mer and winter. The piano won't need tuning so often. We'll have less jittery nerves because there will be less likelihood of falling plaster, There'll be an "allevia- tion of allergies"; our clothes won't wilt and we won't mil- dew! No, matter if you have the sniffles when you come out of a movie in the summer time, air conditioning your own house will mean no drafts, so more safeguard against colds--so say the air conditioners. All of which might be true, House Design May Change This system of controlling the temperature, the humidity and the dust content of the air in our own homes has certain pos- sibilities. In fact it may change the design of houses quite radi- cally. Cloud Wampler, president of the Carrier Corp., manufactur- ers of air conditioning equip- ment, expects one of the biggest changes in house design to Es in windows. Since it is unnecessary and undesirable to open win- dows when the air in a house is being controlled, unmovable windows may be used more and more. Windows, says this observer, will not be arbitrarily placed to achieve cross-ventilation. There will be no need for cross-venti- lation, so windows will be lo- cated only for the best light and view. Walls facing a neighbor's house will need no windows. Interior rooms will be as well ventilated as any rooms and may be equipped with skylights. No Screens Needed Double glazing of fixed win- dows will eliminate the use of storm sash and no screens will be needed. Wampler thinks screened porches may vanish when it is more comfortable to stay in the house than to relax outdoors, A further trend away from basements is envisioned through the compactness of modern air conditioning plants, Greater util- ization of space in the core of a house will continue to reduce waste space and therefore cut building costs. As for the light and fantastic claims for air conditioning, Wampler's attitude is "Why not?" Easier housekeeping is inevitable with constantly fil- tered, humidified, or dehumidi=- fied air, he says. Moisture con- trol, he contends, should solve many condensation problems prevent the drying out an creaking of chairs, floors and doors, make house plants grow better and keep cut flowers fresher. SHINGLE SHAPES The shape of shingles can pro- duce distinctive patterns on roofs. Modern shingles are made in various sizes anc shapes. Square - butt and "hexagonal shapes are most common among asphalt shingles in all colors. PAINTING RADIATORS Before repainting a cast iron radiator, remove all loose parti- cles of rust. and old paint by brushing the radiator vigorously with a wire brush, then washing it with turpentine. Don't paint a radiator while it is hot. ---- 33133143433332) u. Jl ¥¥¥Y) 33331 5) 13333. al % 343 31343133333 warping walls, etc. divi The Frigidaire electric Dehumidifier protects your home your home comfortably dry and fresh-smelling. Remove stal Hot days and "stuffy" nights -- you can H re Make . \ [VY window-type air better . . . sleep better. HOME APPLIANCE! be comfortably cool h" air that is circul fe and musty odors. No more rust, y installing a Frigidaire d without drafts, Live 90 SIMCOE S. DIAL 5-5332 DE-HUMIDIFY a AIR-CONDITION YOUR HOME! WITH FRIGIDAIRE . |