Aberdeen herald. [volume] (Aberdeen, Chehalis County, W.T.) 1886-1917, 1904-07-04
A NEW MATERIAL
CONCRETE GAINING IN FAVOR
AS A BUILDING MATERIAL
Portland Cement Becomans a Favorite With
Builders. A Fireproof Substitute for Lum.
Der. The Mississippi Valley Lumberman
Says its Use is Spreading.

While lumber is still, and will be fol
many years to come, the chief building
material for the construction OF build
ings outside of the fire limits in the cit.
les, there is always search for some
thing that will do as we'll, and which
can be secured at less expense if possible
1t is not true that the cost of lumber has
advanced any more than the values oil
other things in the past few years, but
their is popular prejudice to that effect
and the results are something the same
as though it were true. The retail prices
have not advanced as much as the whole
sale prices, principally because they did
not fall as much during the hard times,
and hence the retailers are not making
as large margin on what they sell as
they were ten years ago. For this reas-
on they are becoming interested in other
building materials on which there is a
better profit, and in turn they are en-.
deavoriny to interest their customers
One of the best substitutes for lumber
as we'll as one Of the cheapest to put on
| the market is concrete. 1t has the added
value Of being fire proof. The principal
ingredient of concrete blocks is sand,
and the sand can be secured almost any
where. The fire proof feature is doing
more for this form of construction than
any other argument. Recent great con-
flagrations have emphasized the neces
sity for the use of some material that
will resist fire, especially in city building
and concrete blocks appear to fill the
bill the best Of any on the market. Its
use for residence building outside Of
foundations has not become very general
as yet, but things are moving in that di.
rection, and before many years houses
built of concrete blocks will be compar-
itively common.
Terra Gotta was the first step away
from the use of wood for many parts OF
the construction of buildings, but it APP
pears tina. the terra Gotta manufacturers
are themselves beginning to substitute
concrete by substituting thinner tile in
floor arches so as to leave more room for
heavy deposit of covering of Portland
cement, which is the cohesive ingved-
lent OF concrete blocks. In many of the
large buildings now being erected, con-
crete covering for steel columns is be-
ing used instead of brick which super
coded the use OF terra Gotta, and is PROV
ing better protection against corrosion.
The next step will be the use OF con-
crete for floor construction. This is al
ready done to some extent. but not so
commonly as will be in the near future.
From use as principal part of the
large buildings where fire probing is
demanded,i 1T will spread to the residence
sections OF the cities, and to the country
towns That builders in the town are
becoming interested is evidenced by the
increased sale OF outfits for the manu-.
facture Of concrete blocks, The allure.
ments held out by the manufacture OF
these outfits. in the shape of the posi-.
bilities for profit, are bearing fruit, and
it will not be long before every town will
boast OF at least one plant for the manu-
facture Of this building material. The
retail lumberman is the natural dealer
in this, and should look we'll to the pos
sibilities for trade in concrete building
blocks and at the same time see that he
has the best that can be secured. An
outfit that will enable him to make
these blocks in attractive form is not ex.
pensive when the percentage OF profit is
taken into the reckoning, and as an ad-
junct to lumber yard it will prove a
wise expenditure of money. mississippi
Valley Lumberman.