Corvallis gazette. [volume] (Corvallis, Benton County, Or.) 1900-1909, 1907-11-26

And Usefulness of Shingles
Valuable Information.

trv houses are common but not
a pleasing sight in all parts of the
where buildings are
covered with wood. Shingles
warp and curl because after a
wetting- aud they get manv-
thetupper side dries FIRST. In
few years the roof leaks, decays. /
and must come of. Many years
ago farmers made what they
called their s'evei lasting,"
roofs of white pine, cedar, and
black walnut shingles. free from
sap, rived with frow, and shaw
ed with a drawing knife. Such
shingles can not now be had,
for the fine straight grained tim
Der Necessary for their manu-
facture is scarce and very expen-
sive.
Formerly good wood was plenti-
full and shingles cheap. 1t costs
more to replace leaky roof now,
and earnest search has been
made for ways to check the warp |
ing and decay of shingles, and
make the roof lat longer.
The Forest Service has studied
the shingle problem along
with that of the preservation OF
.arm timber. It is found that
shingles treated with creosote
by special process which the
Service has invented, warp but
little and decay slowly because
water is kept out of the tissues OF
the wood. One such roof will
outlast two or three left III natur-
al state to curl, spring leaks. and
fall to pieces. The creosote used
is nothing more than dead oil OF
coal tar, but it keeps water from
entering the pores of the wood
and renders it immune to decay
for long time. A roof of that
kind costs a little more at first,
but it is cheaper in the long run.
Woods which are usually classed
as inferior, such as loblolly pine,
beech, sycamore, and others
which are quick-decaying, readi-
ly take the preservative treatment
and are given largely increased
value.
The preserving apparatus is
neither expensive nor hard to
operate. One such outfit will
serve several farmers. The main
items are an iron tank an old
engine boiler will do) with pre-
servative fluid in it and a FIRE
under it, and another tank of
cold preservative. The shingles
or other woods to be treated are
immersed for a sufficient time in
the hot creosote, and then in the
cold.
Full details of the operation
are given to applicants for infor-
nation by the Forest Service at
at Washington.
Shingles are one of the most
important lumber products in
this country. Last year nearly
twelve billions were made. Even
this enormous number was
heavy falling off from the total
of the year before. 1t is a sig
ni6cant fact the chief source of
shingle supply is now the forests
of the far northwest from which
shingles are brought even to
New York. The eastern sources
of supply are not able to meet
the eastern demand. 1t is there
fore fortunate that shingles are so
easily given a preservative treat
ment by which their life is length
eaed. s. F.. ..
Many handsome residences in
all parts of the country have
their sides and gables covered
with shingles. This architecture
al use often calls for staining or
painting in harmonious colors.
Such coloring is less frequently
seen on roofs, where it does not
last long, because rain washes it
of. r.-t-+. ~.
The Forest Service has been
experimenting in this field, also,
and has found that stains may be
carried into the shingles, along
with the preservatives by the
new process. The ccloring mat
ter is mixed with creosote,
reaches every fiber which the
creosote touches, and lasts as long
IL