Los Angeles herald., 1909-02-15
IGNORE OWNERS
INSURANCE RISK
ARCHITECTS PREFER EFFECT
TO SAFETY
GINGERBREAD CONSTRUCTION is
THORN TO UNDERWRITERS
Metal Window Factory to Be Started
in Los AngeIes-Fire-Tested
Article May Raise the
Local Standard

Adequate fire protection in all kinds
of building construction has long been
much mooted subject between own
ers, architects and the national board
of fire underwriters, and it is subject
which in many cases has been only
too lightly passed over by the archi-
tects in preferring architectural effect
to the adequate protection of that
share of the owners risk which he
must assume in all buildings, even
though the insurance companies carry
portion Of it for him. The national
board of fire underwriters is decidedly
antagonistic to that style of architec-
ture known as gingerbread" and
overlooking those factors of safety that
if properly taken care of would mate
rally reduce insurance premiums.
With view to giving both the insur-
arce company and the owner a square
deal the national board of fire under
writer's has laboratories established at
Chicago for the testing of all classes Of
building material, and when such test
passes their requirements those ma
terials so passed are listed and are
given credits according in their judg-
ment as they deserve.
A. {. Rulofson, president of the Ru-
lofson metal window works of San
Francisco, spent the greater part of a
week in Los Angeles considering the
advisability of establishing a branch
factory here for the manufacture Of
its product.
Fireproof Authority
Mr.. Rulofson is looked upon as one
of the foremost authorities on fireproof
window construction and he believes
that the southern country offers splen-
did inducements for capital invested in
plant to exploit this new field. San
Francisco learned it's lesson and is
prof1ting thereby in the proved de-
1;1andS for fireproof windows that are
fireproof, and large number of the
largest buildings have been installed
throughout with windows which are
indorsed and made under the personal
supervision of the national board Of
fire underwriters of the Pacific coast
Los Angeles capital is beginning to
realize that f1reproof windows in
dorsed by the board of underwriters
will carry the maximum number of
credits and insure an appreciable de-
crease in insurance premiums
The manufacturers of wire glass do
not recommend its use in wooden
sashes which are metal covered, be-
cause experience has demonstrated that
in every case where they have been
put to the test the flames attack the
wooden core and the metal covering is
Of little if any use in retarding the fire
and the wire glass falls out and af-
fords practically no more protection
than plate glass,
The owner is the most vitality inter-
ested person in this matter. 1t is often
that engineers and architects are dis
posed to sacrifice the interests of the
owners by ignoring the underwriters
specifications, rather preferring archi-
tectural effect to utility. The owners
prefer, when they are posted. utility
to appearance. because the artistic eff
feet so much desired by architects and
engineers often causes the owner a
great deal of money in the first cost
and is a continuous expense as long as
the building stands on account of in
creased insurance rates.
Improperly Constructed
Mr.. Fitzpatrick, who is one of the
foremost insurance engineers in the
country, makes the statement in Ap-
pleton's Magazine for December, 1908,
that 73 per cent Of all the damage done
by fire to buildings other than that
in which it originates is attributable to
improperly constructed windows. More
than that, 4S per cent of the entire
fire loss Of the country is traceable to
lack Of window protection. Many ar
under false theory in this matter. It
is great mistake to conclude that any
metal windows are "good enough. -
Poorly constructed metal windows
nave been proved by the national board
Of fire underwriters as inferior to good
wooden windows for the reason that
when exposed to heat poor metal win
dows quickly fail, the weight of the
wire glass causing them to warn and
come anQTT and tho FOL -
street. This is a fact that is not gen
orally recognized, and it is predicted
that many of the So-called fireproof
windows installed in San Francisco will
prove dire disappointment when nut
to the test.
To illustrate the point of the saving
to be made by securing minimum in
surance rates through the installation
of standard underwriters windows the
following will suffice:
Suppose that a building is equipped
with ordinary wood sash windows cost
ing $4,000; contents of building valued
at 100000; total. $175,000. If this would
be insured at the full value at the rate
of $150 per $780, the insurance pre-
MUM would be $2625 per year, which
would be a fixed permanent charge
every year. Suppose that a standard
underwriters window were substitutes
for the wooden window at an extra cost
Of about $300O thereby enabling the
reduction of the insurance rate to ST
per $100.
Reduces Insurance
The yearly insurance charge would
then be $3.50 on the valuation Of SITS
900 and a saving Of $845 a year. In less
than four years the additional cost of
the f1reproof windows would be saved
and every year therefore this saving
would be velvet
The United States government to-
day requires about eight pages Of speci-
fications covering hollow frame win
dows, and these specifications go
minutely into details, so that every
step Of the construction is amply pro-
vided for by tests that have proved fire
retardant qualities.
The establishing of this plant at Los
Angeles will prove the advent of a
new building era in the south, and it
is thought that it will meet with such
approval and acceptance by owners
and architects alike.