Evening star., 1934-08-18
METAL FRAMING
IN HOMES GAINS
Modern Fabrication of Steel
Studs and JoiStS Adds
to Adaptabiltiy.

Competitive efforts at fashioning
the home of tomorrow from the talents
and materials of today thus far have
served mainly to give Washington
operative builders headaches-and, by
holding prices to higher levels, to
dismay would-be purchases Of mod
crate means, real estate men state.
The faith of the public in its re-
sponse to new ideas in home con-
struction, however. now promises to
gain it's long-merited reward. A
new era in home construction ap-
pears at hand.
There is indicated neither revolu-
tionary change in design nor sensa-
tional slash in cost. The home of to-
morrow will not be the freakish two
decked, glass enclosed, pre-fabricated
pill-box latterly so much pictured. It
will continue to afford full scope to
individual preference and, as such,
can scarcely lend itself to overnight
construction at a fraction of the eX-
pense normally involved in home
building; yet it seemingly offers the
utmost in storm, fire and rust pro-
lection at substantial saving.
Builders Not Enthusiastic.
The first of these new model steel
frame homes was set up at the Cen
tury of Progress Exposition more than
q year ago. Operative builders, par
ticularly the visiting contingent from
Washington, were not enthusiastic.
Most of them had already expert
mented and had found the weight
of steel. as then compounded for the
purpose, pronounced disadvantage;
the cost of cutting, fitting, riveting
and welding virtually prohibitive.
Moreover, the use of this material
necessitated employment of new
class of labor in this particular field.
The trusty carpenter was no longer
self-sufficient.
That the builders Of the original
home at Chicago have met and sur
mounted all such obstacles is attested
by the fact that today this form of
framework is being used in the con-
struction of better housing from coast
to coast and from gulf to lakes.
Steel studs and joists, light and
readily adjustable to all lengths and
purposes, are being riveted in two
pieces at the factory, with mailing
groves to which the carpenter on the
scene of construction can attach floor
ing, siding, roofing and even wall
boards and lathing. using only the
customary tools of his trade. Precisely
the same methods of carpentry are
employed, even to the blueprints. In
fact, the inventor of this form of
steel framework was a Detroit con-
tracing carpenter.
Nails Follow Curves.
The nails, driven between the
riveted steel plates. follow set curves
and are automatically clinched and
locked. Once driven they are there
to stay until the house wrecker re-
moves them, and this functionary is
In for some rough times. The nail
so placed allows for no deviation at
any point.
While the new material is equally
adaptable to the construction of shops,
factories and apartments, its use in
washington thus far has been con-
lined to home building. It's intro
auction to the District on any large
scale was by w. c. & A. N Miller, but
1t is being adopted by other builders,
Steel framing to be used salts
factorily in home construction must.
OF course, provide structural strength
and assure durability" says w. c.
Miller. 1T then must have the worka-
bility and adaptability of wood. Since
1t is material which cannot shrink
or yield; since it is non-combustible,
termlte proof, sanitary and in its
present form, simple of fabrication
and placement, it lends itself ad-
mirably to the purpose.
All builders of course, have long
used steel in various forms-in roof
ing, lathing. trim, window sash and
the like, but this is the first general
use Of steel framework in housing
construction. We regard it an out.
standing advance in the science of
home building"