Evening star., 1938-12-17
New Construction
Technique Accents
Steel Products
System Being Used in
Keystone Project
Is Described

Keystone Project
Is Described
New steel products which may
cause "a minor revolution in home
design" are being used at Charlton
Pa, in the Pennsylvania HOUSING
Corps Colonial Village DEVELOPMENT
making 1t "one of the most sig.
nificant subdivisions in the United
States today" the Architectural Fo-
rum magazine declares in its De-
cenber issue.
Pointing out that each of the 300
houses at Charlton contains three
times as much steel as the Gus
tomary house in the $4,000 to 5000
price bracket, the magazine asserts
that the construction system OF
Builders Royce w. Gilbert & Will
liam M. Varker are worth study by
other large subdividers.
Six houses per day for so con-
secutive working days is big build
ing In any mans language" the
Architectural Forum states. THE
secret of this speed in construction
is the planning technique introduced
by Gilbert & Varker, the ingenious
use of materials and the conversion
of as much building as possible into
assembly.
Thus monolithic concrete floor
slab eliminates the necessity for the
concrete crews to return to the plot
after construction of foundation
walls to pour the cellar floors. It's
upset footer adds An extra inches
of basement wall height which, in
turn, makes possible a minimum
ceiling height without the cutting
of blocks
Steel Sills Top Tiles.
Light, easily handled, terra Gotta
tiles make up these basement walls.
Atop them is bolted a steel sill with
welded spacer tabs at proper inter-
walls to serve as templets for con-
ventlonal 2x4 studs of standard 16-
foot lengths. Similar steel ribbon
pieces are used to align and sup
port second-floor joists.
Combined with complete pre-
cutting of all framing members,
these steel templets obviate the use
OF the carpenters hand saw except
for trimming of plywood sheets
which sheath both interior and ex-
terror OF the houses BY the same
token. need for the familiar car
penters rule has virtually been done
away with.
Equally significant has been the
delivery and assembly of all ma
terrs. In practically every case,
the materials move from manufac-
turer to site, An example of the
operation Of this unique system is
the arrival at each house as it is
framed Of one package containing
all its necessary hardware, another
containing all its plumbing fixtures,
another containing all lighting
equipment even to the proper length
OF cables.
THE function of local material
dealers is principally one of serv-
Ice, thereby providing additional
assurance that delivery schedule
will be maintained.
Dealers Set Up Saw Mill.
For the pre-cutting of all lum-
Der, local dealers set up saw mill
at nearby railroad siding. Here,
as the lumber comes in by the car
load lot, saw crew cuts and
notches it to specifications, assem-
bles all the studs, rafters, ioists,
etc. necessary for each house. and
at the proper time delivers this
complete bill of material to each
Individual site.
Interesting economy is effected
In the construction and assembly of
steel windows of the familiar case
ment type. Built up of steel sash
set in an insulated steel trim. they
do not require addition of sills or
holdings after installation.
Designed especially for Gilbert
& Varker. they come completely as
sembled with windows and locking
hardware attached at the factory.
Furthermore, each frame is de-
livered inside a 2x4-inch wood in
closure, is therefore easily installed
as a unit by toe-nailing the inclos-
ure 2x4's to adjacent studs.
stair cases, also of steel, are
Installed with equal ease. Four
bolts and five minutes time do the
trick. Linoleum treads are in
cluded in the finishing touches.
Factory-assembled steel closets with
baked-on finish are delivered to the
site complete with hooks, shelf. re-
enforced steel doors hung with a
continuous piano hinge.
Wall Covering Ingenious.
''In lieu of tile-setting in the
bathroom, installation of nine large
porcelain enameled steel panels,
serving as a templet for fixtures
and a grille for inclosed radiators,
form the customary 3-foot dado,
waterproof of the wall to the height
OF the shower over the tub.
Most ingenious cost-reducinR,
customm made material used on the
interior of the Gilbert-Varker
houses is the wall covering. Com
posed of chemically neutral, dry felt
base coated with a factory finished
and tinted resin surface, it measures
three thirty seconds Of an inch In
thickness. More than wall
paper, it is ordered in rolls
ceiling-height in width, is therefore
easily applied to the walls in one
continuous, horizontal strip. All
base and cove holdings. as we'll as
door bucks, are made of steel. fac
tory finished in color.
"Exteriors feature materials
which will require a minimum of
maintainence Asphalt and asbestos
cement shingles cover the roof and
sides. respectively. All other ex-
posed materials are Of metal"