Evening star., 1940-08-24
New Plaster Base
Solves Problem
Of Cracks in Wall
Fireplace Screen Thot
Rolls Up Out Of the
Woy Is Described
By LAWRENCE CROLIUS.

BY LAWRENCE CROLIUS.
Have you ever stood and watched
the cement mixers and plasterers
preparing their materials? Every
Sidewalk superintendent has prob
ably marveled at the tremendous
amounts of water which seem to be
used in mixing both cement and
plaster. and wondered how all that
water could be kept from practically
sinking even the sturdiest of houses.
If you happen to be building or
remodeling house, this matter of
water should be of especial interest
to you. because with plaster. par
ticularly. it is important the moist
ure be handled so that it will not
damage the structure in the process
of drying.
When wet plaster is spread on a
wood base in finishing interior walls
1t takes long time to dry, and
naturally large amount of the
moisture is absorbed by the wood.
Everything is all right if the wood
doesn't warp when it finally has
chance to dry out, but often it does
and the result is unpleasant cracks
IN the walls. Not only that, but if
the wood takes up enough water.
1t will hold it for long time and
drag out the time it takes the plaster
% finally set This in turn will hold
In ma init nr n9nprinp
New Base Material.
The solution is a new plaster base
material which looks like the an
swer to builders prayer. 1t is a
new shiplapped lath which comes
in large boards held in place by a
new type Of locking joint. The lath
material is made of wood fibers
compressed into a solid mass and
1mpregnated and waterproofed with
asphalt. To make it even more
waterproof the outer surface is cov-
cred with tough asphalt men,
brane.
In order to provide smooth base
for the plaster coat it is obviously
necessary to have all these large,
fiat boards rigidly held in a plane
To do this the manufacturers have
provided a series of U-shaped wires
all along the inner sides of the bot
tom edges. These wires overlap the
adjacent board when they are bent
down over it and hold them fiat.
Thus the wet plaster finds it impos-
sible to slip through this tight base
wall, and there is practically no
chance of cracks and other imper-
fections turning up after the build
ing structure has finally dried.
New Fireplace Screen.
If you are fireplace enthusiast,
and who isn't, you will be interested
in a clever new fireplace screen
which slides up out of the way when
you have work to do inside the fire
place proper. Working like the
screens used in windows, which slide
up and out of the way, this screen
requires only about 7s-inch furring
space on the outside of the chimney
above the mantelpiece for its
installation.
You don't have to struggle with
this screen to get it up because it is
equipped with system of counter
balances which neutralize the
weight of the screen and make it
one-f1nger proposition to move. The
screen, of rugged mesh, is framed in
either steel or bronze, and slides in a
sheet metal pocket. The guides
which show on either side of the
fireplace are made of decorative
bronze and enhance the general ap-
pearance with their attractive
antiqued finish.
You don't have to worry about
keeping this screen in operation be-
cause the moving parts all are easily
accessible. At the top are ball
bearing pulleys, over which light |
airplane cables run to the screen and |
the lead CONFERENCE.-The on the
other ends. We are also advised
that the pulleys, which would seem
to be a vulnerable spot, have been
made so that the cables cannot |
jump out of them, the way old
fashioned sash cords used to, and
once installed you should have little |
or no trouble with the handy unit |
for many year to come. -
If you would like to know the |
names of the manufacturers of the
products described here just tear
the column out and send it with a
stamped, self-ad ddressed envelope to
Lawrence Crolius, So East Sixty
seventh street, New York City.