Ottawa County news. (Port Clinton, Ohio) 1931-1956, 1951-12-21
HERE'S LATEST
Information ON
new MATERIALS
Science Finds a Way
Groups Slogan
Science finds a Way!"

| politan Home Builders association for
the purpose of collecting information
on all types of new materials and
| methods.
The committee was created out Of
the necessity for finding alternate
materials for such items as steel, cop
per and aluminium that are needed in
the national defense program. The
chairman of the committee is w.
Wadsworth Wood, publisher of Small
Homes Guide.
Substitutes Successful
Organized late last spring, this
committee already has big file of
information on materials that have
proved successful as good substitutes
for the critical defense materials.
These new home building products
make more extensive use Of such nom
critical materials as cement, glass,
clay products, gypsum, plastics, wood
and plywood, and fibre products.
Here are some of the findings of the
new builders committee on what Is
available to them as alternates:
Glass, tile and plastic can be sub
stituted for many Of the traditional
metal bathroom accessories.
In the past most drain pipes havo
been cast iron. Now there are at least
three new types of drain pipe avail.
able--asbestos cement and two differ.
ent types of wood fibre.
Plastic holdings
Stainless steel edgings arounu
kitchen sinks can be plastic holdings.
Metal cabinets obviously can be re-
placed with wood cabinets, which in
many instances make for better deco
rating schemes.
Instead of cast iron, laundry tubs
can be burned clay or made of certain
types of stone or vitreous china.
Sheet metal ducts in the heating
system can be substituted for by an
asbestos cement material. This SUBJ
stitute also can be used for other parts
of the heating system.
Pre-cast concrete products are be-
ing relied on more and more as aEl
alternate material for various parts
of the house. In the so-called pre-
concrete items, small wire in
stead of heavy reinforcing bars are
being used to reduce weight, as well
as conserve steel.
Glass Door Knobs Popular
Glass door knobs were said to be
popular substitutes for metal knobs,
being in keeping with current style
trends.
Plastic screen cloth, developed dur
ing World War II, has earned it's pref
erence because of its non-rust quality
and it's feature of regaining shape
when subjected to abuse.
Wood, instead of metal, is proving
popular as substitute for louvreS Of
roof ventilators.
Treated fir and redwood are being
used more and more for outside wood
cutters.
In the electrical field, several COM
panies now are in volume production
Of porcelain outlet boxes as replace.
ments for the metal outlet boxes.
There also is a new line Of plastic out
let boxes.
Instead of metal covering for wires
such as metal conduit, several manu-
facturers are producing tough i'm
fabric covering that is said
to do an equally good job as metal fo3
which it substitutes.
Likewise, rubber insulation formerly
used has been replaced by rubber SUBJ
stitutes that are rated as better than
the critical natural rubber.
Wood said that numerous other
products are on the market assuring
builders they will be able to maintain
volume production despite the need
Of certain materials in the defense
effort.