Document QKX15RZqQ84VXyMqYLeQV2qE

BB013 2262 PAGE 2 red topics APRIL, 1937 Centuries o Use Establish Plastering as Finest Interior Finish GYPSUM plaster is so old that its origin is lost in antiquity; man plastered before he knew enough to write about it. ' The first known use of gypsum plaster was in the pyramid of Cheops at about 3700 B. C., over five thou sand years ago. All the interior rooms in the pyra mid are plastered with sanded gypsum plaster applied in three coats to a lath work made of intertwined reeds. Many examples of fine gypsum plastering that can be traced to the centuries before the Christian Era are found on the shores of the Mediterranean. King John Fixes Wages The first recorded information about the methods used by old time plasterers describes the use of lime plaster in England in the 10th, 11th and 12th centuries after Christ. Plasterers were called "daubers." Dur ing the reign of King John (about 1200 A.D.) an ordinance in the City of London fixed the wage of "white washers and mud daubers at three pence a day with keep and four pence a day without." In the 13th and 14th centuries in England, the plasterers divorced themselves from the mud daubers and white washers and formed a new guild of "Playsterers"--men who applied a mixture of lime putty, sand, and hair, called "parge," to lath made of hazelwood withes. No Substitute for Good Plastering Few permanent buildings have been built since the 14th century that have not been plastered either with lime or gypsum, and plaster was the first material used to protect buildings from fire. No substitute for good plastering has ever been found. Plaster covers up the crude structural or supporting parts of a build :CPV1I3HT ;9 37 u s jY PS UM CO ing and gives a smooth, even wall with straight arrises to receive the final decoration for the room. The owner looks to plaster to present a permanent deco rative finish for about 80 per cent of the visible in terior of the building. Good plastering is therefore essential on every job. Manufacturer and Plasterer Concerned As the leading manufacturer of plasters and laths, the United States Gypsum Company is as vitally con cerned in raising the standards of plastering as is the plasterer himself. Largely to protect the name of good plastering--plaster is no better than the lath that carries it--the United States Gypsum Company entered into the manufacture of a lath that could be relied upon, that does not shrink or buckle, that bonds perfectly to gypsum plaster, and is fireproof. Promote the Plastering Trade There is a definite relationship between the plas terer and the plaster manufacturer. Good work manship and good materials are required for good plastering. To help you spread the gospel of good plastering a sticker has been prepared for the windshield of your car. Just fill in and mail the attached card--there is no charge, no obligation. E9ee fitoaa APRIL, 1937 red topics PAGE 3 Perforated Rocklath* and Gypsum Plaster Partition Given One Hour Fire Rating Following Severe Test the punishment with a considerable margin of safety. At the conclusion of the tests, a Perforated Rocklath and gypsum plaster partition plastered in the ap proved manner was shown to have qualified for a one hour fire rating. This added fire protection is but one of the advan tages of the double bond of plaster on Perforated Rocklath; stronger walls and ceilings and greater re sistance to cracks are also the direct result of the combination of a strong natural bond plus a "me chanical key." Over 100 cities have already granted Perforated Rocklath the one hour fire rating. Added fire protec tion can now be had with the economy of Perforated Rocklath. No other lath made can claim equal per formance at near the price of this unique lath. This combination of economy, added fire protection and permanence means more jobs for the plasterer. Perforated Rocklath is a % inch thick fireproof lath 16 inches wide and 48 inches long with inch perforations spaced 4 inches apart. It is shipped in bundles--six lath to the bundle--that protect edges and surfaces from the mill to the job. It is conven iently handled and quickly applied. And Perforated Rocklath does not warp or buckle. Plasterers like the "feel" of plastering over Per forated Rocklath. They like the way the perforations slice the plaster off the trowel. T*HE value of the double bond with which PerA forated Rocklath holds gypsum plaster was dem onstrated by tests conducted at the Bureau of Stand ards. Both fire and water were applied during the tests, yet Perforated Rocklath and plaster withstood "I had a date with a mind reader last night." "Really? Did you have fun?" "No. He just sat around all evening and blushed." Potts was a great man! Three towns have been named after him: Pottsville. Pottstown, and Chambersburg. At show: "Look, George, there's the blond we met last week. Recognize her?--she's the fourth from the front." George: "Can't say I do, but I can recognize the fifth one from the rear." Plaster Manufacture Begins in Gypsum Mines and Quarries The manufacture of good plaster starts with gypsum rock. Gypsum is found all over the world in great profusion, but only a small portion of it is useful in the manufacture of plaster. Clean rock is essential, and only selected deposits are used in the manufacture of plaster. Deposits of the rock which lie fairly close to the surface are removed from quarries like the one shown at the right. Deeper deposits are mined. The stripping of dirt from the top of the layer of gypsum rock in the quarry is done carefully in order to keep the rock clean. Compressed air is often used to clean all dirt from the cracks and crevices of the deposit before blasting is begun. After blasting, the rock is loaded into cars and is carried to the manufacturing mill, where it starts on the way to further processing. (Additional steps in the manu facture of plaster will be described in succeeding issues.) ' Trade- sioaa PAGE 4 ^ red topics APRIL. 1937 Red Top* Plaster Meets Your Own Specifi cations--It's a Plasterer's Plaster \ 4| !\ CTPSHU PLAJTIJ4 \ 4; rpHE requirements of a good plas ter are best known by the man who works with plaster; the man who must meet the conditions of the job. The following ten requirements of an ideal plaster were listed by a plasterer of long experience. See if his specifications do not agree with your own. And keep in mind the fact that -Red Top Plaster meets these requirements to the letter. 1. "I want a plaster that I can sand two to one for scratch coat over metal lath and then sand three to one for brown coat and still get the same set ting time." 2. "I want a plaster that I can use over different bases in the same building and get the same set ting time--regardless of the different amounts of sand used." 3. "I want a plaster that can be mixed with a hoe two sacks at a time or thrown into a machine mixer without special retardation and without danger of quick set." 4. "I want a plaster that will set in from two to six hours on a hot dry day, instead of holding for ten or twelve hours." 5. "I want a plaster that will be plastic when mixed after as long as a year in storage; a plaster that saves the mechanic's arm." 6. "I want a plaster that sets from the lath out. that gives me time to straighten, darby and work the surface." 7. "I want a plaster that sets even, not spotty, that . holds long enough to let me go over it thor oughly, and once it starts to set, sets in a hurry." 8. "I want a plaster that is as near troubleproof as possible--the same with this sand as with the next, the same in this town and the next." 9. "I want a plaster that produces better finished work because it gives the plasterer an opportun ity to do better work." 10. "I want a plaster that raises the standard of plas tering work, because I know that plaster properly used always has been and still is the best interior finish made." With the latest improvements in Red Top Cement Plaster the variation in setting time has been reduced to a negligible feature through the entire range of recommended sand content -- from two parts for scratch coat on metal lath to three parts for scratch coat over brick and tile. This uniform setting time is coupled with improved plasticity and improved keep ing qualities to provide the plasterer with the most dependable plaster to be had. The uniformity of Red Top is rigidly controlled by repeated chemical and physical tests and by effective inspection at every stage of manufacture. The plas terer can get better results easier than ever before because he can depend on Red Top. All U S G plasters are clearly identified for your protection. To be sure of these advantages, insist on Red Top Plaster on your next job. UNITED STATES GYPSUM COMPANY 300 WEST ADAMS STREET : : : CHICAGO When You Need Metal Lath Consider These Products RED TOP (JUNIOR) DIAMOND MESH Provides a level sur face, quick coverage, and uniformly perfect keying without plas ter waste. The rigid sheets are easy to erect. RED TOP Z-R1B LATH Munuuum The narrow "Z" ribs of this distinctive type of flat rib lath give extra rigidity and hold the wet W plaster in place. uwwywwuuw mmnuiiuiti mmm, Registered Trade-mark The Complete Line o USG LATHING and PLASTERING MATERIALS BASE COAT PLASTERS Red Top Cement Plaster Red Top Wood Fiber Plaster Red Top Sanded Plaster Bondcrete--For Plastering Over Concrete PLASTER FINISHES Red Top Gauging Piaster USG Moulding and Art Plasters Red Top Trowel Finishes Red Top Float Finishes Red Top Keene's Cement Oriental Colored Finishes Oriental Colored Exterior Stucco PLASTER BASES Rocklath. The Fireproof Lath Perforated Rocklath, With Mechanical Key Insulating Rocklath, For Added Insulation Weatherwood Insulating Lath Red Top Metal Lath Red Top Metal Lath Accessories LIME PRODUCTS USG Hydrated Finishing Limes USG Finishing Quicklimes USG Masons Hydrated Limes USG Masons Quicklimes : | ; j \ j i BB015 2265