Document Z8j6OZG4Jv8mQZo9m15aEKVYJ

LEAD NOVEMBER, 1935 Number 6 White Lead Paint and Lead Roofs at Saratoga Spa ARATOGA SPA. at Saratoga Springs. S N. Y.. is a unique development, owned by the State of New York and operated by it through the Saratoga Springs Authority. A complete plant has been erected providing baths, drink hall, research laboratory, recreational facili ties and hotel, all designed so that the curative naturally carbonated mineral waters of Saratoga Springs may be scien tifically administered under the most favorable conditions. The best results can thus be expected from the "cure under the supervision of a specially trained medical staff with the most Administration Building and Simon Baruch Laboratory at Saratoga Spa., .Y. V. ,\ote lead roofed arcades. modern and complete equipment at its disposal. signed by such leading architects as Joseph H. Freed- The waters of Saratoga Springs are the only natur lander. Dwight James Baum and Marcus T. Reynolds. ally carbonated mineral waters known to exist east of Principal materials of construction were red brick, the Rockies in this country. The State owns 163 limestone, marble, and slate for the roofs. The roofs springs in the area, but all but 19 have been shut off of the arcades and pavilions of the Administration Building. Drink Hall and East and West Bath Houses are hard lead batten roofs. These will be described in detail in an early issue of LEAD. All the exterior trim is painted with pure white lead paint in keeping with the high quality of the $8,500,000 plant which New York State has built. The Saratoga Springs Authority is headed by Pierrepont B. Noyes, of Oneida, as president. W. P. Beazell is managing director and Walter S. McClellan. M.D.. medical director. The Drink Hall at Saratoga Spa, viewed from the portico of the Administration Building. in order to control the flow. Of these 19, the waters of three are bottled, while six of the others are used for the baths, and the remainder flow free for springside drinking or to demonstrate the pressure of the carbon dioxide gas that sends the water high into the The building Georgian in character and de- A. G. HICHAELSOX College students on vacation drawing *rickshaws at Sara toga Spa. All outside painting of the buildings is with pure white lead. [2] LIA2 53 45 H. C. DAVIDSON A detail of one of the lovely leaded windows in the Uni versity ol PTnshington library. Leaded Windows in Beautiful University Library I EADED windows have graced the finest buildings I__ of the world for many centuries. That there is no diminution in their popularity among leading architects is well demonstrated bv the new addition to the Library at the University of Washington. Nearly four tons of lead and solder were required for the leaded windows of this lovely building. All the windows were made of clear and colored cathedral glass, glazed with JA in.. % in. and 3g. in. antimonial lead cames. The windows were specially designed and constructed bv the C. C. Belknap Glass Company of Seattle. Wash. Leaded windows are also appropriate on buildines of less monumental character for they are often em ployed on moderate sized residences. They are par ticularly popular for rooms of special character, such as game rooms, play rooms, libraries, music rooms or bars, where they may be made to tell a story in keeping with the room and thus add greatly to the decorative effect. Less elaborate leaded windows, the lead cames simplv forming geometrical designs, are also effective, particularly on small homes. Interior windows and doors may also often be improved bv the use of leaded glass. Plumber Uses Lead! Craftsm nship to Attract Customers ERE is a plumber who is proud of his craft. H His window display, photographed in July. 1935. shows both that he believes in lead work and knows how to do it. The 4 in. joint he displays was wiped bv him when attending the New York Trade School in 1908. .Mr. George Middleton. Providence. R. I., plumber, is the man responsible for this fine display of craftsmanship. The inside walls of his shoo are similarly decorated with lead work. Bv this display, Mr. Middleton demonstrates to the public that he is an employer of the finest, most durable materials in his installations and that he is a master of his craft, capable of doing the skilled work necessan to do good plumhinu. He is also doing the plumbing industry a good turn by showing the public that skill is required of good plumbers and that not am- ordinary mechanic is capable of doin': plumbin': work. In other words he is capitaliz ing on lead work, the art of the plumbing trade. If more plumbers followed a similar course they would suffer less from the competition of handymen and others unskilled in the true art of plumbing, and their business would benefit accordingly. 1 Joint lupine utnduw display lift'd to attract cusioniets and demonstrate the plumber s skill. [3] LIA25346 Thin Sheet Lead Effectively Sound-Proofs a Bedroom N interesting application of lead for A sound-proofing was reported in the June 22, 1935, issue of the French magazine, Genie Civil. Two rooms, one a bedroom and the other containing a phonograph, were separated by a plastered brick wall. The noise of the phonograph, even when at a distance from the wall, caused considerable disturbance in the bedroom. The noise transmitted was between 30 and 40 decibels and it was desired to reduce this to 10 decibels or less. Tests at the Con servatoire des Arts et Metiers had shown that lead 1 mm. thick effects a reduction of 31 to 36 decibels and 2 mm. thick of 37 to 43 decibels, depending upon frequency. Horizontal wood laths were fixed to the wall and over tnese sheet lead 2 mm. (about Sketch and photograph showing method of in stalling lead soundt proofing in a bedroom. CENTRE D'lNF. DU PLOMB OL'VRE 0.08 in.) thick was placed. The wall was then finished with fibre board and the whole secured by screws passing through the fibre board, lead, and laths into the plaster. To prevent transmission of sound through the fastenings, the screws were set in lead plugs. In this way the lead hung free except where fastened, which experience has indicated gives better results than confining it. The wall was finished with wall paper over the fibre board. Despite the fact that floor and ceiling were not sound-proofed and that a pipe was common to the two rooms, offering an avenue for transmission of sound, results are said to be highly satisfactory. And it all was accomplished at low cost by the addition of a structure whose total thickness is 22 mm. (about 0.88 in.) This is a great advantage of using lead for sound proofing. The following table, summarizing results of tests under the direction of M. Cellerier at the Conservatoire des Arts et Metiers, shows how Ma t e r ia l Th ic k n e s s in mm. Vegetable fibre impregnated with magnesium cement, coated with cement on both sides...................... Wood fibre impregnated with magne sium cement, coated with plaster on both sides....................................... Cork lumps, coated with plaster both sides .................................................... Cement and pumic mass of greyish color .................................................... Cement and pumice mass of greyish color .................................................... Cement and pumice mass of greyish color .................................................... Oak ......................................................... Plaster square ....................................... Bricks with plaster coating of 1 cm. on each side...................................... Plaster square ....................................... Hollow bricks of 8 cm., plastered (1 cm. plaster on each side).......... Concrete with plaster coating of 1 cm. on each side................................ Lead sheet 1 mm. thick...................... Lead sheet 2 mm. thick...................... 120 137 76 32 52 82 22 54 80 60 100 60 1 2 Re d u c t io n in decibels 36.0 36.7 37.4 38.0 39.3 44.6 33.5 33.5 36.4 38.0 41.7 43.0 35.0 39.0 much greater thicknesses of other materials are re quired to accomplish sound reduction equivalent to that of very thin lead: SOUND REDUCTION FACTORS OF VARIOUS BUILDING MATERIALS Ma t e r ia l Th ic k n e s s in mm. Cork pieces without agglufinant. Pumice concrete ........................... Kelp ................................................. Pure cork ....................................... Fibrous mineral wool. "banroc" and perforated sheet iron................. Cellular concrete........................... 50 84 33 51 64 48 Re d u c t io n in decibels 8.6 15.0 19.3 26.6 27.0 32.3 - F. H. A. Loans on Soil Heating Cable gOTH private and commercial growers of flowers and other plants will be interested to learn that soil heating cable i? now included as an item of equipment eligible for loans under the Federal Housing Administration. This is the lead sheathed '.'.hie described in LEAD. November. 1931. and May, 1 and indicates the increasing importance of this useful article as a means of surer and more economical growing. [4] LI A253A7 Fine Lead Roof at Rahway at New Low Cost i Continued from September LEAD) INSTALLATION of hard lead on New Jersey's Rah| wav Reformatory dome was described in detail in the September. 1935. issue of LEAD. It is natural that the authorities in charge of this work have se lected the finest material for such a job. Lead makes an ideal roofing for many reasons. Be cause of the low cost of lead metal it can be used in much greater thicknesses than other metal roofing and still be competitive in cost. For instance, on the Rahwav Reformatory, the lead has a thickness of 3/64 in., more than twice the thickness of the old roofing. When this additional thickness is combined with the great corrosion resistance of lead, greater than any other common metal when exposed to the atmosphere, a much longer life can naturally be expected of a lead roof. The soft gray color of lead is another added attraction and it becomes more beautiful with age. Nor is there anv danger of staining other materials adja cent to lead, for it does not cause discoloration. Lead has a background of many centuries as a roof ing material, particularly abroad, where many of the world's finest buildings, erected by architects whose names have lived through centuries, are roofed with lead. In the past, however, lead has been an expensive roofing material, for. since it is low in strength, it had to be used in great thicknesses. Modem metallurgy, however, developed hard lead, lead containing certain percentages of antimony, for roofing purposes. Hard lead has about twice the strength of ordinary lead and therefore permits the use of thinner sheets. But hard lead originally was quite expensive and this reacted against its use although it cost less than much greater thicknesses of soft lead. In recent months the cost of hard lead has been reduced so that the archi A. C. MICHAELSON The Rahway Reformatory dome completely reroofed with hard lead down to the cornice. tect, who has always favored lead but often was prevented from using it because of high cost, can now employ it at prices approximately the same as other good roofing materials. For in stance, it cost the State of New Jersey little, if anv. more to reroof the Rahwav Reformatory with the finest roofing material available. Many fine buildings in this country, roofed with hard lead at much higher cost, indicate its true worth. Only comparatively few people realize that lead is one of the lighter types of roof. It weighs, for in stance, about the same as wood shingle roofs, gen erally less than asbestos shingles, about half as much as slate, or felt and gravel or slag, half as much as Spanish tile and a quarter as much as shingle tile. Hard lead roofs weigh only about 300 lbs. per square. A. U. MICH A detail of the dome at Rahway which has just been recovered with hard sheet lead down as far asy but not including, the cornice. 5fV [5] LIA25348 j: t ! Strict Codes, Enforced, Correct Unsafe Handyman Plumbing HE following is a quotation from a letter from T Mr. G. W. Reed, plumbing inspector, Danville. III., who was responsible for the discovery and cor rection of the horribly unsanitary conditions described and for the prosecution of the handyman who perpe trated them: "These pictures of the basin and two drinking fountains were taken in a building inhabited by some two hundred children and were used daily. "The waste pipe continues to the basement and emptied over a trough urinal. There is no trap under urinal nor drinking fountains. No water connection to the urinal, the water from drinking fountains used to flush the urinal. "The water pipe to fountains runs through the center of the two inch waste line. A hole drilled through the two inch, large enough for water pipe to slip through and then made tight by means of putty. "Notice on second door the putty was picked off, and bits of it are on the floor. "The light shades on the top of fountains are set on with putty. The top of bubbler on second floor fountain is about half-way to the shade. "This work w'as installed by a handyman and had been in use several years. lion the handyman installed the unsanitary plumbing illustrated below. "It has been entirely torn out and replaced, in a sanitary condition." It is needless to point out to anyone familiar with plumbing the unsanitary features of this installation. Waste matter may pollute the drinking water and nothing prevents noxious gases from entering the building. In fact, children drinking from these foun tains had to put their faces right down where foul gases had to be inhaled. <1 [6] LI A2 5349 There can be no stronger argument than actual cases like this for rigid control of plumbing by ordi nance and strict, alert plumbing inspection. Handy men who do jobs like this are monkey-wrench mechanics unable to handle the tools of the skilled plumber. They would be stumped if faced with join ing or bending lead pipe, and they would be unable to pass a plumber's license examination. Conditions similar to this, although not so flagrant perhaps, exist in many places. Where control over plumbing is lax or where plumbing codes do not exist or are unsatisfactory, even some engaged in the plumbing business may be responsible for them. Real plumbers, skilled in their trade and recognizing their responsibility to the public, have a public duty to perform in agitating for proper control of plumbing, strict licensing of plumbers, and the use of materials that result in durable, high quality, sanitary installa tions. Such a material is lead, and it is usually found that where lead is extensively required by plumbing codes for those purposes for which it is so well suited, the class of plumbers is high and public health conditions better, because only real plumbers can handle lead. Plumbing Inspector Educates Public About Lead Plumbing R. CHARLES H. GREGORY, plumbing inspec Waste Pipe M tor of Kingston, N. Y.. believes that the public "1. Greatest durability--Lead pipe, properly in should be better informed about plumbing. Then itstalled. makes the most durable plumbing installation is better able to understand the reasons for rigid con known, whereas galvanized pipe may last only a few trol of plumbing and the necessity of employing years and on the average will not last as long as the capable, licensed plumbers. The following article, building in which it is installed. reprinted from the Kingston Daily Freeman of May 17. 1935, shows one means Mr. Gregory has emploved to educate the public of his city. "2. Cutting of wood structure minimized--An instal lation of lead waste pipe reduces the cutting of the wood structure to a minimum because the outside Advantages of Lead In diameter of lead pipe is smaller than either galvan ized or cast iron pipe. Lead pipe also has sufficient Interior Plumbing flexibility to allow almost any length of lead pipe to ''Plumbing Inspector Charles H. Gregory todav is sued the following statement in regard to the advan tages of lead in interior plumbing: "The basic reason for public control of plumbing is 'the protection of persons against injury to health and property.' "To insure such protection, to safeguard the public against unsanitary plumbing and damages from the use of cheap or defective material and to guard against improper installation, it is manifestly neces sary to have public regulation of the location, con struction. installation, inspection and sanitary main tenance of plumbing. In providing regulation, safety and durability should be made the minimum require ments. and the minimum should never be lowered for economical or other reasons. "Necessity for the protection of health is obvious, but necessity for the protection against property damaae may not be quite so clear. Nevertheless this is also very important, as the owner of the small home . . . is generally uninformed as to the merits of various kinds of plumbing and must rely solely upon be reeved through holes bored in beams, making fewer joints and smaller holes. Rigid pipes also re quire larger holes than lead pipe to provide ample clearance when beams sag due to the weight of heavy tile floors and fixtures. "3. Fewer joints--In addition to reducing the num ber of joints as mentioned above, flexible lead pipe can be bent to the necessary angles, eliminating many elbows, 45 degree elbows and nipples required by more rigid types of installations. "4. Superior joints--Bonded wiped joints or castiron calked joints are preferable to threaded joints on galvanized iron pipe, as threads are cut into the walls of the pipe reducing wall thickness, and, consequently, the strength of galvanized pipe. Galvanizing is also removed for a space beyond screw joints and rusting can readily begin at these points. "5. Smooth bore--Lead pipe has an exceedingly smooth inner surface throughout, reducing the possi bility of being choked by an accumulation of hair, lint, grease and other solid matter that often clogs rough surfaced pipe. adequate public regulation of plumbing to protect "6. Provides for settlement--The flexibility of lead his hard-earned investment, as well as his health. pipe allows it to adjust itself to building settlement [7] LIA25350 without difficulty, whereas settlement places a strain on a rigid pipe system liable to cause breakage at the joints where wall thickness has been reduced by thread cutting, or at joints where rusting may have commenced, as where galvanizing has been removed adjacent to the joints. "7. Easier to meet Code requirements as to grades-- All plumbing codes require 1j. inch per foot pitch for waste and soil pipes. . . . Lead pipe, because its joints require less space, can be installed to the proper grade when cast iron or galvanized pipe can not. "8. No greater cost--Despite the many advantages of lead pipe for waste lines outlined above, a lead pipe installation costs no more than screw pipe for the same purpose. It is folly to use anything but the best when the best costs no more." Hand Wrought Lead Ornaments Gain Popularity l t h o u g h lead has been A popular for many cen turies for architectural decora sheet copper completely cov ered with 2 lb. sheet lead into which the ornamentation has tion. the last few years have wit been worked. The same thing nessed a surprising increase in may be accomplished by using its popularity for a wide variety hard lead of greater thickness. of small ornamental objects The other picture shows a laraelv used in interior decora novel ash tray or match safe tion. Pictured here are a few idea made from antimonial or examples of hand wrought or hard sheet lead, while the can namental work made by Mr. dlesticks are wrought from 21 A Frank Edma'nds, of Seatlle. lb. sheet lead. Wash. Appearance of such orna The picture frames are made mental objects as these in many from hard lead sheet and sug department stores, florists, nov gest an entirely appropriate elty stores and elsewhere at and new application of lead. tests to their popularity. There The soft color of lead does not is an opportunity in this type detract from the center of at tention. the picture, but it is Candle holders and novel ash tray hand wrought from lead. of lead work for the artistical ly inclined to employ a new- pleasing and tastefully orna medium of expression for in mented to be attractive and set off the picture. terior ornamentation. Contrast may be provided bv The flower boxes for pedestal use are made of tinning portions of the surface. Beautiful urns ornamented in sheet lead. Ornamental hard lead picture frames. THE LEAD INDUSTRIES ASSOCIATION INVITES INQUIRIES ON ANY SUBJECT RELATING TO LEAD AND WILL BE GLAD TO COOPERATE WITHOUT OBLIGATION IN THE SOLUTION OF YOUR LEAD PROBLEMS