Evening Star Newspaper, December 8, 1934, Page 20

B—4 REAL ESTATE. ARCHITECTS BACK PLANS OF F.H.A Long-Range Operations to Be Discussed by Repre- sentatives Here. Architects throughout the country will work with the Federal Housing Administration in carrying out the long-range operations planned by Ad- ministrator Moffett, according to an announcement of the American In- stitute of Architects. Architectural | examiners, responsible for appraisals | of residential property, will be at- tached to the underwriting organiza- | mm which the administration will up in 61 centers. Represenmhe architects from all sections of the United States have been summoned to conferences now in progress in Washington with respect to the immediate establishment of | the program in every State. “In creating its underwriting organ- | ization for the system of mutual mort- gage Insurance, the Federal Housing Administration has taken recognition of the architectural profession in a way which I believe is unique not only in governmental agencies, but in pri vate financial institutions as well, s2id a statement to the institute by | Miles L. Colean, head of the technical division of the F. H. A. Importance of Training. “It has said in effect that the in- spection of buildings, the determing- tion of risks arising from the design and construction, the estimation of building costs, the consideration of the layout of building Iots, etc., are matters upon which judgment may be best exercised by the men whose | training and experience have been de- | voted to these endeavors. | “This may seem to be an obvious conclusion, but it is none the less the first time that the ability and experi- ence of architects have been fully rec- ognized in the development of an appraisal system for residential prop- erty. “In each of the 61 underwriting offices to be established throughout the country will be placed an archi- tectural examiner, assisted by a staff | of inspectors and estimators varying | with the size of the area and the vol- ume of business “In communities which do not have geparate underwriting offices and which are too distant to be readily ac- cessible to the nearest office. the func- tions of the examiner and his staff will be performed by selected architects working on a fee basis subject to the examiner for the district. pon the architectural examiner will rest full responsibility for rating the degree of investment risk deriving {from the property itself. This includes consideration of such factors as ap- pearance. plan, construction, relation- | ship to the lot, etc. Risk ratings for neighborhood and for relationships of properties and their neighborhoods will be made in consultation with the architectural examiner. Checking of Costs. “He will be entirely responsible for checking of construction costs and for the inspection of buildings during con- struction. His judgment will be called into play whenever questions of land planning in new subdivisions arise. He will be responsible for the development of construction standards applicable to his community and supplementing those issued by the central office in Washington. “Knowing the great responsibility which would rest upon these exami- ners, not only in performing the duties of their specific assignments, but in exercising an influence upon the fu- ture course of community develop- ment, the Federal Housing Adminis- tration sought to obtain the services of the most skilled men to be found in the profession. “The men were carefully selected by members of the architectural profes- sion and were called to Washington to study the proposed system of mortgage risk rating. This school, as it turned out, was equally useful to the Wash- ington members of the administration as it was to the newly selected field officers. “I am confident that these men, on returning to their posts, will bring great credit to both the Federal Housing Administration and to the profession of architecture.” INSURANCE FIRMS BACK MODERNIZING Added Stimulus Is Given Federal Program by Large Companies. Adced stimulus to the moderni- eation program of the Federal Housing Administration, now being carried forward by more than 3.000 Better Housing Campaign Committees throughout the United States, is given by the country's large insur- ance companies, These institutions | are circularizing hundreds of thou- sands of prcperty owners whose mort- gages they hold, calling attention to the urgent need for immediate mod- ernization of their properties. Insurance companies are among the | largest holders of mortgages in Amer- ica and thus come directly in contact with probably the greatest number of property owners. Several companies have more than a billion dollars face value of mortgages each, with con- siderably more than 100,000 mort- gagors on their books. One company has gone even fur- ther to emphasize its belief that mod- ernization is vitally important to the property owner. It has agreed to ad- Jjust amortization on its mortgages in order to permit the property owner to carry more easily the charges of the modernization loans. Its representa- tives also are instructed in the mod- ernization credit plan in order to be able to advise the property owners Attractive Interior Views of Attorney’s Home in Chevy Chase THE EVENING Dining and living rooms in home of Mr. and Mrs. W. M. Smith, 17 West Woodbine street, Chevy Chase, Md., are shown here. The living room was decorated by Mayer & Co. —Star Staff Photos. STAR, WASHINGTON D. C, SATURDAY, DECEMBER 8, 1934 REAL ESTATE. HOUSING DRIVE BENEFITS CITED Revival of Furniture Indus- try Is Held Due to Campaign. An important by-product of the better housing campaign now being conducted in 4,000 communities under the modernization program of the | Federal Housing Administration is the revival of the furniture industry. Reports from furniture manufac- turing centers show that most of the factories are busy, some of them oper- ating on overtime schedules. This is especially true of the factories in the Southern district which specialize in medium and low-priced lving and bed room suites. All the districts report substantial gains over last vear's record, but ti.e home owners in the South and West apparently are more furniture-con- scious than in other sections of tae United States. This revival of the furniture indus- try through the modernization homes reverses the process in the old story of ihe husband who brought home a new bridge lamp as an anr versary gift to wife and wound up | by remodeling the entire house. Now the house is being remodeled first, with new furnishings then purchased to complete the modernization of the home. Interior decorators in many metropolitan areas report good busi- ness. while manufacturers specializing PRIVATE FINANGES DECLARED NEEDED | Building Industry Says U. S. Construction Plans Should Be Temporary. (Continued From First Page) up to the codes on some of its con- struction jobs. “If for any reason the Government feels that it must compete with its own citizens in any form of enter- prise, it should, as a matter of com- mon decency, at least, set up no spe- cial rules to favor itself, When Gov- ernment agencies, in a time such as this, supplant the regularly organized units of any industry. it perpetuates an economic error; when it does this in order to circumvent the codes it has enacted to govern that industry or otherwise shows disrespect for that code, it commits an economic crime and is guilty of scandalous conduct.” Beirne, vice president of the Amer- ican Radiator Corp., however, told the contractors that “it is up to us as intelligent business men to make compliance a voluntary matter and not a matter of compulsion against which we are bound to rebel.” Planks in Program. In its program the Construction League advocated that: ‘Wages paid on projects financed in whole or in part by Federal funds be made those prevailing locally at the point of construction. Additional Federal appropriations for public works be made only in accordance with the principle that they are an emergency measure. Grade crossing elimination be in- cluded in any necessary program of public works, the credit to be pro- vided or gueranteed by the Govern- ment under a sound plan of financing. That, in the interest of sound re- covery, “the policy of Government de- partments of assuming functions, un- der the guise of emergency, that are normally and properly those of in- dustry be discouraged.” ‘The league also urged organization of “a continuing study and eimed to bring construction and building costs balance with costs of manufactured goods and agricultural products,” and development of “a sound policy for housing those in the low income groups, using Government credit as may be needed by adhering to the policy of private ownership responsi- bility and ultimate repayment of costs.” LOANS FOR SHUTTERS AND BLINDS AVAILABLE Federal Housing Administration Is Authorized to Insure Funds for Purpose. Besides adding a touch of beauty to the modern home, blinds and shut- ters installed with the aid of moderni- zation loans insured by the Federal Housing Administration are of prac- tical value in giving protection against Winter weather. They are especially valuable in stormy weather when ven- tilation is desired, as the windows can be opened and blinds will keep out the rain or snow. Shutters and blinds also give pro- tection against tornadoes, hurricanes and cyclones. When the windows are exposed the panes are liable to break, not only permitting the interior of the building to be damaged by rain, but when the wind is strong enough it may damage the building. ‘When the family is away from home blinds and shutters afford some pro- tection against burglary and van- dalism. S S— Humidifier Improved. Hung from basement rafters and with outlet grill to the floor above, a new, self-contained, gas-operated hu- midifier unit simultaneously cleans, | vertising campaigns, how to go about getting such loans. warms, circulates air. PINE LAWN A Gentleman’s Small Estate (2% Acres—Stable for 4 Horses) 6817 Glenbrook Road, Edgemoor, Md. Priced to Sell or Rent Bordering on the open countryside, nestled among Whispering pines, this beautiful home offers everything desired—excellent neigh- borhood of quiet refinement. 22 minutes by motor to the heart of the city—it is custom built of the best materials—it contains 11 rooms, 4 baths, first floor lavatory—Ilarge porch, 2-car garage, stable for 4 horses—oil heat, electric refrigeration—flowers, boxwood, old= fashioned rose garden, shrubbery, evergreens, fruit trees, grape arbors, etc. Drive out Wisconsin Ave. to Edgemoor Lame (at Bank of Bethesdn), turn left on Edgemoor Lane s sauares to’ Glenbrook ~Road—Ieft F 5auares o property—drive in_ the driveway. Open Saturday and Sunday R. B. Warren OWNER 1108 16th St. Air Conditioning Needs in Summer Realized, But People Slow to Grasp Winter Use. BY LAWRENCE TUCKER. The comforts of air conditioning are well known to practically every home owner in Washington. In Midsummer the air conditioned theaters, restau- rants, stores and beauty parlors are filled with people seeking relief from | the uncomfortable weather outside, but most are content to put up with antiquated methods of heating during the even more uncomfortable Winter time. Perhaps the manufacturers of home alr conditioning have been a little slow | in placing their equipment befors the consumer by means of extensive ad- but the fact re- mains that the equipment is avail- able. It will do the job, and the pub- lic wants to know more about it. It will, therefore, be the purpose of this column to present, in a very con- densed manner, some idea as to the scope of domestic air conditioning as applied to heating and ventilating. The owners of houses that are al- ready built and occupied are natural- ly interested in a plant that will be easy to install and will require a min- imum amount of cutting and tearing out. The builders of new homes de- sire equipment that can be put in with & minimum of labor and as little bother as possible. The machines to fulfill these requirements must there- fore be compact. in such form that they can be readily assembled, and of simple design and construction so that the average electrician, heating con- tractor or sheet ms worker will be| able to make the installation inex- pensively. The air conditioner now available for the home roughly follow two types of design; the direct and indirect fired central units. We will consider first the direct fired machines. As the name implies the heat that is gen- erated by the gas or ofl burner, or possibly coal furnace, is applied di- rectly to the circulated air by means of a heat transfer shell made of welded steel plate or cast iron. This shell usually has fins or some other means of increasing its exposed area 50 that the greatest possible amount of air is brought in direct contact with the heated surface. This means of heat transfer is somewhat like the old hot-air furnace, but the blower that pulls the air out of the house and forces is up again is the mechanism that definitely removes the stigma from the modern air conditioner that has always been connected with those antiquated heaters. This blower is usually a standard, slow-speed, multi- blade affair, belt-driven by a small electric motor. It will completely change the air in the house from eight to ten times every hour and through its use it is not necessary to install large, cumbersome ducts to circulate the heated air by gravity throughout the house. Instead, small rectangular ducts ars used that can be placed out of the way close to the ceiling and will | run up between the studding in a| standard wall. Registers are placed at the outlets, as well as spliters and dampers in the main ducts so that the supply of air can be definitely and easily directed to any portion of the house in any quantity desired. Fur- thermore, because of the fact the air does not depend upon gravity for cir- culation it is much lower in tempera- ture and is not dry or burned. In Midwinter, however, the air does not contain a great deal of mnis(ure and when it is heated it contains | relatively less than before, hence it is | necessary to add moisture by of some sort of humidifier. means The-types | NEW UPHOLSTERING | OFTEN SAVES MONEY most generally used consist of sprays | placed in the air stream after it leaves | | the heating compartment, pans that evaporate moisture when heat s being given off, and direct evaporation from a stream of water flowing over a heated surface. The majority of these humidifiers are automatically controlled from a device calied a humidistat, or hygrostat, placed cen- trally in the house. One of the most important parts of a good air-conditioning machine is the filter. It is usually placed so that the dirty air drawn out of the house through the return ducts is passed through the filter, where dirt and soot are deposited upon dry cop- per or glass wool which can either be shaken out and used again or thrown away. The air can also be passed through cloth bags that are shaken | out and washed from time to time or possibly through oil impregnated mats that pick up foreign particles floating in the air stream. The house- wife will find that curtains and dra- peries stay clean lnnger dusting is almost unnecessary, the wall- paper is not dirtied the black streaks that used to occur above hot- air registers and all radiators. In fact, the amount of dirt is incredible that can be removed from a filter after a week or two of operation. The automatic controls that are regularly used on an oil or gas burner are usually supplied as standard equipment with home air conditioners and will accurately maintain the tem- perature at a given point regardless of the outside conditions. Next week we will consider the in- direct type of equipment together with various devices that are available for humidification in conjunction with an ordinary steam or hot-water plant; also blower and filter equipment that | can be added to a present hot-air sys- tem of heating. (If there are any questions that Star readers may want to ask in connection with air-conditioning, heating or ventilation, Mr. Tucker will gladly answer them through the medium of this column.) New Abrasive Offered. Known as boron carbide, a new ma- terial is described as the hardest yet produced by man, unaffected by acids or alkali. It may be used as an abrasive, for sandblast nozzles, wire- making dies, extruding dies, bear- | ings, etc. UXMANOR! The Suburb of Contentment HOMES ON 11, ACRE SITES Model home open daily and Sunday until 6 P.M. Directlons—Out Wisconsin Ave, to Bank of Bethesda and follow car line road to Luzmanor signs. Just 2 minutes from the heart of the city. New Brick English-Type Bungalow and Priced at Only $6,75 On_Convenient Terms Heated and Open for Inspection Day and Evening at 514 STRONG STREET LYON VILLAGE One of Nearby 'Irllull s Most Attractive H C rive out mow and see ome of the best nities. values we've ever offered—S cheerful D rooms—tiled Dnh—lnmlated—wmlher-nflx;n:‘l’—hi:ll basement—iarge floore: attic with 7 indows—brick garage—model ichen—real fireplace—screene porch—near dus, lc%ocu, churches, stores—Don’t fail to see this and others Jrom 85,650 to $7.501 Prive Qrer Key Bivd. to Presented l:nl--lnly Lee Hishway or Wilson Bridge—Out Lyon Village—Follow Signs to Property. T. J. BRUMBAC Walnut 8921 | Course in Refinishing Furniture Given by District Home Agent. For want of an upholsterer or the price to pay one, good furniture is often thrown into the discard when it might be successfully repaired at home and restored to use, says Miss | Florence Mason, district county home | demonstration agent for the Univer- sity of Maryland Extension Service. | She adds that group meetings now being held in five counties of the State by the extension service for the purpose of giving instruction in all phases of repair work on old furni- ture. It is pointed out by Miss Mason that in the past few persons had the cou- age to attempt such work and with good reason since the upholstering methods were not generally known and the work was laborious and time- consuming. However, present-day knowledge and methods have simpli- fled the task considerably and prac- | tically any one can turn out very| satisfactory repair work at home, fol- lowing a little instruction and prac- | tice. Miss Mason says that all kinds of ancient and modern furniture have been brought to the meetings, every- | thing from day beds and davenport | cushions with springs in tangled Talk! Angle. Your living | boys, —_—-- Greemuich Forest Not a Paradise BUT A Mighty Good Place in Which to Live Don’t Be Influenced By Pressure Be a Careful Buye: on a Definitely Rising Market. Inspect Intelligently, Buy Discreetly. Con- sider Your Problems From Every in Greenwich Forest heaps to slip seats of dining room | chairs, sadly in need of padding. In most cases, she says, after a few days work the pieces have been restored to | usefulness, stronger than ever. Not only housewives, but men and have been attracted by the meetings, it is said, and have added their strength and skill in the use of tools to make the meetings even more | valuable and interesting. Miss Ma- | son says that she or any county home demonstration agent will be glad | to provide a list of tools and mate- rials needed and an estimate of the cost of such work at home. She ad- vises attendance at the county meet- ings so that work may be started during the Winter months when the whole family has more leisure time. A Real Value $11,750 2617 Legation St. 1'; Squares East of Conn. Ave. DETACHED BRICK TILE ROOF NEW-HOUSE CONDITION 4 bed rooms, 2 baths. Front and rear porches. Metal weather-striped and screened. Built-in garage. Large lot. Open Today and All Day Tomorrow WALTER A. BROWN 1400 H Street Nat. 1652 25 REASONS FOR Home: Ownership In Creenwich in draperies s, etc. also report |a strong demand for their products. furnishings cann ! modernization pt in cases where the fure niture is actually built in. This fact, however. apparer has not pre- vented the home owner from satisf; ing his furniture needs New Type Insulation. A new type of wire insulation rived from latex, is said to set ni standards for flexibility. tensile B“d dielectric strength. re: ce to com- pression. Permitting er walls. it is expected to reduce weight and bulk | of finished conductors. loans, ta Spend Christmas in This Home and Save $2,000 The Spring market will bring increased prices. First of a group of 32 homes. A custom-built house with $15,000 features. Slate roof. Three large bed rooms. Two large tiled baths. Large panelled living room. Modern electric health kitchen. Large lot beautifully landscaped. Surrounded by 25 giant shade trees. Stone retaining wall. Detached garage. Ideally located in the Country Club area. Price, $10,950 Open and heated until 9 P.M. daily. Country Club Village, Md. Smith Bros. & Co., North 4533 Builders and Developers John F. Wynkoop, Owner See today—“There is always a demand for qualm ¢ Wisconsin Ave. o 3410 'QUESADA STREET ‘Thts MODE RNLY CO\VEI\IE‘\CED HOME ODERN 7-room home, very moderately priced. Attractive porch with portable storm door Modern type A. B. C. Burner, Electrical Refrigeration, Maid’'s Room, large Storage Room, Detached Garage, Cozy Den in Basement. Entire home in perfect condi- K3 ® DR > o.o will not only enable you to have every known requisite Jor complete contentment but vou can reflect in later years with keen satisfaction and complacency. Homes Now Available or Under Constructio Why not Jdrive out to this latest residential community and get first hand knowledge of what is being done to enhance the splendors of our Nation's Capit=1 Drive West on Bradley Lane to Wil- son Lane, turn right one block. Rig!d Restrictions Magnificent Trees Interesting Contours Besr of Construetion Financial Integrity Paved Streets ctricity Transportation City Mail Delivery Right to Vote e Protection Protection 1621 K St N. WHILLEZ(:}EIST NA:l. 8500 HISTORIC GEORGETOWN ESTATE 1642 29th St. N. W. (Automobile emtrance around the corner on R Street) Beautiful house located on high elevation o ing city, surrounded grounds with very old oal boxtree and flower gardens; completely private. The home consists of 10 rooms, with adequate baths. Living room, dining room and library each have an immense old- fashioned fireplace. There is an entertainment room in the basement. Modern throughout. Oil burner. This is a show place. One of Georgetown’s most interesting old estates. For Inspection, Call TRUST DEPARTMENT NATIONAL METROPOLITAN BANK CO-EXECUTORS. NAtional 130 tion—unusual value at the price. Open 11 AM. Until Dark Sunday Appointment During Week 'W. C. & A. N. MILLER | 1119 17th Street | | DIstrict 4464 at low cost CONCRETE FLOORS —rigid, fireproof, beautiful, everlasting Pre-cast concrete joists, as illustrated sbove, make it - possible forthe modesthome to enjoy the same type of floors as the most palatial hotels and mansions. These floors may be had in any coloring, waxed and pol- ished (as illustrated) or they may be covered with carpet or linoleum or a conven- tional wood floor may be laid on them. However finished they will never warp or sag. They will remain level, rigid, fireproof —keeping walls and doors and windows true. Ask your architect and send the cou- pon for a beautiful booklet. Paste this coupon on & postal card |-P°l‘llAND CEMENT ASSOCIATION 837 National Press Bldg., Wash. ,.D.C. Please sead me “The Key to Firesafe Homes.”