1965 Parade of Homes, The

it wasn't much of a place to start a parade just the dusty scar of a road slicing off Tyler Road into the woods on the Southern Slope of Shades Mountain but that's where 26 homeb Builders met back in May to draw for the plots they would build on for the 1965 Parade of Homes men's faces revealed their thoughts and plans as they picked numbers of the building Lots from the straw hat of a fellow contractor some frowned at the insignificant scraps of paper that would become so important in the days ahead maybe the lot had the wrong slope for the house they had envisioned but that's a part of building change what you can of the land turn its faults to assets by molding the house to fit the ground and rocks and trees others smiled in quiet satisfaction over drawing the lot they had wanted all along one that would be a proper showcase for their Wares and labor for in the parade of homes there could be no deception the result would be there for all to see and Birmingham would come to see and compare the finished products but that day was still far off as the builders marked the subdivision map shook hands and prepared for the work ahead within a few weeks the main road had pierced deeper into the woods and sprouted side streets along the slopes the pace remained casual though and the dirt road was still a playground for a Wandering boy and his dog to explore in mid June the serious work began A's rang and bulldozers rumbled their blades grating against the Sandstone that lies just beneath the red clay in the early days of summer it was too dry and workmen gobbled dust as they cut the road and sank squared holes for foundations then the rain set in and turned the road to a greasy muck that mired up trucks and pulled at the boots of the workmen a ditch gashed open the road workmen scrambled in and out lining up the pipes mortaring tight the joints behind came the bulldozzer closing the Earth again over the water M the line stretched off down shad's Mountain to make the connection that would bring water to the new homes together the pipelines and unfinished streets teamed to give the neighborhood a look of prominence at some H sites the bed of sandstone that makes up the spine of Shades Mountain held up progress blasting teams came in and the chatter of steam drills rang through the woods WS behind the driller the powder man worked gingely dropping the charges into the Rock and tamping them down when the plunger sparked off the charge heavy rope Mets held down the flying Rock and muffled the explosion in only a day the crew sinks a gaping 5T hole and work can begin on another basement the houses as July approached were still marked only by the bare promise of string stretched taught to hold the basement diggers true but the work went on and the thoughtful visitor was impressed with how little the process of raising a home has changed in the days since Pioneers first cleared the land and built their cabins bulldozers have replaced mule teams planks are smooth and Slick without the hewing marks of the hand Craftsman but the Ring of axes and the thud of pcks in reluctant Earth abide some things automation will not replace in this craft the sharp Square edges of a well dug ditch the quiet coordination of men working together one breaking loose the clay the other scooping it clear unchanged too is the joy of building of seeing the rough Woods transformed into a bustling neighborhood it shows in the face of the foreman who pauses to wipe sweat from his eyes and Survey the house growing before him there's a satisfaction in building unknown in other trades perhaps it Springs from transforming the scribblings of a blueprint into wood and brick or from the blending sounds of hammer and saw part of it too is the easy comrad ship of the crew relaxing at lunchtime probably it's all of these things plus the knowledge at the end of the day that the proof of a man's work is there for all to see and will endure so in late June the Parade of Homes was 3 months away from the smacking brightness of new paint and the glisten of porcelain but the parade was well [Music] begun Midsummer was cooler than usual this year the weather held good and the houses mushroomed up the Bare Bones of foundation and framing fleshed out into recognizable dwellings skins of siding and brick veneer imparted a touch of personality to each house and early visitors began picking their favorites to the untrained eye it might have appeared that the houses were complete save for the addition of a few shrubs and some grass but much of the hardest and most delicate work lay ahead no detail escaped notice the Parade of Homes involves a total concept of quality living such items as correctly laid out and poured sidewalks receive close attention for the future homeowner will have to live with everything on his luck landscapers also stayed busy at the heels of construction workers for Builders feel it's useless to take pains over a beautiful home and then set it in a pile of bare rocks and crab grass and by late August the planning that goes into the Parade of Homes was plainly bearing fruit the houses fit beautifully into the rolling terrain of Shades Mountain and here was a project in which the consumer was the the chief concern not just a Target to be nailed on opening day it seems that some developers consider trees a minor nuisance to be bulldozed out of the way but parade Builders preserve as much of the natural setting as possible no one will have to spend thousands of dollars and wait years for a shady wooded lot it comes with the house the streets follow the Contours of the land they're Broad and safe and offer good visibility something for young families with active kids to consider the buyers of parade homes will not soon be faced with repair and maintenance builds either for instance this new siding looks and cuts like wood but has the weather resistant qualities of brick the siding is a fire resistant combination of wood asbest and cement the Parade of Homes will have many such advances to offer this year the homes will include some of the newest appliances and most advanced materials among the ations are vinyl flooring that never needs waxing exterior siding that requires no painting indoor barbecue grills ovens with SNAP out liners combination dishwasher garbage disposals all of this plus styling that will not be dated in a few years many new neighborhoods look as if the houses were all Stamped Out of the same mold and plopped down on Tiny Lots the only difference in such houses is the placement of the front door or carport and the only way to find your way home is to memorize the address not so with parade homes Birmingham Association Builders feel that each home should reflect something unique something to set it apart from other houses people have widely different tastes in design but there is something here for everyone and each is one that a family can point out with pride as our home builders have made excellent use of material both new and traditional many of the houses show a skillful blend of Rustic Woods and Old Brick all are designed for easy lowcost upkeep and each has some distinctive touch the selection ranges from Sleek low contemporary to traditional Southern Colonial styling the Chalet and English country home looks are in evidence in many roof lines and window Arrangements all of these things style convenience economy are important but there is an even bigger extra for the 1965 Parade of Homes as one Builder pointed out at most home shows about the only change from last year's model is a gold faucet in the bathroom or a new tile pattern but Burmingham is in luck this year the 1965 Parade of Homes marks the first showing in this area of quiet homes you may have read of The Quiet home Concept in National magazines it's an exciting new idea in quality living and Birmingham has been selected as one of the pilot sites for Market testing quiet homes the perspective buyer will see a totally new product comparing the quiet home to yesterday's house is like comparing the Roar of City traffic to the murmur of a stream we work in noise all day Builders have reasoned why take it home with us the quiet home conquers household noise that shatterer of nerves and wrecker of domestic tranquility each room can be a quiet restful private unit while the television blares in one room and the kids rump in another in short there's room for everyone in a quiet home and here's how it works a special cutaway shows the construction of a quiet home wall in this picture you can see the studs are offset to cut down transfer vibrations special sound conditioning board is placed over the studs and/ in gypsum board is glued to the soundboard electrical outlets receive a lot of attention each one is cocked and sealed to prevent sound leaks since backtack electrical outlets act like a 15 Square in hole in the wall fixtures are staggered at least one stud apart researchers have discovered that medicine cabinets are also a special offender in many homes since they penetrate deep into the wall the cavity for this built-in sound ampli fire is lined with sound deadening material in quiet home construction doors of course constitute the major sound link between rooms to minimize noise transmission doors are of solid core construction with perimeter gaskets or tight fitting thresholds upstairs floors have sound insulating subf flooring further noise is achieved by putting cushioning material between major Plumbing connections where they fasten to the house and make for further noise reduction some Builders even take pains to use a pipe of a larger than normal diameter to reduce water pressure noise here workmen at Parade Village are installing sound conditioning board before surfacing it with gypsum wall board this sound conditioning board in addition to its sound proofing qualities has the advantage of offering excellent heat insulation increasing the efficiency and economy of the yearr round air conditioning these 4x8 panels also provide a firm even foundation for the gypsum board overcoming the problems of bucking and cracking which went along with wet plaster application at this stage of the construction the electrical outlets are positioned so that no two are directly opposite each other in some cases Construction problems May prohibit staggering of the outlets in which case sound matting must be placed between the backto back Outlets all of these matters must be attended to before the wall board is up there are definite rules for sound conditioning and cheating on the details at this stage could throw the whole quiet home effort out of kilter finally attention to details such as cocking will guarantee that loud speech is hardly audible in the Next Room speech and a normal tone cannot be heard at all after the sound conditioning board is satisfactorily installed with all Outlets correctly placed and sealed measuring for the final layer of gypsum wall board begins the process of applying the gypsum board has been changed considerably for quiet home construction and installation has become so streamlined that painters can move in only a day or two after the wall men the wall board is cut to fit and then coated with a strong gluing compound the glue will bond firmly to the surface of the sound conditioning board formerly nails were driven into the gypsum panels then Putty was applied over the hammer marks in the quiet home nails are driven only about halfway in and pulled out after the glue hardens they hold the board in place only long enough for the gluing agent to take over there's a reason for this research has shown that a nail left in the gypsum board will conduct sound vibrations through the wall this is the kind of careful planning that makes a quiet home a real bargain such work is tedious yet one trip to a quiet home will convince you that it's worth all the trouble this method of wallboard installation makes for a smoother more attractive interior wall and its aen way of guaranteeing the privacy of each room the National Association of home builders the National Housing Center and related organizations have spent a great deal of time effort and money to discover exactly what materials and what techniques produce the quiet possible home with a minimum of expense to the home buyer this is a new device that is greatly speeded the ceiling of cracks between wall board panels in the past this was done by hand taking a great deal more time advances such as this have brought great changes in the building industry during the last 10 years the result is a savings in labor costs which have held value per dollar relatively consistent while prices have gone much higher in other fields this is the final step before painting the gipsum wall board ceiling of nail holes and cracks can be accomplished in a very short time now allowing the painters to move in the next day after the tape is applied a quick touchup with putty and TRL and the wall is in its finished form these new homes will be as soundproof as Building Technology can make them even down to the cocking of the electrical outlets the families that are lucky and wise enough to move into these quiet homes will be getting their money's worth and much more sound conditioning is the major breakthrough in home construction in recent years and Birmingham Builders are leading the way acoustical ceilings are nothing new but many parade homes feature a sealing material entirely new in its beauty durability and sound insulating qualities here's a sample cut from one of the panels showing a 2-in layer of fiber glass topped with a vinyl covering which requires no painting so new is this prefabricated ceiling that contractors brought in manufacturers representatives to teach work Crews how to install the sound conditioner it comes in large panels which are cut to fit the dimensions of the [Music] room then steel Runners provide Center support around the walls the panels rest on standard wood molding and the manufacturers have designed a special plastic tool for tucking in the edges of the vinyl covering to provide a straight neat seam the result a ceiling that has everything Beauty durability permanent paint and excellent sound deadening characteristics the vinyl will take regular paints should the homeowner desire a change in color by the way the hardest people to sell on any new material are the craftsmen who build houses for a living and they're sold on this after only a few hours Carpenters who had never worked with the fiberglass panels were able to install a ceiling in a fraction of the time required for standard gypsum board Comfort is important but there are other reasons for investing in a quiet home scientists have shown that the constant bombardment of noise in the modern city actually makes us edgy tired and irritable the quie house is intended to provide a buffer against the constant stream of noise that we must endure most of the day keep in mind as we look at the homes that these pictures were taken a few days before the houses were completed the green view relay house is a colonial split level with four bedrooms and two baths on the upper level this house is ideal for the active family that needs plenty of room the tiled entrance foyer opens into a roomy den and the joining Sund the den is complete with log burning [Music] fireplace the Aristocrat a quiet home is a comfortable Southern Colonial House featuring wall to- wall Carpeting and acoustical ceilings [Music] throughout [Music] another four bedroom home for the large family leue Menor offers a roomy Den with fireplace and an elevated Sund deck like many of the homes in this year's parade it has central air conditioning gracious double doors front and entrance hall with luxurious gold pattern wall covering the den features unique ship deck flooring and there's a [Music] fireplace and in the Leu Manor home you'll also see built-in desk along with companion [Music] bookshelves distinctive styling and a beautiful Mountain View marked the Mountaineer as a sure crowd pleaser this house is loaded with features including a labor saving kitchen beautifully finished cabinets and the latest appliances keynote this kitchen the Mountaineer in the 65 parade features one of the most unusual and skillfully constructed fireplaces that you'll see in this parade or in any Parade of [Music] Homes room and luxury were the aims of the Builders of the Crest View home this beautiful home has four bedrooms three of the bedrooms plus the living and dining rooms are completely carpeted and the basement houses are spacious two-car [Music] garage here's the home for the style conscious individ visualist from the landscaped entranceway all the way through the color coordinated kitchen Villa Serena is the interior decorator Dreamhouse The Villa Serena is carpeted throughout the living dining and bedroom areas the living room has built-in color coordinated cabinets and [Music] bookshelves The Rustic English styling of the Diane speaks for itself focal point of the Interior is the panel Den with log burning fireplace and exposed beams the Diane has four bedrooms you'll find two up tothe minute baths as well as carpeted living and dining rooms as the name implies whisper home is a quiet home making use of a wide range of sound deadening devices sound conditioning board insulated air and ventilation ducts and quiet appliances marked the whisper as an exemplary quiet home it was built in rigid compliance with the scientific principles of quiet home [Music] construction another quiet home the monachello is of classic Colonial two-story design the four bedroom rooms are carpeted and convenient to the two and 1/2 bands a living room and dining room are a Showcase of colonial Decor in the rear an expansive Redwood Sund deck offers private Outdoor [Music] Living the green view is a tri Lev home containing four bedrooms the master bedroom adjoining a private bath downstairs a roomy playroom opens off the panel Den with the fireplace a unique extra in this house is the intercom which doubles as an AM FM radio with speakers in each [Music] room the southern air is a Colonial Brick with many features for livability the living and dining room have nylon carpets for easy maintenance and Lasting Beauty one of the two upstairs baths closes off from the hall to form a powder room the exterior brick is carried indoors with a beautiful and spacious fireplace the foyer of the Southern air features a durable lustrous tile in marble [Music] pattern with an exterior of Cedar and Old Brick the Greenwood fits beautifully into its Mountain setting another engineered quiet home the Greenwood features both upstairs den and basement teen room Choppers will like the floor plan which is designed for smooth traffic flow while leaving the bedroom areas in complete privacy here is the tangle wood a comfortable home designed with the large family in mind the first floor of this attractive split level has an a foer which opens onto carpeted living and dining rooms ladies will like the functional kitchen as well as the laundry room and extra bedroom and bath on the lower level this is the nerve center of the Parade of Homes the office of the Birmingham Association of home builders located at 612 37 Street South This Modern office houses a full-time staff that keeps its member firms up on the latest trends in the building industry the membership is composed of all types of individuals and companies that are involved in the design building and financing of the home Mrs William a Acton is the association secretary bookkeeper here she's busy mailing out the brochures prepared for the 196 5 parade Executive Vice President George Perkins stays busy keeping tabs on advances in building research advances that affect local Builders overseeing the operation this year is the 65 Association president Lester C Wyatt while visiting the Home Builders Association we talked with vondal gralley a key figure in the parade of homes f graley as a past president of the Birmingham Association of home builders I know you have uh worked very hard about this time of year on the parades of homes but this year you have a special interest is that right yes Harry I'm chairman Board of the trustees of the National Housing Center in Washington and it was in the housing center that we developed a quiet house concept we're using Birmingham as a pilot City let's talk just a little bit about this uh quiet house concept uh is this something that uh well maybe you thought up or is it something that uh is a pretty big program that's getting national attention this is a large program and it will be getting national attention in fact about a year ago we started this program through our national uh Association of home builders research laboratory they set the standards for a quiet home that would reduce the noise the transmission of noise from one room to another and to cut down on the outside noise boys coming into the house this year we will have representatives from 41 homebuilding manufacturers throughout the country in attendance for this parade also we will have home builders from all over the nation that will be coming to Birmingham to see the pilot Parade of Homes using the Qui house concept it is expected that this will be used Nationwide next year in homes well in this uh program we've attempted to show some of the advantages of The Quiet home but what about people visiting the parade uh can you tell us a little bit about the demonstration house out there the demonstration house Harry is a house divided into two uh large rooms one room is let's say conventionally built using the the products the appliances that we would normally put into a house the adjoining room is built with all the quiet house or sound condition techniques and materials you think this will uh demonstrate very graphically uh to the folks who come to see the Parade of Homes exactly the advantages you're building in right yes Harry it will because you will walk from the conventional built room right through a door into the quiet room I see and this is going to make uh the nerves last a lot longer and tempers flare a lot less often I'm sure bundle let me get you to tell us how to get there I've made several trips out but there may be some folks who'd like to have a few directions we believe that we have made it easier this year Harry we have provided a parking lot at the intersection of US31 and Green Springs are Colombiana Road uh from there you can take a shuttle bus right to the parade entrance very good well I look forward to seeing you out there I know uh we have just about a week to go and there are a few more things to be done but they always managed to make the deadline and I know this year you and uh every everyone connected with the parade will be very proud of the 1965 Parade of Homes any final word you'd like to add we just want to say to everyone y'all come we want we looking forward to the opportunity of showing you this year's Parade of [Music] [Music] Homes [Music] la