According to Plan: The Story of Modern Sidewalls for the Homes of America (1952)

[Music] [Music] you'll find a scene like this in nearly every village town and City throughout the country for in the hopes and dreams of everyone there's a home they can call their own home brings a sense of security to a man and to Every Woman her home means a setting for gracious living how do I know well I'm a contractor and over the years I've helped a lot of people realize their dreams building new houses and remodeling old ones too and probably the most important step is the one these young people are going through right now and we'll have the living room right in here and the kitchen right here so we can see the children playing in the yard yeah the children children say how many you planning on not more than six I hope uh maybe I better add a few more rooms back here at then silly and we have Shrubbery of course right along in here and oh darling it's going to be just perfect that's right it's the planning that makes all the difference between happiness and headaches as the years go by for instance have you two decided what material to use on the outside walls wood provides a number of possibilities or you might choose stucco or brick or stone all of these materials have been adapted for sidewall use for hundreds of years but suppose we look at a material designed especially for sidewalls you know Industrial Research has given us a lot of materials designed to do a specific spefic job better and made to plan specifications for instance rayon and then nylon materials which make Fabrics more beautiful and easier to care for than natural ones and new plastic materials like this are light strong and durable industry 2 has created new materials for the home today's floors for example are made of a modern resilient material material which is more colorful more durable and easier to clean and science also created asbest cement Roofing which has made buildings safer and more durable this material available in many types and colors is not only attractive but fireproof too this same kind of scientific thinking was applied to the problem of sidewalls for the homes of America in the development of a better siding material rigid specifications were set up it must be attractive easy to handle adjustable to architectural design weatherproof and rotproof furthermore it must be safe from the hazards of fire and above all free from constant maintenance expense it was natural that the scientists would turn to asbest for this is a remarkable mineral actually Stone it is made up of tiny but extremely strong and flexible fibers combined with Portland cement these fibers act as a reinforcing agent just as steel rods are used to reinforce concrete being Stone asbestos will not burn in fact it is best known for its use in all fields of fire protection and to the great success of as tce combined with Portland cement in the roofing field made it a Natural Choice in research for a better siding so from long testing and experiment there came asbest cement siding strong and tough it could be handled and applied like ordinary shingles it was given every conceivable test it was absolutely fire safe for even a torch couldn't burn it and water couldn't harm it it withstood all kinds of weather Sun wind snow and sleet this machine called a weatherometer in a few days duplicates years of weather conditions this material won't rot or Decay so it doesn't need Paint to preserve it however it can be painted if the homeowner desires laboratory tests are only half of the story the actual use of this material on homes over the years is the final convincing proof here is an asbest siding shingle nearly 15 years old and here is a brand new one as you can see the old shingle is still attractive still as strong and sturdy as the day it was made in fact it is actually denser and harder and so asbest cement took its place with other sidewall materials wood brick stone stuckle and stone and because this material was created specifically for the job of Home Building it not only combines the advantages of the other materials but makes possible important economies in building and maintenance costs from the standpoint of appearance this type of sidewall creates new and pleasing effects but its use is not confined to new construction here it is being applied to an old home right over the existing sidewalls under the critical eye of an applicating contractor a specialist in modernization these applicating contractors using great talent and Imagination are turning old houses often eyesores into beautiful and gracious homes these sidewalls have no limitation as to style size or geographical location for example this is the Woodbury Gardens development in Long Island where wide use of aser cement shingles is made and here in the Southern Homes development these colorful sidewalls add Beauty to the community this contemporary home shows how modern asbestos materials can be adapted to any style or design notice how the asbestos cement sidewalls help add dignity and charm and this is the Bissell Hills development in St Louis here in in the heart of the Midwest amid the rolling foothills of the Ozarks house siding is subject to extremes of heat and cold and here in glasow Village neither high humidity nor winter ice affect walls covered with asbestos cement siding now let's move to California this is the El Dorado Ranchos development in Southern California these homes reflect the colorful West Coast Trend ASB bestus cement sidewalk are ideal here for they come in many colors that are rich in tone colors that will stay beautiful for a lifetime and while these walls will never need protective painting they can be painted if the owner should ever desire a new color scheme and so it is from New York to Los Angeles from Miami to Seattle in every climate in every Community this new sidewall has brought Better Homes the had a better idea of what people in the building business think of asbest cement sidewalls let's visit Mr Randolph Evans a nationally known architect Mr Evans what do you think of asbest cement siding as a sidewall for the homes you design I like it very much we've been waiting for it a long time finally modern research has come up with a color and a texture that is just as modern and as contemporary as the houses that we are trying to do seea in this house I've combined it with vertical siding to get a balance and here on this smaller house the horizontal lines are used to emphasize the width of the house this is a very popular type of ranch house no other material will look as well on this type of house as asbest cement siding this is definitely a contribution to the homeowner it's durable it's attractive and it's low in maintenance cost well thank you Mr Evans and now let's go to levit town a modern Garden community in Long Island New York a community designed for modern living and here we find another Authority Mr Norman Denny vice president for materials of leevan sons Builders of Levett Town Mr Denny we see that you're using as best to cement siding on your homes can you tell us why yes these sidewalls help us create distinctive and attractive homes our customers like them we've sold more than 177,000 homes here in ltown and in this business a very important point is to figure your cost right down to the bone this type sidewall is not only good it's economical too and more important it helps us keep on schedule it has a long life and a low cost of Maintenance and first last and always our customers like them and what they like we like thank you Mr Denny and now let's talk to still another person this is Mrs Adams Mrs Adams we've been admiring your new home well it's not so new in fact it's it's over 30 years old however we did have new sidewalls put on about 10 years ago tell us Mrs Adams what has been your experience with these asbest cement sidewalls well we've been very pleased Joe that's my husband got an FHA loan to have the job done he figures that what we've saved by not having to paint the walls every few years has more than paid for the new siding and it certainly has improved the value of the place the we're not thinking of selling mind joke and well I like the looks of it and it's never given us any trouble at all and so it is all over the country for business buildings and apartments for Farm homes and buildings for churches for remodeling [Music] for big houses and Cottages the people who use asbest cement siding Report with satisfaction it keeps homes snug and tight against all kinds of weather it gives real protection against the hazards of fire for example here is a home protected with asbest cement sidewalls that with stod the intense heat of this brush fire and and escaped unharmed and so we suggest you consider this material for the walls of your home designed to last a lifetime a trouble-free lifetime oh it is attractive yes and it'll stay that way too that's what I like about it yes and that goes for all who plant to build a new home or modernize an old one for here like your modern Plastics like your asbestos roof like your modern Floor Covering is a material made according to plan a product developed to meet your needs and designed for a lifetime of beauty [Music] the ruberoid company was the first to make ASB bestus cement shingles for use exclusively on sidewalls these homes built with ruberoid sidewalls are all over 12 years old you'll notice that they're still fresh and attractive and incidentally they're all white today's home builders however are color conscious with new production methods and techniques with A New Concept of color and style asbes cement sidewalls have become an important element in exterior home design and here is the newest and most exciting development in the entire siding field ruberoid amazing new color grained sidewalls notice the richness the warmth the charm of these sidewalls notice too the exclusive duone colors these were decorator designed for ruberoid by one of the nation's leading color Consultants these distinctive grain textured dual tone Shades bring modern color styling within the reach of everyone the selection of Rich colors enables anyone to be his own exterior decorator makes possible effects found only in the most expensive homes note these colors produced by an exclusive new process this is the distinctive moss green notice the natural appearing texture so closely resembling wood shakes and here is a rustic brown color grain shingle see how the textured finish adds richness and depth to the shingle this is birch gray the darker tone in The Valleys of the texture gives the dual tone shading which makes this siding outstanding and this is the mission Ivory shade so perfect for modern ranch house styles notice how the straight grain finish with its highlight and Shadow effect makes vertical joints in visible yes these distinctive grain textur dual tone Shades bring modern color styling within the reach of everyone yet the charm and beauty of these sidewalls are achieved by more than the color and texture that is built into these shingles it comes in part from this striking Shadow line which adds so much to the appearance this too is an exclusive patented ruberoid feature to get this effect the applicator first installs the specially designed asphalt Shadow Edge weather strips they provide a Tight weatherproofing Seal for the wall a felt backing is not needed now when the siding is nailed in place the lower edge of each shingle is raised about a/ qu of an inch this produces a heavy Shadow line similar to those found with clapboard or double course wood shingles the same effect effect can be gained by using a tapered wood strip or wood laugh felt backing of course is used in this case these wood strips provide an ideal nailing base for applying asbestic siding over nonwood sheathing without the use of special fasteners note the pleasing effect the combination duone shingles and the distinctive Shadow edge method of application bring a new concept of beauty to today's homes and of course because they're made of asbest cement they're practically indestructible and here's another ruberoid asbest cement product this sopit is Stonewall board made for Lifetime use with new new colors new styling new textured shingles you too can be an exterior decorator whether you wish to bring new Beauty to Old sidewalls or to create a truly modern beautiful new home be sure to look at ruberoid color grain siding The Decorator design siding which will keep your home bright clean and new for years to come [Music] I [Music]