October, 
192 2 
39 
Asenath Leavitt 
JZditror- 
OCTOBER, 1922 
Published Monthly by NORTH WESTERN EXPANDED METAL CO. 
Chester Lewis 
Associate Editor' 
1237 Old Colony Bldg 
CHICAGO 
A Look Under the Plaster 
G RACE was frowning her most 
severe frown—which wasn't so 
bad, at that. 
After five years of rented fiats 
they were about to build a home of 
their very own. Surely an event so 
important deserved the most re¬ 
spectful consideration — 
yet Roger was already 
twenty minutes late. She 
had a good notion to take 
off her hat and let him go 
see the architect alone. It 
would serve him right. 
Here he comes, though, 
with another man. Now 
what— 
“Hello, Grace. Guess 
I’m a little late. The archi¬ 
tect was going out to one 
of his jobs so came right 
along with me. He says 
there’s a house he wants 
to show us before we de¬ 
cide. Let's go.” 
It was an attractive 
house to which he took 
them. Stucco outside, al¬ 
most finished, of a beauti¬ 
ful tone and texture. The 
plasterers were working 
inside. The fireplace, trees 
and the wonderful place 
for a garden in the back 
yard, of course, immedi¬ 
ately attracted Grace’s at¬ 
tention. 
She called them to 
Roger’s attention, but, 
manlike, he seemed more 
interested in the practical 
details the architect was 
pointing out. 
The latter led them inside the 
house, right in where the plasterers 
were working. 
What’s Under the Plaster? 
“Now this,” he announced, point¬ 
ing to a steel mesh or fabric which 
the men were rapidly covering with 
plaster, “is what I want you to see. 
We’re just in time. A little later 
and you couldn’t have seen it at all.” 
“This,” he said, “is metal lath 
If he expected enthusiasm from 
Grace, he was disappointed. Noth¬ 
ing very exciting about that, she 
thought. But she listened, for he 
really seemed to think that steel 
fabric important. 
“That’s a most important part of 
the house,” continued the architect. 
“You noticed the same thing out¬ 
side, where they are putting on the 
stucco. 
“Do you know why it’s impor¬ 
tant? Most people don’t. They 
think the plaster just naturally 
grows on the wall, I guess.” 
“The Steel Heart of Plaster” 
“As a matter of fact the modern, fine 
homes of today are built according to 
sound principles of engineering. 
“Metal lath is used by so many promin¬ 
ent builders because this firm 
base gives the mortar the neces¬ 
sary reinforcement. Further¬ 
more, this foundation, due to its 
innumerable small meshes, grips 
the stucco and holds it se¬ 
curely. 
“The plaster applied on a 
foundation of metal lath as¬ 
sures walls and ceilings free 
from cracks and discolorations. 
Also it provides safety against 
fire. For metal lath cannot 
burn and it prevents the spread 
of fire. 1'he home is then liter- 
all \- built with ‘a heart of 
steel.’ ” 
An Economical Way 
To Make Frame 
Houses Firesafe 
“lust look at this metal lath. 
See the steel strands running 
in every direction? Plaster ap¬ 
plied over such a base just can’t 
crack. It will last for genera¬ 
tions and keep its smooth, per¬ 
fect surface. 
“Same way with the stucco. 
If 1 were buying a house that 
was already built I would want 
to look under the plaster and the 
stucco, too. If 1 found metal 
lath there I would know it was 
an honest-to-goodness house 
that would really last. 
“I would know, too, that it 
was a safe house. Safe for my 
wife and children, safe for the 
neighbors. Just look here again. 
They call that ‘Kno-Burn’ 
metal lath and it’s true. You 
can’t burn cement mortar and 
steel lath. So the fire can’t get at the wood 
supports beneath. That’s fire-safe con¬ 
struction—the only way to make a frame 
house resist fire.” 
Roger examined the rigid steel mesh. 
“I guess you’re right,” he said. “P>etter 
use that same lath in our house—inside and 
out.” 
DCncBuvn 
E VEN time will not deface nor mar with unsightly 
cracks the attractive interior built over the firm, 
staunch foundation of 
Mne-fcurn 
METAL LATH 
**The steel heart of plaster” 
In the finest homes of the land, walls and ceilings 
beautifully decorated retain their pristine beauty year 
after year because of the sound judgment of the archi¬ 
tect in selecting crack-preventing, fire-resisting Metal 
Lath. • 
“Home Building,” our free book for prospective 
home builders, will tell you how to get the utmost 
in appearance, convenience and durability out of your 
investment. The coupon below will bring it to you. 
N?> 
1237 
R T H 
XPANDED 
OLD COLONY 
w 
ESTERN 
METAL COMPANY 
BLDG., CHICAGO 
North Western Expanded Metal Company: 
Please send me your free home-building booklet No. 1237. 
Nc 
Street .. 
Remarks 
City 
