To help contractors keep track of assembly tasks, The Lustron Corporation provided a “Daily House Erection Cost and Progress Form,” while the Erection Manual provided detailed drawings to guide the actual assembly of the house. Drill holes in ceiling. When the system breaks down, the cause might not be readily apparent. When adjacent walls were paneled, the corner was trimmed with an L-shaped panel that extended from the foundation to the eaves. The Lustron Corporation asserted that it took 300 to 400 man-hours for carpenters to assemble a house, plus 40 hours for a plumber, 25 hours for an electrician, and 12 to 16 hours for a laborer to lay floor tiles. Jun 29, 2012 - Who wants a yellow Lustron? The first time Todd Zeiger heard of a Lustron house he was in college, where one of his historic-preservation classes focused on post-World War II homes designed to assuage housing shortages for returning GIs. I’ve been in a 3 bedroom extended Lustron in Pittsville, IL and a 2 bedroom in Rockford, IL. All of these parts would be mass-produced in the factory and shipped to the building site, where they were assembled to a standard plan on a concrete slab that served as a foundation. “The idea of a prefabricated, all-steel house fascinated me,” says Zeiger. Lustron differs, though, in the degree to which both structural and nonstructural components are interdependent. The volunteers are expected to pay careful attention to a property’s unique needs, have all work approved ahead of time, and follow exacting preservation standards. Lustron parts were manufactured on an assembly line-a process developed by Henry Ford for the Model T, and used for cars and other products to this day. The vapor barrier, which came in 54″-wide sheets, was laminated, asphalt-coated, waterproof duplex paper (two layers of paper, one layer of asphalt adhesive). Some Lustron Homes came with basements when built. May 11, 2017 - Explore Janice Smith's board "Lustron Homes", followed by 110 people on Pinterest. Lustron houses were manufactured homes constructed almost entirely of steel. Clips for the exterior corner panels were placed before any exterior panels were installed. The Zeiger family—Todd and Terri, with kids Jacob, Rachael, and Lindsey (left to right)—beside their 1949 Lustron at the Indiana Dunes National Lakeshore. The Lustron is, in essence, a very sophisticated, three-dimensional jigsaw puzzle. Some owners use automotive paste-wax on the walls to renew the shiny finish. According to the 1945 book A History of Prefabrication, the idea of a prefabricated steel home was a child of the depression. Identification of the type of metal is also critical to differentiate between metals prio… Initially, Zeiger’s challenge was to find a leaser-savior for the house, a Westchester deluxe three-bedroom model in dove grey. We had to measure the depth of the face and then just follow the installation instructions on the back of the package. The one in Rockford had the staircase along the utility wall between the furnace and the back door. © 2021 Cruz Bay Publishing, Inc. an Active Interest Media Company. I love cute little Lustron Homes! In addition to the Master Specifications, the Lustron Corporation provided several additional documents to help guide the on-site assembly process. When you’re inside one, you really feel the ’50s and that decade’s progressive, new-solutions approach to the housing crunch.”. Lustron architectural plans provided estimates of the amount of excavation, concrete, and fill that would be required, and also detailed the necessary connections for sewage, water, fuel, and electricity. Styles include Shaker, Arts & Crafts, Early American, Victorian and Transitional. Heritage Parts is a trusted distributor of Lutron replacement parts. JOHN HART, STATE JOURNAL Lustron Home on Glenway. Lustron owners are scrambling to find some kind of make-do replacement parts for these rollers. >> To other parts of this story. A copy of the original construction manual has helped. Sort by: Top Sellers. You could try trusting your home to used parts coming out of other homes, but they can be expensive and unreliable. Outdoor Power Replacement Parts. Lustron operated an “Erection Training School” at the factory to teach supervisors and foremen how to speed up the process. Using replacement material that does not match the historic window; or failing to properly document the new work. Each part … Oh yes, and they must pay for all of the work out of their own pockets. Aluminum will be lower weight than steel. The company’s lack of discipline in limiting the number of dissimilar parts significantly reduced both the speed of factory production and site assembly. Because LiteTouch’s wiring was very different than other home automation systems, you can’t easily replace your LiteTouch system with another wired home automation system. Lustron Home, Layout of prefabricated panels, 1949, photo by Arnold Newman. One site I found, which links off in many … The Lustron panels were heavier than most steel roofs today because of the porcelain coating. You don’t know what is causing it, only that you are stuck in traffic. Recognizing ageless structure beneath vines and crumbling mortar, Bob and Macon Hilton turned a 1790s estate on Virginia's western frontier into a family retreat. Compressed between the panels is a permanent plastic sealing strip which forms a gasket and assures an air-tight moisture resistant enclosure. were met with vague indescript responses. “Our kids have magnetic games they use on the walls, and it keeps them busy for hours.” Not surprisingly, the whole house has a similar effect on Zeiger, but he’s not complaining. Once all the parts were loaded, the trailer, could be stored on the factory site until delivery, obviating the need for a storage warehouse. 27 Results Fits Brands: Craftsman. Has anyone ever inspected a Lustron home.These were kit homes manufactured after the 2nd world war. Little did he know then that he would have his own Lustron one day. There’s a better way: LiteTouch owners who call us usually choose to switch to Lutron. Removing the gutters therefore is no simple matter. I mean, we do live in a Lustron home, so strange 50s things aren’t that uncommon, but we definitely weren’t expecting that, nor have we seen anything like it elsewhere in the house. Major components of the Lustron System include the interior and exterior panels , the roof and gutters , … You’d just get your manual and a screwdriver and go to it.” Of course, it’s not entirely clear how long it might have taken an average homeowner to put up one of these houses. The wall frame sections were assembled at the factory with doors and windows pre-hung. If youre fussy, you can hose them down and scrub them with a brush. Lustron home in Fort Lauderdale, FL . The interior service wall (EM-02-B-40.1) was also installed at this time. The original aluminum windows are a character defining element of the Lustron home and should be maintained and if necessary, repaired, rather than replaced. Interlocking with each other, they are attached to the frame with concealed screws. This was a small project that was pretty easy. For more information on how to repair your roof and gutters click here. Moving to the interior, the first priority was the plenum, which was supported by the bottom chord of the roof trusses. There were approximately 3300 individual parts in a complete house loaded on a single trailer. Lustron home help! Note how the woman seems to be having a delightful conversation with one of the table lamps. Thus in order to understand, how to repair your Lustron, it is import to understand that once assembled, the Lustron functioned as a system. They are very rare and hard to find. For example, one of your exterior wall panels is slightly bent and cracked. •This House is Steel: Clicking this link will open up an archived Chicago Tribune article about Lustron homes and Carl Strandlund. Once the foundation was in place, the team could get to work assembling the house. Lustrons are made of porcelain enameled steel—11 tons of it molded into 30,000 parts, all of which fit together like a giant, three-dimensional jigsaw puzzle. Top Sellers Most Popular Price Low to High Price High to Low Top Rated Products. Local legend says that the salesman came home one day and told his wife that he no longer had a job because the company was bankrupt, but they still had their house. A shipped Lustron home contained well over 3,300 parts, 350 hours of labor to piece together in approximately 2 weeks of time. Replace walls and secure.”. Each house sold for about $9,000, … Part 1 of 3 parts. “Lustrons are like a giant Erector Set, and I get to play with one all the time,” he says.“How cool is that?”. The houses were more expensive than traditional wood houses. The Lustron Houses of Macomb, Illinois tells the story behind the creation of the Lustron Houses and then specifically examines the Lustron Houses of Macomb, … On site, the wall sections were screwed to a concrete foundation and to one … At the end of 1949, Lustron had 234 dealers, located in 35 states. Position wall to proper location. Each truss was shipped in two pieces, which were bolted in the center as they were erected. Fridge Filterz Frigidaire FFFD-311 Replacement Refrigerator Water & Ice Filter (2-Pack) Fridge Filterz FFFD-311-2 cyst filter (Standard 42 & 53) 2 Pack replacement water filter is designed to fit selected Frigidaire* & Kenmore* refrigerators. The roof and walls were made of Porcelain-finish steel panels, that contained a plastic seal that was airtight and weather resistant. It needed to make at least 50 homes a day to break even, but was only making 26. The homes at 2420 Cahaba Road and 2424 Cahaba Road are known as the John D. and Katherine Gleissner Lustron House and the Bernice L. Wright Lustron House, … The Lustron designers created the house to be maintenance free, therefore they didn’t design the home so that components could be removed and replaced if they needed to be. By the end of 1949, the company operated 800 trailers and 200 tractors which were “brightly colored in blue and yellow to permit ready visibility and an appearance of neatness and cleanliness, which is evident in the house.” If it was necessary to ship a house by train rather than by truck, the trailers were loaded on a specially modified flatbed railcar. At the Lustron Factory, huge, specially designed truck trailers, served as the assembly line “package.” As the trailer rolled along the assembly line, parts were loaded on in the inverse order that they would be removed at the site. The demolition company’s view is that they own the structure and with the Lustron, they gain a profit margin from the recycled steel scrap which in turn is part of how they estimated the bid for the job to the developer. The local builder/dealer was responsible for getting a building permit and pouring the foundation, with or without footings, depending on local conditions. A vapor barrier was applied in vertical strips on the interior face of the inside studs of walls on the house’s perimeter. Only 2,500 remain, and we found seven on the market. Pristine porcelain enamel exterior panels are visible behind Todd as he works on the porch. Then the dream hit reality. The framing or the bones of the structure consisted of steel frames, welded into walls and roof assembly system. Replacement Wheels . Only 2,500 remain, and we found seven on the market. Shop for Parts & Accessories online and get Free shipping to any Home store! I’ll send Nancy an email to make sure that she sees it! Next, fourteen-gauge steel truss bearing plates were bolted to the top plate of the exterior wall sections. Sears Homes on November 26, 2018 at 9:42 AM Thanks for answering this question, Dale. “They never had any locks on these do “They never had any locks on these do The Elbert Files: A Lustron home story - Business Record Lustron homes' pocket doors were a way to conserve space in a living area that generally wasn't much more than 1,000 square feet in size. See more ideas about prefab homes, prefab, house. Furniture Parts and Accessories (897 products) Casters Felt Pads & Surface Protectors Furniture Legs Slipcovers. Porcelain finish steel panels cover the roof, exterior and interior walls. Submitted by Toby on Friday, December 30, 2011 - 3:10pm I wonder how well wifi and other air-based communications work with all that steel in the walls. A fact sheet distributed by the Lustron Corporation in 1950 provides a concise description of the house’s components and construction: The skeleton of the house is made of steel framing, factory-welded into wall sections and roof trusses. ABOVE: I would love to see a Lustron restored to this look. Replacement Parts. Photo of a Lustron house with all the parts laid out. You might be wondering why, with all of these benefits to their name, Lustron homes are such rare historical and architectural gems. Info on the largest concentration of Lustrons in America, now gone. Todd and Terri pore over the vintage owner's manual to get clues for repairing their living room, which boasts original built-in bookshelves. In addition, an investigation by a U.S. Senate banking subcommittee uncovered a corruption scandal within Lustron Corporation. But when you do spot one, you'll know exactly what it is because of how original it looks. The government claimed the homes were too far-fetched and expensive to be commercially profitable and foreclosed on Lustron. Replacement dimmer cards are often installed in minutes. You just can see the problem right in front of you. To guide their efforts, the Lustron Corporation provided a set of Master Specifications which detailed the specifications for site preparation and the preferred mix for the concrete slab. Lustron engineers hoped, with some modification to the design and an experienced crew, to reduce erection time to 130 to 140 man-hours. To erect the house, “socket and end wrenches, other small hand tools and a rubber mallet are substantially all the tools needed,” a writer for Farm Implement News marveled. … The sides and top of the plenum were continuous walls of 3/16″-thick rigid cement-asbestos board-about 85% Portland cement and 15% asbestos fiber. ABOVE: Lustron built demonstration homes which proved wildly popular. House, which contains over 3,300 parts traffic is at a virtual standstill the 2120 St.! Bolts secured a splice at the factory to teach supervisors and foremen how to wire a with., deadline for removal etc. years old and in the near future a lot of them, corner! 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