Lustron Homes!

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Basements?

Does anyone know if any of these were built with basements? I know they were intended to be built on slabs, rather than wood platforms. I imagine a concrete slab over a basement would be somewhat expensive for what is supposed to be an economical house.

I would think new wiring or plumbing could be installed inside the walls without too much trouble. I believe the interior wall finish panels are bolted on and could be removed and replaced rather easily.

 

[retropia]

I drive by the White Castle porcelain steel construction headquarters building at least once a week, it seems.  They also used a similar construction technique for Texaco service stations.  It is a durable construction technique, and quick and easy to assemble.  However, it doesn't mesh well with making changes or personalizing.  Paint doesn't adhere well to porcelain without roughing up the surface, which sort of defeats the concept of easy-care porcelain surfaces.  If you cut holes in the panels, then it provides a place for rust to start.

 

If you think of one of these homes, inside and out, built like the surfaces of an all-porcelain washing machine, then it gives you an idea of the pros and cons of a Lustron.

 

 

[whirlcool]

If somebody wants to see what a Lustron home looks like on the inside, follow the link.

3930 Park Ave, Brookfield, IL 60513 | Zillow

3930 Park Ave, Brookfield IL, is a Single Family home that contains 982 sq ft and was built in 1948.It contains 2 bedrooms and 1 bathroom.This home last sold for $100,000 in February 2010. The Zestimate for this Single Family is $207,400, which has decreased by $2,200 in the last 30 days.The...

www.zillow.com

 

[pulltostart]

Here's a link to some good information and original photography. It's a lengthy publication, but fortunately the Lustron information is first.

Lawrence

The Beacher Weekly Newspaper

www.thebeacher.com

 

[pulltostart]

And one more.

L

http://www.oldhouseweb.com/architecture-and-design/lustron-homes-part-1.shtml

 

[tolivac]

Pretty neat-the homes with the markerboard walls!Perfect for home schooling-just get a box of markerboard markers!For decorating-just hang wallpaper,posters,pictures and such with magnets.I wonder about the add on vinyl siding that some of those homes had put on them---that porcelain steel is going to be more durable than the vinyl!Esp in cold climates.Guess what folks didn't like about their Lustrons was the ceiling heater.And what about air conditioning-would think a house like this would be HOT in summer.Guess you put in window units.

 

[fido]

Why was there a housing shortage after WW2? There was in UK because of the bombing but I've never heard of USA being bombed. We had a lot of prefabricated houses in UK but they were made largely of asbestos. I think the ones in Britain were supposed to last for 10 years but a lot of them were still in use in the 1980s.

 

[circlew]

Housing shortage

Many men went into the service (Army, Navy, etc.) right out of high school. When the war was over, a lot of them had married or were about to marry, and didn't want to return to live with their or their spouses parents. Not enough older people had passed away to free up housing.

 

[retropia]

Plus, due to rationing and the war effort, there was little home building during the war itself. At war's end, there was a huge pent-up demand for new homes.

 

 

[maytagbear]

Also

before the United States' entry into WW II, the country had endured over 10 years of The Great Depression, which also delayed building of new housing. Plus, low rate mortgages were part of the benefits package that military personnel received, along with discounted university tuition.

I love the concept of the Lustron house, and they are why I bought the current issue of Atomic Ranch.

Lawrence/Maytagbear

 

[washerman]

Lustrons in SD

There are three or four lustrons located in the mid-50's neighborhood on Sioux Falls, SD. The addresses are all located within a block or so of West 26th and Eulcid. One appears to be the duplicate of the one in New Bern.

 

[coldspot]

If this is the same type home I seen a film about them in the late 80's. They did a movie all about the homes and the people and went to many of them. The one thing I liked was the inside walls could be moved to make another room and so on. This was easy and one man did it on the film to show how it was done.

Rust was a big deal later on and upkeep is not so easy. One guy had to paint the house and took a lot of work and time. I will try to find that film.

 

[wayupnorth]

I never saw one of those here in Maine, but they look rather interesting, but no basement. Something you very rarely find here. Although some people did get the pre-fabricated Sears Roebuck homes from their catalog and ironically, they are all still standing around here and look good. Paragon and Sherman were the big pre-fab dealers of that era here.

 

[circlew]

Went past the one in Centerville yesterday, and it has been repainted in an even more vivid shade of Tangerine.