THE HOUSE 
 
 SILENCE 
 

 r 
 
 
NEW FIRE-PROOF PLANTS OF UNION FIBRE CO , WINONA, MINN. 
 
ROCK WOOL AND LITH PLANT OF UNION FIBRE CO. AT YORKTOWN, INDIANA. 
 
THIS IS THE BOOKLET 
 CALLED 
 
 THE HOUSE OE 
 SILENCE 
 
 TREATING OF 
 
 “LINOFELT” 
 
 T he linen house 
 
 SHEATHING, 
 WHEREIN ARE SET 
 DOWN THE MODERN 
 SCIENTIFIC THEORIES 
 OF HEAT, (ALSO COLD) 
 AND SOUND, AND THE 
 REASONS WHY LINO- 
 FELT IS A NON-CON¬ 
 DUCTOR OF HEAT 
 WAVES AND SOUND 
 WAVES. 
 
 PUBLISHED FOR THE 
 DISCERNING PERSON 
 
 by the UNION FIBRE COMPANY 
 
 Factories WINONA, MINNESOTA 
 YORKTOWN, INDIANA 
 
 SOLD BY DEALERS IN BUILDING MATERIAL 
 AGENTS EVERYWHERE 
 
 1908 
 
 Wrap your houses in fine linen! as did those 
 wise persons whose houses are pictured herein. 
 
THE HOUSE OF SILENCE 
 
 is the modern dwelling, protect¬ 
 ed from heat and cold by LIN- 
 OFELT and made silent by 
 LINOFELT. 
 
 DRSIONED AND PRINTED BY 
 JONES & KROEQER CO. 
 WINONA, MINN. 
 
LINOFELT 
 
 i 
 
 teiiii-iifciiiTiih 
 
 
 Jl 
 
 
 INOFELT is a flax fibre insulating quilt 
 for building purposes. Many tests show 
 that it has the effectiveness of 38 thick¬ 
 nesses of ordinary standard building pa¬ 
 per *for keeping out cold and sound. 
 
 It is manufactured by modern methods in large 
 volume, and is sold by dealers in building material 
 in all parts of the United States and Canada 
 for dwellings of all kinds. Its uses today are so 
 manifold that only a few of these can be referred to 
 here, but new uses of this modern product are still 
 arising and it is more than probable that in a few 
 years it will be in practically universal use in all 
 buildings intended for human occupancy 
 
 The purpose of this little book is to explain what 
 Linofelt is for; to tell how it is made; to give some 
 brief exposition of the theories of the transmission of 
 sound and the conduction of heat, according to recog¬ 
 nized scientific authorities; to give the experience of 
 those who have bought and used Linofelt since it has 
 been placed upon the market. 
 
 The cost of Linofelt is so low that it should be 
 employed in the construction of every house above 
 the crudest form of habitation. It adds less than 1 
 per cent to the cost on the average. It is safe to say 
 that it makes any house 40 per cent warmer than 
 when the ordinary building paper and back plaster 
 are used; so that in the colder states the saving on 
 fuel alone, not to speak of greater comfort, more than 
 compensates for the cost. 
 
 Linofelt is not an expense; it is a money saver 
 a modern building necessity. 
 
 Linofelt is manufactured in several grades, ac¬ 
 cording to the uses required, and at corresponding 
 prices; 
 
 *Red rosin sized building paper 40 lbs. to 1,000 square feet was used 
 in the tests. 
 
 
Regular Stock Grades ■ 
 
 RETTED LINOFELT (NO. 1) 
 
 This grade is manufactured from degummed flax fibre a 
 quarter of an inch thick stitched between two sheets of rosin¬ 
 sized paper, 36 inches wide, put up in rolls of 200 square 
 feet, weight per roll 45 pounds. It is used for sound deaden¬ 
 ing and sheathing purposes in all classes of buildings. 
 
 NATURAL LINOFELT (NO. 2) 
 
 This grade is manufactured from thoroughly dried and 
 hackled flax fibre three-sixteenths of an inch thick stitched 
 between two sheets of rosin sized paper, 36 inches wide, put 
 up in rolls of 200 square feet, weight per roll 46 pounds; used 
 for sound deadening and sheathing purposes. 
 
 FROST PROOF LINOFELT 
 (Substitute for back plaster) 
 
 This grade is manufactured from degummed flax fibre a 
 quarter of an inch thick, 14 inches wide, stitched between 
 two sheets of rosin-sized paper 18 inches wide to fit between 
 studding with 16 inch centers, put up in rolls of 100 lineal 
 feet, weight per roll 30 pounds. It is also made regularly 
 to fit between studding with 24 inch centers, and in other 
 widths at a slightly increased cost. All rolls are 100 feet in 
 length, but contain square feet in proportion to their width. 
 
 Full descriptions of the special grades and thicknesses, 
 are given on pages 18 and 19 
 
 Our Linofelt Sheathing Will Keep Your House 
 
 This illustration serves the double purpose of showing 
 how easily Linofelt is put on over the board sheathing, and 
 how the siding or weather-board goes on after the Linofelt is 
 in place. 
 
PROTECTED FROM NOISE AND COLD BY LINOFELT. 
 
 APARTMENT BUIl.DINQ, 12th St. and Paseo, Kansas City, Mo. 
 
 Owner, Austin Realty & Agency Co. Architect, Edwards and Sunderland. 
 
 
 
 
 Retted Linofelt 
 
 Retted Linofelt, the scientific non-conductor of heat and 
 sound, is a quilt of flax fibres, (unbleached linen threads). 
 The first steps in its manufacture are like those used in linen¬ 
 making. 
 
 As is generally known nearly every plant contains gums, 
 oils and woody portions. Around these in the flax plant is 
 a sheathing of the finest fibre — so fine that it compares with 
 the finest silks. The retting process used in the olden times 
 was in fact rotting the gums, oils and woody parts so that 
 they were loosed from the fibre, which remains unaffected in 
 the process. 
 
 Our flax straw is hackled and retted by our patent pro¬ 
 cesses, by which it is freed from the vegetable gums and oils. 
 It is picked and combed, by appropriate machines, then it is 
 felted, also by a machine, into a blanket of uniform thick¬ 
 ness and cut to desired widths. 
 
 When it is ready for the final process the fibre is the 
 same, (save that it is unbleached) as that used in Ireland and 
 Belgium in the manufacture of linen. 
 
 7 
 
PROTECTED FROM NOISE AND COLD BY LINOFELT. 
 
 Four Cottages, 5th and Olmstead Streets. Owner, C. H. BEYERSTEDT — 
 
 Contractor, John Knopp; Architect, A. E. Myhre. Winona, Minn.. 
 
 The final step is to stitch, between two sheets of build¬ 
 ing paper (or water-proof paper or asbestos paper according to 
 grade and quality), the flax fibre and complete the quilt. 
 
 As it comes from the machines which make it 
 into a quilt, the appearance of the Linofelt roll is shown as 
 follows: 
 
 LINOFELT ADDS LESS THAN 1 PER CENT TO THE COST 
 of your house when you are building, but MORE THAN 
 40 PER CENT TO ITS COMFORT AND VALUE when 
 you are living therein. 
 
 8 
 
Every roll of Retted Linofelt contains 200 square feet 
 (by actual measurement). It is uniformly 36 inches wide, 
 quilted by five seams running longitudinally, and is one- 
 quarter inch in thickness of flax fibre not counting the thick¬ 
 ness of the paper. The weight of each roll is 46 pounds. 
 
 Then it is wrapped and labeled ready for shipment. 
 
 A PACKAGK OF LINOFELT—200 Square Feet 
 
 LINOFELT ADDS LESS THAN 1 PER CENT TO THE COST 
 of your house when you are building, but MORE THAN 
 40 PER CENT TO ITS COMFORT AND VALUE when 
 you are living therein. 
 
 9 
 
PROTECTED FROM NOISE AND COLD BY LINOFELT, 
 
 RESIDENCE OF MR. A. .1. COLI.INS, Des Moines. Iowa 
 
 Des Moines, Iowa, Nov. 22, 1906. 
 UNION FIBRE CO., Winona, Minn. 
 
 Gentlemen;—Replying to yours of recent date, regard¬ 
 ing the Linofelt I used, will say, that I consider the money 
 that I spent for the Linofelt the best investment I made. 
 Our house is free from draughts, and this summer our walls 
 never became heated, like our old house that just had com¬ 
 mon building paper between the sheathing and siding. 
 
 We save the price of the Linofelt each year in coal. 
 
 Yours truly, 
 
 A. J. COLLINS. 
 
 Ives Grove, Wis., Jan. 28, 1907. 
 UNION FIBRE CO., Winona, Minn. 
 
 Gentlemen:—I have your letter of recent date, inquiring 
 as to results obtained from your Retted and Frost Proof 
 Linofelt, and in reply will say that we have used this for 
 three winters in the house and for two winters in the barn. 
 Our two large rooms are 44'xl8', 9^' high, and we have only 
 used one large base-burner stove, and in the coldest days we 
 have had (being 28 degrees below zero) the further end of 
 the room was never colder than 68 degrees. 
 
 In the barn, which is 62'x38', with cement floor and an 
 eight inch air space, we have also used this material, and 
 And that the barn is never colder than 38 to 40 degrees above, 
 with the cattle and horses therein. In this barn we have 
 
 10 
 
King’s system of in and out ventilation, so that the barn is 
 absolutely odorless. 
 
 I would recommend your materials to everyone wishing 
 a warm building of any kind. I am now going to erect an 
 ice house for farm purposes, and also a home creamery, and 
 will use your materials throughout. 
 
 Very respectfully yours, 
 
 ' C. 0. OLSON. 
 
 NATURAL LINOFELT 
 
 E ' " 1 
 
 Natural Linofelt is used for house sheathing (“the modern 
 successor to building paper’’) and sound deadening, in the 
 same manner as Retted Linofelt. 
 
 It differs from the Retted Linofelt in that the vegetable 
 gums are not removed by chemical process, and, therefore, the 
 Natural Linofelt or No. 2 is slightly less efficient as a non-con¬ 
 ductor of heat, cold and sound, than the Retted or first grade. 
 
 As compared with Retted Linofelt it has an efficiency of 
 about 80 per cent. But still, as compared with any other 
 sheathing and sound deadening materials it has an efficiency 
 greater than any on the market. 
 
 LINOFELT ADDS LESS THAN 1 PER CENT TO THE COST 
 of your house when you are building, but MORE THAN 
 40 PER CENT TO ITS COMFORT AND VALUE when 
 you are living therein. 
 
 11 
 
1 
 
 
 
 
 
 F3 
 
 Frost Proof Linofelt 
 
 [ 
 
 11 . ' < - 1 
 
 
 
 H 
 
 1 1 
 
 
 This is used as a substitute for back plaster, and as an ad¬ 
 ditional barrier to the passage of heat and cold through the 
 walls. It is placed between the studding, and fastened to them 
 midway, dividing the four inch space between the lath and the 
 outside boards into two 2-inch air spaces. 
 
 We have called this Frost Proof Linofelt to distinguish 
 it from the Sheathing Linofelt. It is just the same as Retted 
 Linofelt except that the degummed flax fibre is 14 inches 
 wide and the paper covering it is 18 inches wide. This is for 
 the variety designed for 16 inch studding, for other widths 
 the fibre is, of course, wider. This permits the double paper 
 to extend beyond the edge of the fibre two inches on each 
 side. When you push the material into place between the 
 studding, the fibrous part of the felt fits snugly at each 
 side, and the extending edges of the paper lie against the 
 side of the studding and are fastened by nailing a lath over 
 them. See page 16. 
 
 12 
 
PROTECTED FROM NOISE AND COLD BY LINOFELT 
 LITH AND MINERAL WOOL SOUND DEADENER 
 
 SORRENTO APARTMENTS. 430 Kane Place, Milwaukee, Wis. 
 
 Owner, H. Nunnemacher Architects, Hood and Tulgren. 
 
 Much Cheaper Than Back Plaster 
 
 In addition to the efficiency of Frost Proof Linofelt, as 
 compared with back plaster, is its ease of application. It is 
 put up in rolls of the proper dimensions, and, as will be seen, 
 (Page 16) is very easily applied, and the necessity of tempo¬ 
 rarily heating your building to dry out back plaster is obvi¬ 
 ated. 
 
 When desired, we can furnish Frost Proof Linofelt for 
 24-inch centers, and other widths to order at a slightly in¬ 
 creased cost. 
 
 LINOFELT ADDS LESS THAN 1 PER CENT TO THE COST 
 of your house when you are building, but MORE THAN 
 40 PER CENT TO ITS COMFORT AND VALUE when 
 you are living therein. 
 
 13 
 

 m 
 
 HOW TO BUILD 
 WITH LINOFELT 
 
 
 I_ \ LJ 
 
 HE usual practice is to build frame houses of 2x4, 
 2x6, or 2x8 studding, depending on the height 
 of wall and strength required, and to set the 
 studding at 16 inch centers or 24 inch centers. 
 On the outside apply No. 2 tongued and grooved 
 boards, or cheap quality rough boards, as 
 sheathing. You can use a cheaper grade of sheathing boards 
 if you use Linofelt. 
 
 Next apply a layer of Linofelt directly on the sheathing 
 boards; use Linofelt nails or shingle nails driven through 
 small pieces of cardboard or washers, so that the nail-heads 
 may not cut through the paper of the Linofelt. This is for 
 temporary fastening. Over the Linofelt, on top of each stud, 
 nail lath and apply clapboard on these lath, nailing through 
 to studding. 
 
 These lath over the studding are the permanent fastening 
 of the Linofelt. This method of erection prevents the clap¬ 
 boards from compressing the Linofelt—reducing its efficiency 
 by flattening out the air spaces. 
 
 The edges of the Linofelt should be butted together and 
 not lapped. 
 
 These directions are very important to bring about good 
 results. 
 
 The builder must remember to figure an allowance on 
 width of door and window casings of seven-sixteenths of an 
 inch for this thickness of Linofelt and its lath fastening on 
 the outside wall of the house. 
 
 Frost Proof Linofelt (substitute for back plaster) is ap¬ 
 plied between the studding on the inside in the manner shown 
 in the illustration on page 16. Then finish with lath and plas¬ 
 ter, plaster board, or any inside finish desired, taking care to 
 fill spaces around the windows and door frames with Linofelt 
 Tape (See page 19) or pack them with odd pieces of degummed 
 flax fibre. 
 
 THE ROOF—The natural tendency of cold is to descend^ 
 and heat to rise. For this reason the proper protection in 
 your roof is even of greater importance than in the sides of 
 your house. 
 
 14 
 
To prevent waste of heat and render your attic warm in 
 winter and cool in summer, put Frost Proof Linofelt between 
 the rafters, fastening it with a lath each side and also 
 fastening it to the roof boards with a lath down the middle. 
 
 If you do not care to provide a warm attic. Frost Proof 
 Linofelt may be laid between the joists under the attic 
 floor. This will be effective in keeping the heat in the rooms 
 below, but, of course, will not make the attic warm. 
 
 The above description calls for both kinds of Linofelt — 
 Sheathing Linofelt under the clapboards and Frost Proof Lino¬ 
 felt between the studding. This is the ideal construction to 
 produce the very best results, but one thickness of Linofelt, 
 either the Sheathing (Retted of Natural) or Frost Proof variety 
 will give excellent satisfaction. 
 
 CUT LINOFELT with large tailors’ shears or better with 
 a sharp butcher knife. Make a slot with two boards, spread 
 the Linofelt over the slot, and resting the knife in the slot 
 draw it through the Linofelt. 
 
 Linofelt in Other Structures 
 
 BARNS 
 
 The care of live stock during the winter months is a 
 problem to which every farmer should give careful attention. * 
 
 It is particularly important that the barn should be so 
 built as to keep out drafts; nothing will so quickly cause cows 
 to run down as drafty quarters. The loss in milk supply 
 frequently would amount to more than it would have cost 
 to have made the barn comfortable and warm. 
 
 A horse kept in a warm stable will go through the win¬ 
 ter in much better condition. 
 
 Linofelt should be applied in barns in the same way as we 
 have previously described for residences, unless drop siding or 
 single layer of sheathing lumber is used. In this case we would 
 suggest that 1x4 strips be toe-nailed at 36-inch centers between 
 the studding, before the siding is put on, and directly to the 
 studding a layer of our Linofelt be applied; over the Lino¬ 
 felt and exactly on top of the studding, up and down, nail 
 lath to secure the Linofelt. Then finish with drop siding or 
 sheathing lumber. 
 
 If the barn is already built and you wish to make it warm¬ 
 er, you can use Frost Proof Linofelt between the studding in 
 the manner described on page 12. 
 
 REFRIGERATORS, ICE HOUSES, CREAMERIES, ETC. 
 
 Many progressive farmers are building their own re¬ 
 frigerators, ice houses, creameries, etc. The Union Fibre Co. is 
 the largest exclusive manufacturer of insulating materials for 
 these purposes in the world. See last page. If interested, send 
 for special booklet. Our materials prevent heat or cold from 
 passing through walls. 
 
 1.5 
 
LATH 
 SECUEDN^ 
 LINOFELT 
 
 OUTSIDE 
 
 OF 
 
 HOUSE 
 
 0 
 
 % 
 
 s 
 
 STUDDING 
 
 LATH 
 SECURIN< 
 LINOFELT 
 
 ' 'U 
 
 
 h 
 
 lU 
 
 Ur 
 
 & 
 
 
 r 
 
 
 u 
 
 o\ 
 
 , 0 
 
 ! W 
 0. 
 
 Al R 
 
 
 SPACE 
 
 o 
 
 
 I 
 
 u 
 
 z 
 
 T 
 
 1 
 
 L. 
 
 
 
 AIR 
 
 ^^f^DING 
 
 z 
 
 ;'V:- 
 
 /•i %• 
 
 •K 
 
 iCO 
 
 '\^- 
 
 Vq 
 
 z 
 
 , 1 < 
 
 '!■ •• *. 
 
 :x 
 
 'Ll 
 
 t 
 
 f-rftti 
 
 This cut shows 
 both kinds of 
 L i n o f e 1 t ” 
 Sheathing Lino- 
 felt under the 
 clapboards and 
 Frost Proof 
 L i n o f e It be¬ 
 tween the stud¬ 
 ding. This is 
 the ideal con¬ 
 struction t o 
 
 1 NSIDE 
 OF 
 
 HOUSE 
 
 produce the very 
 best results, but 
 one thickness 
 of L i n o f e 1 t, 
 either the 
 Sheathing (Ret¬ 
 ted or Natural) 
 or Frost Proof 
 variety will give 
 excellent satis¬ 
 faction. 
 
 CROSS SECTION OF 
 FRAME HOUSE 
 
 Showing method oF using LINOFELT 
 
 Here is shown Frost Proof Linofelt between the studding 
 fastened with a lath each side, and Retted or Natural Linofelt 
 between the sheathing boards and clapboards, fastened with 
 a lath directly over the studding. In places where winter is 
 not very severe the sheathing boards may be left out of the 
 construction, Linofelt attached directly to the studding with 
 lath over it and the clapboards nailed through the lath to 
 the studding. Sometimes you can save money on construc¬ 
 tion— always you can save money on fuel by using Linofelt. 
 
 10 
 
The way Frost 
 Proof Linofelt is 
 applied under a 
 roof and in the 
 walls of a house — 
 Sheathing Linofelt 
 is also shown. — 
 Note the lath over 
 the studding. 
 
 BRICK CONCRETE ^ HOLLOW-TILE HOUSES 
 
 
 
 FURRING STRIPS 
 
 If houses are built of brick, 
 stone or concrete or hollow tile, 
 their comfort can be greatly 
 increased by the use of Lino¬ 
 felt in the following manner. 
 1x2 furring strips should be 
 spiked to the walls at 36-inch 
 centers. Over these strips 
 place a layer of Linofelt, 
 and fur again for the lath 
 and plaster. This, as you see, 
 leaves two air spaces and 
 makes the wall warm and dry. 
 
 If 2x4 studding is used as in 
 some constructions Frost 
 Proof Linofolt can be run up 
 and down between studding as 
 shown on page 16. 
 
 This construction, even in 
 coldest climates, will prevent 
 frost or moisture on the inside 
 wall surfaces. 
 
 17 
 
PROTECTED FROM NOISE AND COLD BY LINOFELT. 
 
 ALEXANDER APARTMENTS, Winnipeg Canada. 
 Architect, John D. Atchison. 
 
 SPECIAL GRADES 
 OF LINOFELT 
 
 ASBESTOS RETTED LINOFELT 
 
 This grade is manufactured from degummed flax fibre a 
 quarter of an inch thick stitched between two sheets of rosin 
 sized paper and is covered on both sides with sheet asbestos, 
 36 inches wide, put up in rolls of 200 square feet, weight per 
 roll 86 pounds. The asbestos sheet makes this material fire¬ 
 proof. It is used for sheathing and sound deadening purposes. 
 We can also furnish Natural Linofelt asbestos covered. 
 
 RETTED WATER-PROOF LINOFELT 
 
 This is the same as Retted Linofelt except we use RED 
 ROPE WATER-PROOF INSULATING paper instead of rosin 
 sized sheathing paper. We especially recommend this grade 
 for the better class of residences and other buildings where the 
 owner is willing to pay a little more to get a better grade of 
 paper. 
 
 18 
 
FROST PROOF LINOFELT—WATERPROOF 
 
 Same as Frost Proof Linofelt except we use RED ROPE 
 WATER-PROOF INSULATING paper instead of rosin sized 
 sheathing paper. We especially recommend this grade for 
 the better class of residences and other buildings where the 
 owner is willing to pay a little more to get a better grade of 
 paper. We also cover Frost Proof Linofelt with sheet 
 ASBESTOS, making it fire-proof. 
 
 LINOFELT TAPE 
 
 This grade is manufactured from degummed flax fibre a 
 quarter of an inch thick stitched between two sheets of rosin 
 sized paper, six inches wide, put up in rolls of fifty lineal 
 feet. Used around window and door casings to prevent 
 draughts. 
 
 Regular Water-Proof Grades 
 
 These are for insulation of Cold Storages, Ice Houses, Re¬ 
 frigerators, etc. 
 
 ONE-HALF INCH LINOFELT 
 
 This grade is manufactured from degummed flax fibre 
 one-half of an inch thick stitched between two sheets of three 
 ply red rope insulating paper, 36 inches wide, put up in rolls 
 of 120 square feet, weight per roll 55 pounds. It is used for 
 the insulation of cold storage plants, ice boxes, creameries, 
 etc. and is unsurpassed by anything of equal thickness as a 
 non-conductor of heat and cold. See two last pages. 
 
 QUARTER-INCH LINOFELT 
 
 This grade is manufactured from degummed flax fibre a 
 quarter of an inch thick stitched between two sheets of three 
 ply red rope insulating paper, 36 inches wide, put up in rolls 
 of 200 square feet, weight per roll 65 pounds. It is used for 
 the same purposes as one-half inch Linofelt. 
 
 Many stationary ice boxes in homes have been built with 
 quarter inch and half inch Linofelt as insulation. The Lino¬ 
 felt saves enough in one summer’s use to pay for itself. 
 
 LINOFELT ADDS LESS THAN 1 PER CENT TO THE COST 
 of your house when you are building, but MORE THAN 
 40 PER CENT TO ITS COMFORT AND VALUE when 
 you are living therein. 
 
 in 
 
I LINOFELT TO | 
 3 DEADEN SOUND | 
 
 Sound, as is known, is transmitted by air vibrations, 
 but when the waves of air come in contact with the felted 
 flax fibre of Linofelt, the vibration is stopped because the 
 sound sinks into Linofelt as into a pillow. 
 
 Those who have lived in a house not effectively deaf¬ 
 ened, know of the many annoyances resulting from sounds 
 traveling freely from cellar to garret, and can scarcely im¬ 
 agine the luxury of the thoroughly deafened house. 
 
 Finished floor 
 I x2 furring strips 
 LINOFELT 
 Rough floor 
 
 One method of application, Linofelt only. 
 
 Another method using Lith and Linofelt 
 
 In the first place have your false floor laid as tightly as 
 possible. If your walls are hollow, have the false floor laid 
 into the space and pack some Linofelt, or about three or 
 four inches of mineral wool into the space before plaster- 
 
PROTECTED FROM NOISE AND COLD BY LINOFELT 
 
 ELM RIDGE CLUB HOUSE, Kansas City, Mo. 
 Contractor and Builder, Joseph H. Stone. Kansas City, Mo. 
 
 Joseph H. Stone 
 
 CONTRACTOR FOR BUILDINGS 
 442 4.KD 44B RlDOm ZiCrzX.X>lNU 
 UOMR tPUONB 8270 
 
 Kansas City, Mo., Aug, 2, 1907. 
 
 MR. J. Y. BEARD, 
 
 Union Fibre Co., City. 
 
 Dear Sir:—I have used your “Insulating Quilt” on sev¬ 
 eral jobs and have found it to be very satisfactory and giving 
 good results. 
 
 Yours very truly, 
 
 JOSEPH H. STONE. 
 
 ing. This is to avoid the possibility of communicating sound 
 from one floor to another through the hollow wall. 
 
 In any case, wherever possible, have some deadening 
 material inserted at the back of the base boards. 
 
 When laying your deadening, have all joints closed as 
 tightly as possible. 
 
 If you have any folding doors, see that the space is dead¬ 
 ened between the double walls as efficiently as the floor of the 
 room. ALL partitions should also be deadened between the 
 studding before they are plastered. If you cannot use a pre¬ 
 pared deadener in these irregular places, you can always pack 
 in a couple of inches of loose mineral wool. 
 
 REMEMBER THAT THE MAXIMUM EFFICIENCY OF 
 A DEADENED FLOOR DOES NOT EXCEED ITS WEAKEST 
 POINT. Therefore, if these details are not observed, the in¬ 
 vestment in deadening material is practically wasted. 
 
 If you have gas or other pipes on the floor, do not let your 
 finished floor come in contact with them at any point. Always 
 
 21 
 
cut away the finished floor and insert some deadening material 
 between it and the pipes. When laying the carrying strips, 
 see that they do not come in contact with the pipes at any point. 
 If there are any upright pipes do not let the false floor come in 
 contact with them; cut it away about half an inch and pack 
 space with mineral wool. This will have a tendency to muffle the 
 communication up and down the pipe. 
 
 When laying the carrying strips, do not lay them directly 
 over the joists, but to one side, if possible, (See illustration), 
 and NAIL the strip through the deadening to the false floor. 
 We know that it decreases the efficiency of a deadening mate¬ 
 rial to nail through it, but one must offset this by great care 
 everywhere as described above. It is impracticable to lay a 
 floor without nailing the furring strips and those who advise 
 it are not familiar with the best practice. 
 
 To Deaden Sound in a Partition 
 
 The usual method is as follows: Place studding at 16 inch centers, 
 toe-nail 1 x 4 furring strips flush with face of studding, horizontally at 36 inch 
 centers, measuring from the floor; then apply Linofelt laterally so that joints 
 come directly over the furring strips, and secure the Linofelt to studding by 
 means of common lath nailed perpendicularly over studding, after which lath 
 and plaster is applied in the usual manner. To give better results the same 
 construction should be used on the other side of the partition also. 
 
 This will give a very satisfactorily deadened partition, but a certain per¬ 
 centage of sound will still be transmitted by the nails and studding. 
 
 The only method of overcoming this objection is the following con¬ 
 struction : Set studding at 8 inch centers staggered one and one-half inches; 
 place 1x4 furring strips 14 inches long, toe-nailed horizontally, flush with 
 face of studding at 36 inch centers from floor. These 14 inch furring strips 
 will run continuously on each side of the partition, missing the staggered stud 
 in the middle alternately. Then apply Linofelt in the manner above described. 
 The same construction is used on the opposite side of the partition, care 
 being taken that the Linofelt is secured in the same manner TO THE 
 INTERMEDIATE STUDS which were missed on the other side, so that there 
 is no continuous connection from one side of the partition to the other by 
 means of studding and nails. 
 
 Notice that Linofelt should extend up under the baseboard, thus cuttin; 
 the finished floor away from the walls. 
 
 22 
 
PROTECTED FROM NOISE AND COLD BY LINOFELT 
 
 WELLINGTON SCHOOL, Winnipeg, Canada. 
 
 Architect, (. B. Mitchell. 
 
 & 
 
 TH1EORIES OF 
 HEAT m SOUND 
 
 Linofelt is a house insulation. 
 
 To insulate (from the Latin) means to make an island 
 of something. To insulate is to surround a body with a dif¬ 
 ferent sort of matter so that the body is cut off, like an island 
 in the sea. To insulate from sound waves and heat waves is 
 to interpose between the protected space and the outside a ma¬ 
 terial which will refuse to conduct heat or noise. On a house 
 covered with Linofelt heat waves and sound waves beat in vain. 
 They cannot find admittance. 
 
 Why does Linofelt keep out Heat or keep out Cold? 
 
 Heat is a motion of the molecules (small particles) of the 
 air, or of any substance. The heat waves of the sun, for ex¬ 
 ample, act upon the wood of a house in such a way as to cause 
 
PROTECTED FROM NOISE BY LITH. 
 
 NEW ENGLAND APARTMENT BUILDING, 1124-26 Paseo, Kansas City, 
 Mo. Kendall Securities Co.. Owners. Edwards & Sunderland, 
 Architects. 
 
 the wood molecules to vibrate, to dance up and down (and 
 all around.) When the molecules are very hot they vi¬ 
 brate violently and this motion is in turn transmitted to the air 
 within the house, so that these air particles are agitated; 
 the sensation of heat is then present to the occupants of 
 the house. 
 
 All substances offer a more or less perfect obstruction to 
 the passage of what we term heat, that is, all substances 
 must have a great deal of work expended upon them in order 
 that their molecules may be violently agitated. Some sub¬ 
 stances are much harder to agitate in this way than others. 
 It is harder for example to stir the molecules of a piece of 
 wood than those of a piece of iron. Wood, therefore, is 
 relatively a poor conductor of heat and iron is a very good 
 conductor because the heat, so to say, flows through it very 
 readily. Flax fibres oppose a stronger resistance to this heat 
 motion than any other known substance. 
 
 The best non-conductors are those which have a dis¬ 
 similar molecular structure, that is to say, those substances 
 one particle of which differs slightly from another particle, in 
 other words, mixed substances. 
 
 LINOFELT is a substance of dissimilar molecular struc¬ 
 ture. It is made up of flax fibres and minute air spaces. The 
 
 24 
 
PROTECTED from NOISE by MINERAL WOOL SOUND DEADENER 
 
 NEWPORT APARTMENTS, 204-208, 17th St., Milwaukee. 
 
 J. and L. Wecheselberg, Owners. Architects, Hood & Tulgren. 
 
 diameter of a flax fibre is .0006 inch, and in the interior of 
 the fibre there are hollow spaces containing air. In the fibre 
 blanket, which is one quarter inch in thickness, there is an 
 uncountable number of these fibres intertwined, holding in their 
 embrasures minute air spaces, and in their hollow cells 
 still more minute air spaces. 
 
 Heat applied to one side of this blanket must cause the 
 tiny air bubbles and the fibre particles also, to vibrate in 
 some sort of union before the molecules will transmit their 
 motion to the next layer of fibre and air spaces. It is a mat¬ 
 ter of great difficulty to do this because of the great dissimi¬ 
 larity in the molecules of the fibre and in the particles of the 
 air, which must be agitated together before the motion is 
 transmitted. If each tiny air bubble dances to a certain tune, 
 it must force the fibre particles of entirely different struc¬ 
 ture, which surround it, to dance also to the same tune; and, 
 the different substances are unwilling partners. This motion 
 must be repeated a thousand times as the heat wave proceeds 
 from one infinitely thin layer of fibre and air spaces to the 
 next. Thus the heat waves are dissipated and lost. Hence the 
 heat within the house is retained therein, and unless the heat 
 goes out the cold outside cannot come in. 
 
 25 
 
PROTECTED FROM NOISE AND COLD BY LINOFELT 
 
 AND LITH. 
 
 ILSLEY APARTMENTS, 572 Marshall St., Milwaukee 
 Jas. K. Ilsley, Architect and Owner. 
 
 Why Linofelt Keeps Out Noises. 
 
 UND, like heat, is a mode of motion due to the 
 elasticity of several mediums, principally the 
 mixed gas which we call air. We will consider 
 sound not as it is generally thought of, in its 
 effect on us, but as the cause of this effect. 
 
 All sounds are transmitted to us by air. Our 
 ears are but delicate machines which respond to the elastic 
 impact of what is called a sound wave. 
 
 A sound wave is a sudden movement of a portion of the 
 air which is twanged like a guitar string. When this mo¬ 
 tion strikes the sensitive portions of the ear we hear sound. 
 
 Whenever we perceive sound some body, either solid, 
 liquid, or gas, is in vibration, and the air surrounding the vi¬ 
 brating body is also vibrating in unison with it and the drum 
 and the bones of the ear are vibrating in unison with the 
 sounding body and the air. 
 
 Now, when two persons are in different rooms separated 
 by a wooden partition and the first shouts, the sudden twang¬ 
 ing of his vocal cords causes the air in the room to vibrate. 
 This vibration proceeds to the wooden partition, and the 
 sound waves beat upon the partition, like the sea does upon 
 the shore. The wooden partition at once beats in unison 
 with the tones of the speaker, and then the air in the second 
 
 26 
 
PROTECTED FROM NOISE AND COLD BY LINOFELT. 
 
 AGRICULTURAL COLLEGE, Winnipeg, Canada. Cost $178,000.00. 
 
 Architect, Mr. Sam Hooper, Provincial Architect for Manitoba. 
 
 room is thrown into vibration by the resounding wood. The 
 second person then hears the shout. 
 
 It is evident, therefore, that the transmission of sound 
 requires the assistance of an elastic body which can be sud¬ 
 denly distorted, and will as suddenly tend to resume its orig¬ 
 inal position. 
 
 If a feather-bed were suspended between the two wooden 
 walls of the partition used in the example, and all other 
 sources of sound were excluded, the conditions of transmitting 
 sound would be altered. If rre «ide of the wooden partition 
 were made to vibrate, this vibration would be sent into the 
 non-elastic mass of feathers; the feathers would be pushed in 
 by the vibration of the wooden wall, but having no elasticity 
 could not send the impulse onward. An elastic body, 
 when pushed out of its original shape seeks to return to 
 that shape, but the feathers being once pushed back by the 
 vibrating board would lie inert without any tendency to move 
 in either direction. 
 
 This, then, is the theory under which all sound deaden¬ 
 ing materials are made; that they must be of non-elastic 
 substances so that when they receive on one side the impact 
 of the sound wave they allow that impact to sink in, having 
 no elasticity with which they can send it onward. 
 
 LINOFELT is the best sound deadener because it has 
 millions of infinitely fine non-elastic fibres in which the sound 
 is cushioned but not transmitted. 
 
PROTECTED FROM NOISE AND COLD BY LINOFELT 
 
 AND LITH. 
 
 MAPLES APARTMENT BUILDING, 10th and Lydia Ave., Kansas City, Mo. 
 
 G. W. Smith, Owner. Edwards & Sunderland, Architects. 
 
 A.. B. Anderson, 
 
 XROHITKO'l’ 
 
 Room York Lirs Hl.do. 
 
 T1CL.RPHOKB 743 MAIN. 
 
 Kansas City, Mo., Aug. 1, 1907. 
 
 J. Y. BEARD, 
 
 Southwestern Agent, Union Fibre Co., 
 
 671 Sheidley Bldg., Kansas City, Mo. 
 
 Dear Sir: In reply to your inquiry as to the merits of 
 your Linofelt deadener used in the Mt. Washington School 
 and the Hogland Flats at 9th and Paseo, wish to say that as 
 far as I know, the goods have given perfect satisfaction. I 
 have never had any complaint from the School Board in re¬ 
 gard to the Mt. Washington School, and had there been any 
 difficulty I certainly would have heard of it. I think your 
 Linofelt deadener is all that you claim for it, and can heartily 
 recommend same. You are at liberty to refer anybody you 
 may wish to me for reference. 
 
 Yours very truly, 
 
 A. B. ANDERSON. 
 
 28 
 
PROTECTED. FROM NOISE BY MINERAL WOOL SOUND 
 ' DEADENER 
 
 SCAA\MON APARTMENTS, 810-814 Wells St., ^Milwaukee. 
 Owners. Gilman Estate. Architects, Lenhouts & Guthrie 
 
 Union Dhpot Company 
 
 E. J. Sanford, President and Supt. 
 
 L. S. Banks, GenT Ticket Agent. 
 
 F. A. Updegraff, GenT Baggage Agent 
 
 Kansas City, Mo., Aug. 2, 1907. 
 
 UNION FIBRE COMPANY, 
 
 671 Sheidley Building, Kansas City, Mo. 
 
 My dear Sirs: Some three years ago, I had occasion to in¬ 
 vestigate the floor-deadening material question. I was at 
 that time erecting three flat buildings at the corner of 36th 
 and Troost Avenue. 
 
 After considerable investigation, I decided to use Lino- 
 felt, which has proven very successful, and I can cheerfully 
 recommend the same to anyone looking for a deadener for 
 floors in flats, &c. 
 
 Yours very truly, 
 
 L. S. BANKS. 
 
 29 
 
PROTECTED FROM NOISE AND COLD BY LINOFELT 
 
 RESIDENCE OF GEO. H. RAMER, Winona, Minn. 
 
 Architect, A. E. Myhre, Winona. Builder, Fred Husenian. 
 
 - A. M. RAMER COMPANY 
 
 Ifil, 150. 1.55 EAST SECOND ST, 
 
 Winona, Minn., January 25, 1908. 
 
 Union Fibre Company. 
 
 Gentlemen;-- Winona, Minn. 
 
 I have used your sheathing Linofelt in the building of my 
 residence, and this winter I find the house very comfortable 
 with a small amount of coal. 
 
 From my experience and satisfaction I would not build 
 any dwelling without protecting it with Linofelt. 
 
 Yours truly, 
 
 GEO. H. RAMER. 
 
 Linofelt is odorless and absolutely vermin proof. Bugs, 
 rats, mice, or vermin of any kind will not touch flax fibre after 
 it is treated by our degumming process. This renders it an¬ 
 tiseptic and odorless under any conditions. 
 
 Ask us to send you a sample of Linofelt so you can see 
 for yourself what it is like. 
 
 30 
 
PROTECTED FROM NOISE AND COLD BY LINOFELT 
 
 AND LITH. 
 
 QRANDMORA APARTMENTS, 13th and Grand Ave., Milwaukee. 
 
 Owner, Mr. Patrick Cndahy. Architect, H. J. Rotier. 
 
 PROTECTED FROM NOISE AND COLD BY LINOFELT. 
 
 THE WARDLOVV, Winnipeg, Canada. John D. Atchison, Architect 
 
 .31 
 
PROTECTED from NOISE by MINERAL WOOL SOUND 
 
 DEADENER. 
 
 HOI.LYWOOD APARTMENTS, 222-226, 9th St., Milwaukee, \\ is. 
 
 Owners, Gilman Estate. Architects. Lunhouts & Guthrie. 
 
 If you use building paper you will lose 44 per 
 cent more heat through your walls than if you use 
 our Linofelt construction. This great loss of fuel 
 would soon pay for the slight extra cost, to say 
 nothing of the comfort Linofelt will give you, and 
 the continued saving in after years. 
 
 These statements are based on scientific tests 
 made by the Starr Engineering Company, 258 Broad¬ 
 way, New York City. We will gladly send a copy 
 of this test upon request. 
 
 LINOFELT ADDS LESS THAN 1 PER CENT TO THE COST 
 of your house when you are building, but MORE THAN 
 40 PER CENT TO ITS COMFORT AND VALUE when 
 you are living therein. 
 
 32 
 
MINERAL WOOL 
 SOUND DEADENER 
 
 The Union Fibre Co. are also manufacturers of MINERAL 
 WOOL SOUND DEADENER, which consists of a quilt one- 
 half inch in thickness of rock fibre wool, stitched between 
 two sheets of building paper or of asbestos paper, 
 according to grade. The quilt has the additional merit of 
 being unburnable besides possessing high efficiency as a non¬ 
 conductor of heat (or cold) and sound. It is put up in rolls 
 like Linofelt and is used in building operations like Linofelt. 
 
 The mineral or rock fibre wool from which the quilt is 
 made is manufactured in our mill at Yorktown, Indiana, 
 situated on a large deposit of silica-bearing limestone rock. 
 
 The rock wool is made under our patented processes. 
 The rock is subjected, in furnaces, to a heat of 3,600 degrees 
 F., at which point it liquifies and is blown by a secret and 
 improved method into the cooling chambers. Here it resem¬ 
 bles cotton in appearance and texture, having the following 
 points of superiority over other mineral wool. 
 
 (1) It contains no dust. 
 
 (2) It is soft and pliable. 
 
 (3) It is not prickly, nor harsh on the skin of those 
 handling it. 
 
 (4) Its settling propensity when packed in walls is re¬ 
 duced to a minimum. 
 
 (6) It is indestructible and constant in chemical struc¬ 
 ture. 
 
 This rock wool has twelve times the bulk of the original 
 rock, showing that it has imprisoned within itself more 
 than eleven times its own bulk of air. Besides, the fibres 
 
 33 
 
of the silicate themselves are high non-conductors of heat. 
 This explains why mineral wool is such a good insulating 
 material. 
 
 In addition, the softness and non-elasticity of the indi¬ 
 vidual fibres make it one of the best non-conductors of sound. 
 
 Mineral wool in bulk is put up in bags of 60 lbs. each, and, 
 being made from rock, is absolutely fireproof and makes an 
 excellent filling in small places where Linofelt cannot be used. 
 
 LITH 
 
 Lith is a non-conductor of sound, heat and cold, put up 
 in the form of boards or slabs, manufactured from a combina¬ 
 tion of Rock Fibre Mineral Wool and Degummed Flax Fibre. 
 
 Our process of manufacture removes all the settling pro¬ 
 pensities of Mineral Wool, and strength is given the board 
 by using degummed Flax Fibre. It is made into sections 14 
 inches, 16 inches, and 18 inches wide, and 48 inches long, 
 regular thickness ^ inch, 1 inch, 2 inches, 3 inches and 4 
 inches. The i inch and 1 inch thicknesses are largely used 
 for sound deadening of floors and the 1 inch, 2 inch, 3 inch and 
 4 inch for cold storage and refrigerator insulation. 
 
 Write for our booklet “Cold Truth,” that tells you why 
 Lith and Linofelt are the best insulation for cold storages, 
 breweries and refrigerators of every kind 
 
 34 
 
ONE OF 6,600 REFRIGERATOR CARS LINED WITH LINOFELT 
 
 Ordered at one time by the Harriman System 
 
 This refrigerator car is owned by the Harriman Railroad Lines, and is one of 6,600 lined with two layers of REFRIG¬ 
 ERATOR LINOFELT. This is the largest order for insulation ever given, amounting to approximately 20,000,000 square 
 feet of Linofelt. 
 
 The Harriman Railroads made scientific tests of every form of insulation on the market, and the award to Linofelt is 
 a public acknowledgment in most practical form of Linofelt’s superiority. 
 
WHEREVER THE 
 PROBLEM IS 
 
 To Keep Out H eat 
 To Keep Out Cold 
 To Keep Out Sound 
 To Keep Out Moisture 
 
 IN ANY SORT OF 
 BUILDING OR STRUCTURE ^ 
 
 This company makes non-conductors of heat, cold 
 and sound for cold storages, refrigerator cars, ice boxes, 
 breweries, ice plants and dwelling houses. 
 
 Flax Lith Insulation, 
 
 High efficiency and low cost. 
 
 The 
 
 Union 
 
 Fibre 
 
 Company 
 
 should 
 
 be 
 
 invited 
 
 to 
 
 aid 
 
 in 
 
 the 
 
 problem’s 
 
 solution. 
 
 Peerless Cork Boards 
 
 Impregnated Cork Boards---Fireproof Cork Boards 
 
 L i n o f el t 
 
 for refrigerators of every type. 
 
 Mineral Wool Sound Deadener 
 
 for public buildings and dwellings 
 
 Granulated Cork 
 
 Mineral Wool --- Fire and Water-proof Paint and 
 Cement. 
 
 The Union Fibre Co. is the largest exclusive 
 insulation manufacturing concern in the world. 
 
 Write to our offices or to our factories 
 Main Office Winona, Minn. 
 
 Offices General Sales Offices Offices 
 
 500 Fifth Ave., 1114 Great Northern Bldg., 571 Scheidley Bldg., 
 New York Chicago, Ill. Kansas City, Mo. 
 
 Factories---Winona, Minn., and Yorktown, Ind. 
 

 
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 .COPYRIGHTED, 1907, 
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 WINONA, MINN. 
 
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