Panels

The Panels

This section introduces you to the various panels that form the Luston’s skin, and describes their most common problems and recommended solutions. For a detailed discussion of how the panels fit into the larger Lustron system, please see the Panels section of Meet the Lustrons.

What Is It?

Steel panels waiting to be enameled at the Lustron factory.
Steel panels waiting to be enameled at the Lustron factory.
One of the most well-known-and most important-components of Lustrons are the metal panels that cover the exterior and interior surfaces of the walls and ceiling. The panels are stamped metal sheets finished with a protective porcelain enamel coating. Porcelain enamel is a close relative of glass. The enamel is composed largely of silica sand. When exposed to high heat, the ingredients in the enamel melt and fuse into an incredibly hard, inert finish that protects the underlying steel from corrosion. Because it is so durable, porcelain enamel finishes were very popular in the early and mid-twentieth century for use in high-wear applications, such as kitchen appliances and bathtubs.

Roof panels on their way to the furnace at the Lustron factory.
Roof panels on their way to the furnace at the Lustron factory.
To make a Lustron panel, sheets of light (20-gauge), structural-quality, flat, rolled carbon steel are stamped into the desired size and shape based upon their intended use and location (exterior panels, interior panels, corner panels, ceiling panels, or gable panels). The porcelain coating is applied in liquid form to the metal plates by spraying or dipping, then the coated plates are dried before being fired in massive ovens at temperatures of 1,300°F and 1,600°F for 3 to 5 minutes.

Silica sand and smaller amounts of other ingredients such as feldspar and borax are the primary elements of the enamel coating. These are ground, heated to a liquid state, and poured through chilled rollers that produce thin flakes of glass. The flakes are then ground into a fine powder known as “frit,” mixed with clay and water, and tinted with ceramic pigments to create the liquid “slip” that is applied to the metal panels.

The living room interior featured dove gray wall panels and eggshell ceiling panels.
The living room interior featured dove gray wall panels and eggshell ceiling panels.
Porcelain enamel coatings can come in an endless variety of colors, but the Lustron houses were manufactured using only four basic colors on the exterior: surf blue, maize yellow, desert tan, and dove gray. The interior has as even more limited palette, usually with maize yellow in kitchen and bathroom, ed on click) dove gray in living room and bedrooms, and eggshell white for the ceiling (photo of ceiling), although some models included yellow in the dining and utility rooms. A very few houses were constructed with blue interiors, but those color schemes are exceedingly rare. It may seem a little bland to our eyes, but it was a very deliberate marketing strategy intended to appeal to the modern housewife. The Lustron Corporation ad proclaims, “the color experts styled it with you in mind.” Their intention was to provide “a rich neutral background to give you almost unlimited expression of your own color talents in drapery and upholstery fabrics.”

How Does It Work?

In addition to the panels, virtually all of the exposed surfaces in a Lustron are made of porcelain enameled steel, including the exterior window heads and sills and door frames, as well as the interior doors, bookshelves, cabinets, vanities, and closets as seen below. See also, EM-02-S-62.1, and Kitchen-Dinette Cabinet Assembly & Installation - EM-02-V-20.1.

EM-02-S-52-1
EM-02-S-52-1

Every piece was carefully designed to function as part of a coordinated and unified system of interior and exterior finishes. Panels and cabinetry alike are hung from the structural steel frame of the walls, using a series of metal clips attached to the studs with self-tapping screws at roughly 2-foot intervals. (see EM-02L-51.1, EM-02-L-52.1, and EM-02-M-60.11). All studs are anchored to the concrete foundation through the metal sill plates, with a continuous horizontal metal spacer bar both a mid-wall height and the top of the wall to provide stability to the entire structural frame (see EM-02-B-20.11) When the series of interconnected metal panels is attached to the studs, it creates a taut inner and outer skin that makes the entire structure even more rigid.

The exterior panels have a standardized dimension of 2 feet by 2 feet, and these are used to cover the bulk of the exterior facades in four regular rows. Corner conditions have a finish panel measuring inches by 6 inches by six inched by 8 feet to span the entire height of the house. Because the panels interlock, they must be installed in a specific order, generally starting in the upper left corner of each façade and working from top to bottom and left to right (see EM-02-L-12.1) Once the panels are in place, elastometric seals are pressed into the seams between every panel to provide a water tight seal.

The interior panels generally are 2 feet wide by 8 feet tall to cover the entire wall height, with smaller panels filling in spaces around windows, bookshelves and cabinetry. Although the basic principles remain the same, the installation pattern of the interior is more complex that the exterior. Multiple sheets in the Erection Manual provide guidance on the installation order for each room within the house based on its configuration, door and closet location, and the type of built-in cabinetry it contains. (see EM-02-M-21.1 and EM-02-M-43.1 and EM-02-M-52.1)

For more detailed information on the panels, their location, and the installation process, you may want to review the appropriate sections of the Erection Manual and Specifications:

Erection Manual

Wall Section

Exterior Panels

  • Panels, Ext(erior)-Right Side Elevation - EM-02-L-12.1
  • Panels, Ext(erior)-Rear Elevation - EM-02-L-20.11
  • Exterior Door Hardware & Threshold Installation - EM-02-L-29.1
  • Panels, Ext(erior)-Left Side Elevation - EM-02-L-32.1
  • Service Bulletin-Install Bay Window Side Panel 02-421-40 Using 02-302-51 Clip - EM-02-L-40.11
  • Panels, Exterior-Front Elevation - EM-02-L-41.1
  • Exterior Corner Panel Clip Installation Elevation and Plan - EM-02-L-51.1
  • Exterior Corner Panel Clip Installation Details - EM-02-L-52.1

Interior Panels

  • Structure To Structure & Panel To Panel Dimensions (floor plan) - EM-02-M-10.1
  • Panels-Interior Walls-Bedrooms Nos. 1 & 2 (floor plan and elevations) - EM-02-M-21.1
  • Panels-Interior Walls, Bedroom No. 1 and Living Room (floor plan and elevations) - EM-02-M-31.12
  • Panels-Interior Living Room and Dinette (floor plan and elevations) - EM-02-M-43.1
  • Panels-Interior Walls, Kitchen - EM-02-M-52.1
  • Clip Panel To Stud - EM-02-M-60.11
  • Panels-Service Wall & Utility Room (floor plan and elevations) - EM-02-M-63.1
  • Panels-Interior Walls-Dinette and Living Room - EM-02-M-71.12
  • Panels-Interior Walls, Bathroom & Hall (floor plan and elevations) - EM-02-M-83.1
  • Panels-Interior Walls, Doors and Adjacent Panels (floor plan and elevations) - EM-02-M-91.1
  • Interior Corner Panel Clip Installation Typical Elevation and Plan - EM-02-M-101.1
  • Interior Corner Panel Clip Installation Typical Details - EM-02-M-101.11
  • Interior Corner Panel Clip Installation-Vanity, Bookcase-Elevation and Details - EM-02-M-102.1
  • Interior Corner Panel Clip Installation-Broom Closet-Elevation and Details - EM-02-M-103.1
  • Interior Corner Panel Clip Installation-Guest Closet-Elevation and Details - EM-02-M-104.1
  • Corner Panel Installation - EM-02-M-105.1

Master Specifications - 1949 Revisions

  • Wall Structure and Exterior Panels - see Section F, pages 6-7 for wall system, interior and exterior panels, and sealant
  • Interior Panels - See Section J-J, page 11 for information on materials.

For information on the other components of the Lustron that are designed to work with the panel system, you might want to review these sections of the Erection Manual and Specifications:

Guest Closets

Broom Cabinet

Partitions, Bedroom Recesses, and Closets

  • Partition Assemblies - EM-02-R-11.1
  • Installation-Recess Assembly Bedroom No. 1 - EM-02-R-21.1
  • Recess Assembly Bedroom No. 2 - EM-02-R-31.1
  • Installation-Recess Assembly Bedroom No. 1-Details - EM-02-R-32.1
  • Installation-Triple Closet Unit Assembly - EM-02-R-41.1
  • Installation-Triple Closet Unit Assembly No. 1 Details - EM-02-R-41.11
  • Installation-Triple Closet Unit Assembly No. 2 - EM-02-R-53.1
  • Installation-Triple Closet Unit Assembly No. 2-Details - EM-02-R-53.11
  • Installation-Triple Closet Unit Assembly No. 2-Details - EM-02-R-53.12
  • Installation-Triple Closet Unit-Assembly No. 3 - EM-02-R-61.1

Vanity Closets and Bookcases

Kitchen Cabinets

  • Installation-Large and Small Kitchen Wall Cabinets - EM-02-U-90.1

Kitchen-Dinette Cabinet

  • Kitchen-Dinette Cabinet Final Installation - EM-02-V-10.1
  • Kitchen-Dinette Cabinet Assembly & Installation - EM-02-V-20.1
  • Kitchen-Dinette Cabinet Assembly & Installation Details - EM-02-V-30.1

Master Specifications - 1949 Revisions

  • Cabinetry - See Section J-J, page 11-12 for information on materials.