INSIDE FINISH.
After the furnace or heater is set and the plastering and concreting are thoroughly dry, the inside finish of the house may be put up. The door frames, which should have been all ready, will first be set and great care must be taken to see that these are set square and plumb. If a single rebated frame is used (Fig. GOa), the superintendent must see that it is set with the rebate on the proper side of the partition. Our specifications call for all inside door frames to be double rebated as at L, which not only does away with the necessity of this precaution, but ha,s the merit of allowing the doors to finish at the same height and width on both sides of the partition and also allows of the door being hung on either side.
Architraves. When the door frames are set the next operation will be to set the door and window architraves, called in some locali ties door and window "trim ", although "easing" -is perhaps the more common term. Th ere are two principal methods of casing a door or window; by the block casing (Fig. ioo), or the mitred casing.
(b.) The block casing is the simpler and less Liable to be disfigured by shrinkage, as the joints are all straight across the casing, and, as this will not shrink endways, the joints do not open. The mitred finish is neater in appearance but can he used only with thoroughly kiln-dried wood, as any shrinkage will cause the joint to open. Archi traves of either kind are usually hollowed out 011 the back as shown, to allow each edge to fit closely to the frame and the plaster, and avoid danger of displacement by possible warping or twisting of the casing or ground. Plain blocks to the height of the base are often put at the bottom of the door casing, called plinth blocks. (Fig. 71.) The superintendent should watch to see that all joints are carefully done, that margins are even on all sides, and that the mouldings are securely nailed. The mouldings must be scraped or sandpapered, or both, to remove all traces of the milling or planing, the effect of which is to leave marks upon the wood, and these imperfections will appear more noticeable when varnish has been applied. No casings should be spliced, although long horizontal mouldings such as bases and wainscot mouldings will have to be spliced, and care should be taken to see that this is neatly clone.
For painted work it is customary to nail the finish to the walls and frames with fin ish nails, well set for puttying.
The nails should be driven in the quirks of the mouldings as much as it is possible. For hardwood finish the members should be glued together at the shop as far as is possible and no more nails used than is absolutely necessary. Wainscoting, if panelled, should be put together at the shop in as long lengths as possible, and painted on the hack before setting, and angles and corners should be rebated together. (Fig. 72.) The projections of mouldings as well as chair rails should be studied in connection with the itraves to be sure that they are coming together in a satisfactory manner. Where a dado is used the line of the window stools will sometimes be made the top of the cap, and in this case especial care must be taken that the window frames may finish at the same level. Where a chair rail only is ployed it is generally set about three feet above the floor.
Bases and chair rails which run be tween doors and windows can generally be obtained without splicing. Picture mouldings if set any distance below the ceiling will need especial attention to be sure that they are run level and are securely nailed.
Stairs. ('lose attention' must be given the stairs to a satisfactory result. In the beginning the stringers must be examined to see if they correspond to the plans in the number of steps, and that ample head-room is provided where one flight of stairs comes over another. The plans will show the number but not the height of the risers, as this can only be determined by dividing the whole height from top to top of floors, by the number of risers shown. This should have been laid out to give for ordinary stairs a rise of about seven and one-half inches, and the suer of the tread and rise together should make for an ordinary house staircase .retween seventeen and seven t.en and one-half inches, so that with seven and one-half inches for the rise, the tread should be nine and one-half or ten inches.