"Furring strips are to be 1 inch by inches, and 1 inch by 2 inches, placed 12 inches on cen ters, securely nailed, properly leveled and blocked so as to allow sufficient space for the electric wire conduits; where necessary, the strips are to be doubled, and strips are to be provided for all cross-joints; walls and back of stairs and other parts are to be properly furred by the Contractor.
"The hung ceilings under the roofs will be furred down and prepared to receive the furring strips by the Contractor; the first-story toilet room ceiling is to be furred down.
"The Contractor is to provide and put up on all walls and partitions 1-inch by plaster grounds near the ceilings, to which the plastering is to be finished, and for affording a nailing surface for the wood mouldings, before specified.
"All the sheet-metal work is to be painted on both sides, uniformly and evenly, one coat of best white lead and pure linseed oil, and allowed to dry before it is delivered at the build ing. If in the opinion of the Architect, the coat of paint is not 'a good coat,' the Contractor must paint the sheet-metal work another coat as above specified, after the metal work is in place.
"All metal ceiling work is to be put up after the plastering is finished, and before the finished floors are laid; walls, etc., are to be protected." "All the work is to be delivered complete and in a clean condition." This is a clause that is invariably inserted in specifications, and the latter part almost as surely ignored by the Contractor.
"Samples must be submitted to the Architect for approval." This clause is evidently inserted for the protection of both the architect and the con tractor; but, as a matter of fact, it generally works out in favor of the architect alone. The contractor may submit samples for the architect's approval. The architect, how ever, seldom approves them in writing; but, upon his verbal approval, the contractor goes ahead and installs the work. If it is not what the architect anticipated, he is at liberty to, and very often does, cause the work to be changed, without allowing the contractor extra compensation for the extra work. If the form of samples were made im perative, and the approval properly made, much trouble would be avoided.
"All the ceilings, except the vaults which are to be plastered, will be of metal as above specified.
"All the plastering throughout is to be of the very best quality; all brick walls and fire proof blocks are to be plastered two-coat work; all lathing is to be plastered three-coat work, with hair in the scratch coat.
"The parts hereinbefore specified under the head of 'Metal Ceilings,' will not be plastered "All the plastering is to be of either cement, , or other equally good plaster, approved by the Architect, mixed and applied in accordance with the rules of the manufacturer. The Contractor may use machine-made mortar, provided it is free from loam or rubbish; machine-made mortar so used is to be mixed immediately before applying with one-half bar rel of Portland cement to every cubic yard of mortar; but no sand, earth, loam, or other material is to be mixed with the machine-made mortar. Hard finish is to be of the very best quality—best lime putty and beach sand—highly gauged with plaster of Paris, troweled down to a smooth surface to the satisfaction of the Architect.
"All angles and corners must be true and straight; and finished corner beads, 1-inch radius, are to be run with a mould.
"Recesses for pipes, conduits, and pipes on the face of walls, jambs of windows (see detail No. ), and other parts where required, are to be covered with metal lathing, securely fastened.
"All walls back of wainscoting and bases are to be plastered.
"All the columns of the basement, including those of iron, are to have moulded plaster caps; and the show-window columns are to have moulded caps.
"The window-jambs and heads of all ex terior windows and of all interior partition windows, including the sills of the latter, are to be plastered, and are to have quarter-rounds all as shown on detail drawing No. . The metal lathing at the bullnoses must be carefully done so as to avoid shrinkage cracks.