A manual of home-making

Except in fireproof houses, a certain amount of wooilwork is needed to cover the bony joints of const ruction and to com- plete the finish of the room. The same kind of woo^l and thf3 game finish should be used throughout the room, with the possible exception of the floor. Since the woodwork furnishes both a structural and a decorative clement in the nmrn^ its choice should be consider<:M:l from both standpoints. The trim covering the joints and framing doors and windows, should h^ wide enough to look adequate for this service, but not so heavy nor so ornate as to be obtrusive in the part it plays in the Imckground of the room. A good witlth for the trim for the openings in average rooms is l>etween 33 2 ^rid 5 incln^. Hard woods finished to show their character are excellent if the grain is not too conspicuous]. Quartered oak with its modest grain and possibihtiesof finish is very fitting for the woodwork of a room in which oak furniture is to be used. Other woods, such as hard pine and cypress, are sitsceptible to treatment that makes them veiy efTective. Woods of an inconspicuous gmin, or cut so that tlie grain does not obtrude it.si»lf^ should be chosen for trim. A wood with a bold swirling ttj^mt 42 A MANUAL OF FIOME-MAKING ^ain or with strong contrasts of li^ht and dark i» a poor choice for interior work, for it is too restless and insistent to take its place quietly in any det"0i'ati%'e scheme. Fortunately, the item of expense is a protection against the use of woods so aggres- sive in color as niahogany, curly birch, and the like. Such woods should l>e reserved for furnitore. The woodwork should play a definite part in the decorative scheme of the room, hanntjnizinp; with the walls Ixith in char- acter and color. If the harmony cannot l>e secured by tran?*- parent stains, the woodwork should be painted. In fact^ in many old or ready-ni:wle houses, paint for wootlwork is the only means of seeurinp; a hnrnionious inttTior. Filler, stain, tiun shellac, and wax ;ire eommonly used to se- cure the transparent finish desirable for hard woods, Wood« with large or open grain, sueh as oak, chestnut, c>7>rcss, and pine, require a tiller to make a smooth even surface. This flllir may l)e kept the same color n.-^ ttie wcmj^I, or it may be stained darker^ or a very light whitish tiller may Ix? used. The effect of this filler is to tone, to modify, or io emphasize the natural markings of the woml. Woods with a close inconspicuous grain, such as maple and fjirch, do not rcrpiire a filler, but can \ye toned by staining. Wax is a more? pleasing finish for hardwoods than is varnish, which should be usetl only on bathroom floors or other places where durability is pcrhaj^ more important than appearance. The soft dull finish of a waxed surface is more appropriate to wood than the glaring shiny finish of varnish. Paint is an opaque finish used to cover w(XKk having an im- pleasant or no visible grain. Such woods as soft pine, white wood, and cypress are gooci foundations for painted woodwork. By means of paint, any woodwork can l)e adjusted in color to its surroundings. This liexibihty of paint in relation to color schemes is a strong reeommendat ion in its favor for both old and new work and for all t^^ies of rooms. Doors.