over with sandpaper before each coat. As regards the color of the priming coat, white or almost any very light tint will do. It is often well to include in the contract just two coats-the priming coat and the finishing coat-as the work will then be better done with less opportunity to cover up poor work and less liability to blistering than if three or four coats are applied at once; a third coat may be put on after two or three seasons to better advantage. An exception should be made with regard to sashes, which should have three or four coats immediately.

Puttying. After the application of the priming coat, all the nail holes and cracks must be stopped with putty, the nails having been previously "set" by the carpenter when the finish was put up.

Method of Applying Final Coat. The final painting of the exterior will naturally begin with the roof and be carried downward so that portions already done will not be spattered by subsequent operations. If the roof shingles are to be painted or stained they should have been dipped in the paint or stain, for a distance of at least two-thirds from the butt, before being laid. This is a tedious process but is well worth the extra trouble and expense. Another method is to paint each course of shingles as it is laid, but this is fully as objectionable a process as dipping. One or the other of these methods should be employed, however, if a painted roof is required, for the painting of a shingled roof after laying is fatal to the wearing qualities of the shingles. The reason is that the wet paint runs to the butt of the shingles and, trickling over the lower edge, forms a small dam or barrier on the shingle next below. Any water falling on the roof is held back by this dam under the butt of each shingle until it evaporates, meanwhile rotting the shingle upon which it lies and the butt above. This is especially damaging on a roof of low pitch.

Whichever of these methods has been used, however, the coloring of the roof shingles will have become hard by the time the walls are painted so that there will be no staining of the work below.

While it is essential that the first coat should be of lead and oil, for the subsequent finish this is not so important. Some of the patent mixed or chemical paints are convenient and will last well, especially away from the seacoast. Paint should be applied by long strokes parallel to the grain of the wood, and no portion of work

should be started in the morning which cannot be finished or carried to some definite stopping-place before night, as work done at different times can never be neatly joined. The back of lattice work should be painted and also all conductors, and the metal finish and roofs. Canvas roofs are best treated by being dampened and given a good coat of oil with yellow ocher, then two or three coats of lead and oil paint.

The use of turpentine is to be avoided in exterior painting, for turpentine does not resist the action of water and so will not preserve work exposed to the weather. As oil possesses a natural tendency to discolor white paint, it is customary to mix turpentine with the oil when an absolute white is desired, but in dark colors this is not necessary and boiled oil only should be used, unless a dryer is needed.

Choice of Colors. Concerning the choice of a color for the exterior of the building, a few general suggestions may be properly made here. In the first place, it is of prime importance that the house should be suited in its exterior colors to the surroundings.

If the house is to be surrounded by plenty of growth, such as trees and shrubs, so that the tints of vegetation will predominate, the tendency may well be toward shades of green, yellow, or brown, which will harmonize with the changing effects of the growth. On the other hand, if the situation is one where rocks and ledges will necessarily lend a grayish tone to the surroundings, the house may be suitably painted in shades of gray.

For a colonial design, such as we have adopted, the old-fashioned idea of painting the trimmings white with the body of yellow ocher or gray, may be properly considered. Of these, the gray body will prove the more lasting as the yellow ocher often becomes mildewed when exposed to continued dampness. In general, light colors last better than dark colors and do not "draw" the joints of the finish.

Use of Stains. For shingled houses, stains of various colors and ingredients are often used. These are not so durable as paint, but they have the merit of preserving the texture of the shingles, which is completely lost by the application of paint. Creosote stains, pine-tar stains, and oil stains may be obtained. The creosote stain acts as a preservative for the wood, especially if the shingles

are dipped before being laid. In the lasting qualities of these stains there is little choice; creosote and tar both disappear in time through the action of sun and rain, while the tendency of oil stain is to blacken or mildew.

Weathered Exteriors. In some situations a preference may be had for an unpainted exterior, the desired effect being obtained by the action of the elements. In this case, shingles should be used for the covering, as clapboards or siding are likely to split if not protected with paint. In any case, the exterior finish and moldings should be painted or they will warp and twist out of place.

INTERIOR PAINTING AND STAINING

Painting. While the same principles apply to the inside painting as to the outside, more pains must be taken in the work. Puttying must be done with the most particular care, and great skill in the application of the finish is needed. If the woodwork is to be painted, all knots and pitch must be thoroughly protected by shellac, even to the extent of shellacking the whole finish if it is'necessary. For inside painting zinc is largely used instead of lead and is often preferred, as it has no tendency to turn yellow, as lead will sometimes do, in rooms which are not well lighted. Tastes vary as to the kind of surface for the painted wood. If a dull finish is preferred, it may be obtained by mixing the last coat of paint with clear spirits of turpentine instead of oil. Oil gives a somewhat glossy finish, and varnish mixed with the last coat gives a high gloss. The so-called enamel finish is very popular, and is obtained by the application of five or six coats of paint, each coat rubbed down with pumice and oil, the last coat being of a prepared enamel.

Staining. Staining in various tints is a popular way of finishing many interiors. This is done sometimes to change the natural color of hard woods, like oak, but more often to give a desired tone to softer woods such as whitewood or cypress.

Stains are, in general, of three kinds-water stains, oil stains, and spirit stains. The richest color effects are produced with water stains, for the reason that their work is performed by absorption and there is thus less tendency to obscure the grain of the wood. Oil stains are superior to water stains in preserving the wood and, because they do not freeze, their use in cold weather is an advantage,

but the result is a loss in clearness of grain and color effects. For renewal of old work, oil stains should be used as the previous finishing will prevent proper absorption of the water stain. Spirit stains. tend to strike into the wood by evaporation, requiring about twice as much to cover the same area as water or oil stains, and they are not extensively used.

Natural Finish. When a natural finish is desired, the treatment will vary from the simple application of a coat or two of oil, which makes the cheapest and poorest finish, to five or six coats of shellac, rubbed down, which gives the most costly and best of all finishes. The treatment depends upon the wood and on the finish desired. We find that our painting specification has been very carefully drawn. The hardwood finish, after cleaning, is to have first a coat of oil or paste filler; this is to be cleaned off and four coats of shellac applied, each coat, except the last, to be rubbed down when dry with fine sandpaper, and the last to be rubbed to an eggshell gloss with pumice stone in oil. The hard-pine finish of the service portions of the house will have a good coat of oil to bring out the grain of the wood. This will be smoothed by sandpapering, and then given a coat of spar varnish, rubbed down, and a final coat of the same varnish, flowed on and left shining.

Processes of Finishing. Preparation of Surface. The first requisite for good work is that the surface of the wood shall be smooth and clean. This can best be secured by a careful sandpapering of all finish until it is perfectly smooth, when all traces of dust should be removed. If stain is to be used it may be then applied and, after drying, the wood lightly sandpapered to bring out the high lights and smooth the grain which will be raised somewhat by the application of the stain. A second coat of very dilute stain lightly applied with a cloth will often improve the grain. This may be followed by a thin coat of shellac to protect the solid parts of the wood from absorbing too much of the filler, thus heightening the contrasts and preventing the muddy appearance sometimes seen.

Filling and Finishing. The wood is now ready to receive the filler which should be used on open-grained woods such as oak, ash, chestnut, mahogany, etc. It may be either a paste filler or an oil filler, preference generally being given the former. This is applied in a thick coat, the surplus wiped off with a cloth, and the

whole sandpapered lightly. After filling, another coat of shellac may be put on and sandpapered, and this may be followed by two or three coats of varnish or shellac, according to the finish desired.

Shellac and Varnish. The choice of shellac or varnish for finish depends upon the use, condition, and situation of the work.

In damp situations, or where the finish will be subjected to the action of water to any extent, it is better to use varnish, as the effect of water is to turn shellac white. Varnish when perfectly dry is not affected by ordinary applications of water. For this reason, if there is any suspicion that the wood is not thoroughly seasoned, it is safer to use varnish in direct contact with the wood as the final seasoning of some of the more "sappy" woods, such as cypress or hard pine, will sometimes produce enough moisture to whiten the shellac, even under subsequent coats of varnish.

In kitchens, pantries, bathrooms, and, in general, in the whole service portion of a house, it is better to use varnish, as the application of water will be more general in these parts than in the main

rooms.

Rubbing-Down. The rubbing-down of shellac or varnish is a protection against whitening, and for this reason, besides the gain in appearance, every coat, especially in finishing with shellac, should be rubbed down. This rubbing-down may be done with fine sandpaper, or haircloth, or curled hair, and the last coat may be treated in various ways, according to the finish desired. To obtain an eggshell gloss for the final surface, the last coat should be rubbed with pulverized pumice stone and raw linseed oil. For a dull finish, water instead of oil may be used with the pumice, and for a highly polished surface, a rubbing with pumice and water may be followed by polishing with "rotten stone" and water. Work that is to be polished should never have less than three varnish coats, but an eggshell gloss may be obtained with two coats.

Floor Finish. To obtain permanent wearing qualities in the finishing of floors is a troublesome matter. The elastic varnish which we have used for the standing finish requires a different treatment when subjected to the wear and tear of floors. Referring to the specifications, we find that the floors are to be stained as approved, and the oak, which is an open-grained wood, is to receive a coat of oil filler; this brings out the grain of the wood and the floor is then