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ready to receive three or four coats of shellac, each sandpapered as before, and the last coat rubbed with pumice stone in oil or water to a dull finish. For floors of maple, birch, or any close-grained wood, the oil filler would be of no use and its place should be taken by extra coats of shellac. For the hard-pine floors of the kitchen, back halls, and bathroom, which are subjected to a great deal of use and more or less water, a satisfactory finish may be obtained by giving simply two coats of oil with turpentine dryer added to prevent the dust from sticking as it would to clear oil.

A finish less expensive than the shellacked finish for hardwood floors is obtained by using wax polish which is applied to the wood after the filling or, better, over one or two coats of shellac. This wax polish is a paste which enters the pores of the wood, dries in a few hours, and can then be polished with cloths, or by dragging to-and-fro over the floor weighted brushes, which are sold for the purpose. By keeping a brush and the wax at hand, any worn spots on the floor can be easily renewed and the whole kept looking well indefinitely.

A first-class job of finishing should never be hurried, but each coat should be thoroughly dry before the next one is applied. Varnish should be applied at a temperature of about 70 degrees Fahrenheit, and this temperature should be maintained until the drying is complete. Clean brushes should be used at all times, and a rising of dust in a room should be wet down and checked.

Miscellaneous Details. Besides the standing finish and floors, miscellaneous parts must receive the painter's attention. Pulley stiles of windows must be oiled, sashes drawn, exposed brass piping shellacked, and thresholds oiled or varnished. All of these minor details need the attention of the superintendent or they will be overlooked. Other than this, the supervision of the painting work involves mainly seeing that the best of materials are used. To this end it will be necessary to insist that all paints shall be mixed at the building, and that all materials are of the specified kind and are brought to the building in the original cases or kegs.

Wall Surface. Tinting. It will generally be found necessary to tint or fresco the ceilings and walls which are not covered with paper or hangings. This is a matter which needs careful workmen who understand the preparation and application of the colors.

Much depends upon the first or sizing coat, which should always be applied before tinting or frescoing of any kind is done.

Oil Paint. For the service portions of the house and the untiled walls of the bathroom, oil paint or some washable compound should be used. If oil paint, the walls should be sized and at least three coats of paint applied. Oil paint, unless stippled or otherwise "flatted", gives a shiny wall surface which is not so pleasing to look at as a flat coat, and besides shows the blemishes more. For this reason flat tints which can be washed have been put on the market, of varying composition, all designed to give a dull surface without the added cost involved in stippling or other treatment of oil paint. These are marketed under various names, usually suggestive of their "flat" qualities, and in a large range of colors, sample cards of which may be obtained of the manufacturers.

Glazing. Common Glass. It is usually the custom to send the sashes to the building all glazed, so that the superintendent needs only to see that the glass is whole and of the specified quality. Common window glass is called sheet or cylinder glass, and is rated as double or single thick, and as first, second, or third quality. Formerly all glass was imported from France or Germany, but American glass has come into general use in the greater part of the United States. In the eastern States, window glass is still imported and it is customary to specify German glass for the best work. For lights up to twenty-four inches in width, single thick glass may be used; this is about one-sixteenth of an inch in thickness, while doublethick glass is about one-eighth inch.

The best quality of common American glass is known as AA, the second as A, and the third as B. Sheet glass is made by blowing the molten glass in a cylinder about fifteen inches in diameter. This is trimmed and cut longitudinally and heated until it can be opened out flat. Sheet glass always retains a vestige of its curvature. Between first and second quality glass it is difficult to distinguish except by practice, but defects or unevenness may be seen at once. Plate glass is always readily distinguished by its polish and its absolute freedom from imperfections of any kind.

Plate Glass. For lights more than five feet square, plate glass must be used. This may be obtained in three grades-French plate and two grades of American plate. French plate, and the first or

silvering quality of American plate, are used almost entirely for mirrors, while the second quality of American plate is used for glazing.

American glazing plate is made in one quality only, and is usually inch thick for ordinary sizes, but is necessarily thicker for large lights. It can be obtained in sheets as large as 12 by 17 feet. Plate glass is absolutely straight, being cast on a perfectly flat cast-iron table and rolled to the required thickness. The rough plate thus formed is carefully examined for flaws which are cut out, leaving as large a sheet as possible, which is polished. French plate may be distinguished from American plate by the color, when looked at endways; the French glass shows perfectly clear and white, while the American glass has a bluish color.

Crystal Plate. A kind of plate glass called crystal plate is made about inch in thickness. This is used for railway cars and in places where thin sashes must be used or a saving in weight is desirable.

Final Inspection. With the departure of the painter the house is usually complete, and ready for the architect's final inspection and acceptance. This inspection should be careful and thorough from top to bottom, and no certificate of acceptance should be issued, until the architect is satisfied that everything has been done which is actually called for or reasonably implied by the plans and specifications.

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FRONT VIEW OF RESIDENCE OF WILLIAM V. CARROLL, OAK PARK, ILLINOIS Tallmadge and Watson, Architects, Chicago

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