Woodwork in Cottages
One of the most troublesome items in a modern cottage is the danger of woodwork splitting, shrinking, and warping. This problem was never greater than it is today, for never before has there been so much young and sappy wood on the market. On this account, as well as that of economy in first cost and future upkeep, we should avoid all unnecessary timber both inside the house and out.
Linings, window boards, architraves, and mouldings of wood are by no means a necessity on cottage doors and windows, or elsewhere, and deep skirtings are quite superfluous, besides being ugly and expensive. Where window and door frames are on the outer face of the walling, as is usually preferable, a good way is to make them project where roughcast or tile-hanging is employed - it is far more sanitary, and cheaper too, to plaster the deep reveals. The internal sills can very suitably be of brick or tiles, though some people object to the coldness of these materials.
As most of the rooms will have plastered walls, some kind of skirting becomes necessary. The small and plain skirtings do all that is required, and are less dust catching and expensive, and more in keeping with the cottage than large, heavily-moulded ones. Two varieties of cheap and simple skirtings are shown in the pictures below. They keep chairs and boots from damaging the walls, and leave no space for vermin or the collection of dust.
Pictures.
These sketches show two small skirtings that perform all the duties of the larger and dust-catching kind. The curved skirting illustrated on the left is useful as no angles are left for the collection of dirt.
Linings, window boards, architraves, and mouldings of wood are by no means a necessity on cottage doors and windows, or elsewhere, and deep skirtings are quite superfluous, besides being ugly and expensive. Where window and door frames are on the outer face of the walling, as is usually preferable, a good way is to make them project where roughcast or tile-hanging is employed - it is far more sanitary, and cheaper too, to plaster the deep reveals. The internal sills can very suitably be of brick or tiles, though some people object to the coldness of these materials.
As most of the rooms will have plastered walls, some kind of skirting becomes necessary. The small and plain skirtings do all that is required, and are less dust catching and expensive, and more in keeping with the cottage than large, heavily-moulded ones. Two varieties of cheap and simple skirtings are shown in the pictures below. They keep chairs and boots from damaging the walls, and leave no space for vermin or the collection of dust.
Pictures.
These sketches show two small skirtings that perform all the duties of the larger and dust-catching kind. The curved skirting illustrated on the left is useful as no angles are left for the collection of dirt.
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