Great Falls tribune. [volume] (Great Falls, Mont.) 1885-1890, 1886-12-11
GREAT FALLS TRIBUNE.
BUILDING.
Written for tie Tribune:

MAJ |
sstanding-finish'-'-architrave wainscotlng,
and bases. Modern moulded work IS al
most invariably cut with revolving knives
under which is drawn by tiuted cyllnoefs'
whose edoas, in order to obtain a hrm
grip of the piece, press so strongly against
it as to cause slight transverse lnoeI1auohs
on the prominent portions, varying from
a quarter to a third apart, which IMPURE It's
appearance very seriously, unless .le
marks are subsequently smoothed or WIN
sand-paper. For hard wood, even this
will not be enough, and the tat surfaces
should be dressed with an ordinary plane
to prevent the re-appearance Of the ridges
after polishing.
sheeting boards and mill-wrought stock
of all kinds fer good interior work should
be smoothed with the plane ii the same
vav, This adds considerably to the eA-
Dense. and cheap contractors Will shlrk IL
if they can. but it should be insisted upon.
Another way in which the inferior class
of builders often try to gain some adViah-
taee for themselves is by splicing" archl-
traye mouldings, out Of short pieces. AS
tha mon|ainrs come from the mill III
lengths Of ten to fourteen 1eet, tnefe =
considerably waste in cutting unless some
mode is provided for utilizing the short
pieces, but the appearance OF a splceo
architrave is so bad as to make 1t naoVl
able in rood work. Horizontal ilnlSf'
such as bases. wainscots, wooden cornish
and cbair-nails. must, however, be spllced,
and care will be necessary to see that 'le
adjoining pieces are properly mafcheo'
and that the Joints do not come III coIspic-
uous situations.
The stairs will need constant attention
to secure a satisfactory result. Before any
work is done upon them, the superlntend-
ent should examine the plans to make
sure that none of the flights are too narrow
or too steep, and that there is ample head
room where any passage IS intended De-
meath them. The d%raughtsmen VINO pre-
pare working plans from the architects
ShStGlleS SOllIttl1llCo ltli ~ toiipaSASho
fully the structure which their drawings
indicate, or forget to make the necessary
allowances for thickness Of floors, stair
timbers and landings. Where a passage
way or flight OF stairs is placed under
another flight, the clear vertical height
beneath the latter may, be ascertained by
counting the number Of risers to the point
where the head-room is to be calculated,
multiplying this quantity by the height of
each riser as found by dividing the total
distance from floor to floor by the whole
number of risers, and substracting from
the dimension SO found at least eighteen
inches, which will represent the vertical
measurement from the top of the tread, |
just over the riser, to the under side of
the plastering, Sin ordinary stairs. If the
flight is steep, twenty inches, or ever
more, smust be taken, while with long.
straight flights it is often necessary to re-
inforce the stringers with whole timbers. |
or carriage" timbers, set parallel with
them, but at a sufficient distance below 10
clear the inner angle of the steps. which
will Increase the total vertical depth be-
tween top of tread and, under side of pias-
ter to thirty inches or more. 1t should be
remembered also that a person in descend
ing a flight OF stairs usually leans forward.
and that the Roadway under a trimmer
beam, which appears ample where the
vertical height alone is taken NAV prove
insufficient in execution.
The steps should not be too steep. For
interior stairs the ssrises .may be eight
inches and the treads nine inches. to which
the nosing will add one and one-half
inches more, ssmaking the whole width Of
the step ten and one-half inches; but this
should be regarded as the limit. AS the
height of the rises is diminished. for
superior staircases, the width of the tread
must be increased; the best rule beine
that the product obtained by multiplying
the measure in inches of rise and tread
together should not be less than seventy.
or more than seventy-five. Seven and a
half by ten inches is suitable for ordinary
cases; seven by ten and a half is unusual
~ easy, and sixAby twelve gives an air of
old fashioned luxury to a staircase. Some
ancient mansions possess flights which
rise only five or five and a half inches to
each step, but these are hardly comforta-
bic to our unaccustomed feet.
The greatest care should be taken to see
that the staircase as executed will cores