The Roanoke times. [volume] (Roanoke, Va.) 1890-1895, 1895-08-13
HARD WOOD FLOORS,
INFO RMATlON ABOUT THEIR CON-
STRUcTloN AND CARE.


1t is only few years since advocates
OF tho house beautiful began to preach
III favor of hard floors, and there is now
hardly ayillage i'll the country where
this doctrine of health and beauty has
not penetrated. Yet every one who hes
discarded carpets and adopted hard wood
floors has found some drawbacks in the
way. In nine cases out of ten tho floor
is simply shellacked, often without pre-
vious filling, and every scratch of tho
bootheel shows on it's surface. The wood
is soon laid bare and permanently
stained, or perhaps the wood is oiled
with clear oil which has not been prop
erly rubbed in. The residue gums ON
the surface and collects dust and debris,
and altogether tho hard wood floor,
which has been we'll laid by the carpen-
ter, is n source of discomfort and disap-
pointment
European housekecpers suffer from
none of these disadvantages because
they try mono of these experiments. The
European floor is a floor of parquetry.
1t is made by gluing together thick
nesses OF hard wood on Il pine backing,
a method by which they obtain n
stronger and more durable floor than
when thick floor of hard wood alone is
used, for every builder knows that the
best door is not ono of solid hard wood.
but one of two thickncsses of hard wood
over pine core. These doors are natu-
rally more expensive, because they arc
moro trouble to make. So the veneered
floor is more durable, though very OK
cellent floor may DO laid in hard wood
sevcneighths thick over rough floor
of pine, providing the wood has been
properly seasoned. Or thinner floor
may be laid over a perfectly level floor
Of pine
Builders recommend quartered white
oak as the very best material for floors.
This is western wood and costs about
500 Il 600 feet i'll this state Maple
and birch, which are much cheaper
woods, also make excellent floors. Ma
tive birch, which may be bought in this
state as low as $40 l 900 feet, is IA
very hard, smooth wood, and makes n
very durable kitchen floor which does
not silver up like Georgia pine Narrow
boards, measuring about two inches or
less laid, make II most desirable floor.
Tho skillful carpenter matches his Joints
with faultlcss precision, planes and
scrapcs his floor and polishes it down
with hard wood shavings after it is laid,
as we'll as finishing it before When this
is properly done, hardly a joint is visi-
BILE, and it is then ready to be filled.
1t is this process that is so often neg
lppfQH tx,1,i 81, 4, 4.
1t should be thoroughly Trustworthy
wood filler, purchased from dealer
whose name is guarantee for his goods.
These filters usually como by the pound,
often i'll paste form, and may be thinned
to proper consistency with turpentine.
1t is applied to the wood with IL brush,
and all that remains OH tho surface is
polished off with hardwood sh-vings or
excelsior. This filler is allowed to dry
about IL hours, when u coat Of wax is
applied, or of prepared oil if you prefer
1t. Where oil is used it should be thinncd
with certain amount of "drier."
Tho best wax is preparation of tur-
pentlne and beeswax, properly melted
together, and is kept by all dealers in
parquetry floors. The chief mistake that
amateurs mako is to apply this wax too
generously. An expert in this matter
says that pound of wax ought to coyor
300 feet of surface. After tho wax is
applied and rubbed in with u weighted
brush 1T should be allowed to stand for
awhile and second coat applied before
the floor is used
A great many American families at
tempt to take care of a hardwood floor
without brush. This is a waste of
much laborious energy. The work can
bo accomplished by the use Of a brick
wrapped i'll flannel and then in cotton,
but it cannot be properly accomplished
except by strong man, while an ordi-
nary servant can readily WELD the 90
pound brush, which sells III our shops at
from $3. so to 81 and with care will last
many years. 1t should be passed first
across the grain of tho wood Then the
floor should be vigorously polished with
the grain Of the wood.
Finally piece of old carpet is laid
down and tho floor is polished under
this. A properly cared for floor should
be polished with the brush once week.
1t should not be rewaxed oftener than
onco month or once in two or three
months, according to the amount of
wear ON ii. After n certain period of
time it may be necessary to scrape the
floor and apply some kind of restoror,
though this should DO hardly required
unless the floor has been improperly
dressed.
or course the best way of polishing
such a floor is i'll the foreign fashion,
with q brush attached to ono foot of
robust man. who goes skating about
until the surface CLEANS like marble.