The Lambertville record. [volume] (Lambertville, N.J.) 1872-1968, 1895-08-07
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WEDNESDAY. AUG. Z, 1895.
HARD WOOD FLOORS.
INFORMATION ABOUT THEIR CON-
STRUCTloN AND CARE.

Chartered White Oak Said to BE the Very
Best MateriaI-How to Wax and Polish.
They Do These Things Better In England
Than We Do In America
1t is only a few years since advocates
Of the house beautiful began to preach
In favor OF hard floors, and there is now
hardly village in the country where
this doctrine Of health and beauty has
not penetrated Yet every one who has
discarded carpets and adopted hard wood
floors has found some drawbacks in the
way. In nine cases out of ten the floor
is simply shellacked, often without pre-
vious filling, and every scratch of the
bootheel shows on its 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 the hard wood floor,
which has been well laid by the carpen-
ter, Is a source of discomfort and disap-
pointment.
European housekeepers suffer from
none of these disadvantages because
they try none Of these experiments. The
European floor is floor Of parquetry.
1t is made by gluing together thick
nesses of hard wood on a pine backing,
method by which they obtain
stronger and more durable floor than
when thick floor of hard we'd alone is
used, for every builder knows that the
best door Is not one of solid hard wood,
but one Of two thiclnesses of hard wood
over pine core These doors are natu
rally more expensive, because they are
more trouble to make. So the veneered
floor is more durable, though very ex-
cellent floor may DO laid in hard wood
Ven-eighths thick over rough floor
Of pine, providing tho wood has been
properly seasoned Or q thinner floor
may be laid over a perfectly level floor
CT pine,
Builders recommend quartered white
oak as the very best material for floors.
This Is western wood and costs about
500 1000 feet in this state. Maple
and birch, which are much cheaper
woods, also make excellent floors. Ma
tive birch. which may be bought in this
state rs low as $40 1000 feet, is
very hard, smooth wood, and makes
very durable kitchen floor which does
not silver up like Georgia pine. Narrow
boards, measuring about two inches or
less laid, make most desirable floor.
The skillful carpenter matches his joints
with faultless precision, planes and
scrapes 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 joint is yisi-
bic, and it is then ready to be filled.
1t Is this process that is so often neg
lected and upon which so much depends
1t should be thoroughly trustworthy
wood filler, purchased from a dealer
whose name is a guarantee for his goods
These filters usually come by the pound,
often In paste form, and may be thinned
to proper consistency with turpentine.
1t Is applied to the wood with brush,
and all that remains ON the surface is
polished Off with hardwood shayings or
excelsior, This filler is allowed to dry
about IL hours, when coat Of wax is
applied. on Of prepared oil if you prefer
It. Where oil is used it should be thinned
with certain amount Of "drier. ~
The best wax is preparation of tur-
pentine and beeswax, properly melted
together, and Is kept by all dealers in
parquetry floors. The chief mistake that
amateurs make is to apply this wax too
generously. An expert In this matter
says that o pound of wax ought to cover
800 feet Of surface After the wax is
applied and rubbed In with 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 waste of
much laborious energy. The work can
DO accomplished by the use Of brick
wrapped in flannel and then In cotton
but 1t cannot be properly accomplished
except by strong man, while an ordi-
nary servant can readily WELD the 90
pound brush, which sells in our shops at
from SO. so to O. and with care will last
many years 1t should be passed first
aoross the grain Of the wood. Then the
floor should be vigorously polished with
the grain Of the wood
Finally piece of old carpet is laid
down and the floor is polished under
this A properly cared for floor should
be polished with tho brush once week
1t should not be rewaxed oftener than
once q month or once in two or three
months, according to tho amount of
wear on IT, After a certain period Of
time 1t may be necessary to scrape the
floor and apply some kind of restorer,
though this should be hardly required
unless tho floor has been improperly
dressed
OF course tho best way Of polishing
such floor is in the foreign fashion,
with u brush attached to one foot Of a
robust man. who goes skating about
until tho surface CLEANS like marble.
But this method is not often possible in
this country except in those households
where thore are foreign menservants. -
Nev York Tribune