The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1904-05-22
The Interior Finish of House
Subject Of Talk by Architect
a Home Is Never a Time
Vigilance Can BE Relaxed. Kinds of Woods hat Are
the Most Popular Finishing

scarcer and more expensive each year.
lnlS Is due, not alone to the comparative
price of the various woods per foot, but 10
the cost or the finish when in place. This
cost In large measure is due TO the varia-
ton In making doors from hard and soft
woods. The hard woods cannot be used
doors are OF solid wood. They warp out
or place, and present all of the disadvan-
tages OF such a condition. 1t is only ten
or fifteen years since it found that
hard wood could he used satisfactorily for
doors only by placing a thin layer or
veneer over a core of softer wood This
core is made of thin layers of the less ex.
pensive. but more reliable, woods glued
together until the proper thickness is
wood is placed. The result is a door which
never loses its stability. and one. which TO
all appearances is solid. When first made.
such doors were expensive, and only used
because of their greater reliability. but
they can now be purchased from stock
cheaper than can a solid door. Their
use reduces the cost of hard wood in
house 10 such an extent that there is not
great difference between IT and white pine.
WHITE OAK POPULAR.
White oak is more popular than red. 1t
is closer grained, somewhat harder, and
more expensive Red oak is a beau
tiful. rich color that the writer thinks
more than compensates for it's somewhat
coarser grain. When carefully selected, il
gives wonderful results. There is in mind
dining room lined with red oak paneling
over seven feet high, which has never been
vanished The color of the wood was
brought out and the grain preserved by
two coats of boiled oil applied when the
wood was put in place. Since then ii has
never been touched by water but has been
wiped at housekeeping by preparati of
oil, turpentine alcohol etc which has
preserved the finish, while il cleansed the
wood Each year has seen the color grow
deeper and richer, and it would be difficult
TO imagine more beautiful room than
this.
The question of finishing wood when
once IL Is in place is one which has received
much attention within recent years As
said, the effort has been to preserve and
show the natural grain. Ii is we'll known
that wood sawed across the grain or quar-
ter-sawed shows more beautiful markings
than when sawed in the ordinary way
OF course, this is more expensive method
but one really worth while if il can be
a1orded. Then the question always arises
how best TO finish the wood when once IL
is In place in the house The commonest
way Is 10 float varnsh. but people of re-
hnement are realizing that the shine of
varnish Is neither artistic nor restful and
that IL does not show the grain of the
wood as well as dead finish. Where one
can afford II, this dead finish is probably
the best obtainable. 1t is the result of
rubbing each successive coat OF high-grade
varnish with OIL and pumice stone until the
shine has entirely disappeared and a soft
satin finish takes its place. 1t is very
substantial! and long-lived finish, cannot
be easily defaced and is readily kept clean.
but II is costly because of the amount of
rubbing necessary TO attain it,
Some exceedingly good results have been
reached by trea ting wood with two or three
coats of boiled oil. in the red oak din
ing room mentioned There is one house
in the city in which white oak was so
treated when put in place nineteen years
ago. Since that time ii has had coat of
oil three times only. IL would be difficult
TO imagine a more refined and satisfactory
interior than this has given. The wood
has colOred superbly with the years the
surface is satiny rich and easily cleaned
The expense of caring for IL has been sub
stantially nothing. Just why this treat
ment of hard wood Is hot more universal
is difficult TO imagine.
Stained woods give good results where
the cheaper qualities are used The value
OF green stain was well demonstra ted in a
charming library i'm the Woman's Building
at the Nashville exposition \ private
studio here is finished in second grade
pine, stained a dark olive green on which
were applied two coats of oil as I'm the
case of the oak mentioned. A more charm
ing and restful Pterior is not easily found
The slight blenfshes of the second grad de
wood almost disappear under the stain
This seems the most satisfactory solution
OF inexpensive interior woodwork The
danger lies in letting some one who is
without keen color sense and some exper-
fence take the matter in hand. Ii takes
time for even an experienced person to
mix the color for given room No two
rooms are art 10 take the same shade sue
cessflilly. The difference in the size OF
the room, the proportion of woodwork to
wall surface. the amount OF light and the
way IL is admitted and the furnishings TO
be used make necessary a careful selection
Where varnish is used the disagreeable
shine can be avoided by using oil with the
varnish. Any experienced painter knows
how how TO 70 make make, ana apply TINS mixture, which
very agreeable deadness of finish.
EDWARD SWITZER.