The floor beams may be set at any time after the frame has been erected
up to the plate. As it will be necessary to work around inside more
or less, the sooner they are in position the better. As these beams,
supposed to be 10 × 2 inches, often vary in width, the floor is liable
to be uneven, unless they are cut to fit the sill.
The amount cut out need not be very much, but a certain distance, say
nine inches, should be marked from the top edge, and the lower corner
cut out as shown at _d_ (Fig. 230). This will bring all the top edges
level, when they are in position.
The span of the floor beams--the distance from the sill to the next
support--is important, as a floor is called upon sometimes to support
great weight, as when a number of people are present, or a heavy piece
of furniture such as a piano rests on it.
For floor beams 2 × 8, a span of not over twelve feet should be
allowed; for 2 × 10 a slightly greater span may be used; but in
either case the supporting beam in the centre of the floor should be
halved into the sill with upper edge flush, and should be supported
at intervals of ten feet by posts set in the floor of cellar, or to
a depth of three feet in the ground in case there is no cellar. This
supporting beam should be placed when the sill is set on foundation.
Nail floor beams to sill, and where the two beams from opposite sides
of the building lap or pass each other over the beam in centre, nail
them to each other and to the beam.
The flooring of tongue and groove stuff may now be laid, cutting ends
square and fitting them up close to studding, or, what is still better,
clear out to the sheathing.
The outside weather boards may now be put on, after deciding on one
of the corner finishes described under poultry house. A flashing of
tin--painted--must be placed over door and window frames, before the
clapboarding or siding reaches these points. This siding is sawed off
square, and makes a butt joint with the outer casing of door and window
frames.
Some form of building paper is nailed to the first siding in good
buildings, and pays for itself in the long run, by reducing the amount
of fuel necessary to heat the building in winter.
If the house is a sea-shore cottage or camp only to be used in summer,
both the paper and inner sheathing may be omitted, and the expense
account materially reduced.
The finishing of the interior may be left to the last, or done on
stormy days. In the meanwhile, several important questions must be
settled. One is the style of flue or chimney to be provided for the
stove.
If the building is to be permanent, a brick chimney should be built
by a mason. The danger of fire originating from defective bricklaying
makes it advisable to have this work done by a tradesman.
For summer cottages or camp buildings a simple stove pipe can be used,
but in any event it should be put up before the final roof covering is
on, and "flashed," that is protected by tin laid over the roof timbers,
and made watertight. This does away with leaks around the chimney, and
the tin should be put on in such a way as to prevent the shingles from
coming in direct contact with the hot chimney.
In these days of oil stoves, which are often used for summer cooking,
the chimney may be omitted entirely. At the same time it must be
remembered that there are cold, damp nights, when a stove is very
comfortable at the shore or in the woods.
In regard to interior finish, if the walls are to be plastered, three
coats will need to be put on by a skilled plasterer. Thin yellow pine
ceiling stuff, often used for camp buildings, is easily put on, and
quite satisfactory. Laid on diagonally it is very pleasing, but the
beads catch more dust than the vertical strips do. The latter method
calls for horizontal strips laid between the studs for nailing, while
a simple quarter round moulding laid in all corners gives the finish.
A common practice in camps is to have no interior wall covering, but
to leave the timbers exposed. For a dwelling, the frame should be of
dressed lumber, which may be stained to conform with the general colour
scheme.
The inside trim around doors and windows may now be put on. Three
methods of finishing around windows are shown at _e_, _f_, _g_ (Fig.
230), and one of these types should be adopted before ordering the trim
from the mill. This work should be simplified as much as possible, not
only to save time, but because decoration may well be left to pictures,
artistic metal work, trophies, and things which are of interest from
their history or association.