=1.= The hardware used in building construction may be classified
as _staple_ and _finished_. =Staple hardware= may be considered as
including such materials as nails and spikes, bolts and screws, sash
weights, and other materials of this character, while =finished
hardware= may include such devices and appliances as locks and latches,
hinges, door and window trimmings, and the various metallic fixtures
used in equipping the different classes of buildings. To this last
classification the term _builders’ hardware_ is frequently applied.
Strictly speaking, glass cannot be considered as hardware;
nevertheless, it is frequently supplied to the builder through hardware
supply houses, and it is so closely allied to the hardware of building
construction that the subject of glass, its trade terms, and other
information relating to its characteristics, will not be out of order
in this Section.
While little consideration is given to the hardware on the average
building, there is no more important part of the construction, nor
one to which greater attention should be given. On the quality and
the selection of proper hardware depends the avoidance of the petty
annoyances often found in buildings where this subject has not received
proper consideration.
The architect should be well informed regarding this subject, and
should be in a position to know the kind and quality of hardware
that, when specified, will give the best results. He will find that a
thorough knowledge of builders’ hardware will assist him materially
in writing comprehensive specifications for this portion of the work.
Consequently, the writing of the hardware specifications will receive
attention in this Section, and the proper manner of estimating, or
“taking off,” hardware will also be considered.