By the very economy demanded in the small house, the architect must
make the mouldings of his casing in the simplest possible forms. The
trim around doors and windows on the exterior and interior can boast
of no special mouldings. In fact the selection must be made from stock
material or else the cost will be too great. Most planing mills have
standard types of trim, but generally they are very badly designed.
However, one cannot go wrong in using a plain board casing ¾ inch by
3⅝ inches, which has slightly rounded corners. The tops of doors and
windows which have this simple casing should be capped with a fillet
⁷/₁₆ inch, a head casing ¾ inch by 5 inches, and a cap mould 1⅛ inches
by 2 inches. This eliminates the mitred corner, which is of such
doubtful value in cheap work, since most wood trim is not properly
seasoned and will quickly open all mitred joints.
To match this simple trim the window apron should be a plain board
¾ inch by 3⅝ inches, and the stool 1⅛ inches by 3⅝ inches. A plinth
block at the base of the door trim in size 1⅛ inches by 3¾ inches by 7¼
inches will match up with a plain base-board, ¾ inch by 7¼ inches, or
one of similar size, with a cyma recta moulding on top.
If the local mill from which the trim is purchased has stock mouldings
of pleasing design, the architect may safely specify them, but he
should not make the economic mistake of demanding specially designed
casing from full-size details of his own. The small house cannot stand
this additional cost.
[Illustration: Any Mill will have the above in stock]
In selecting the trim, it is always important to bear in mind that it
must harmonize with the walls and have no obtrusive appearance, since
it acts with the walls as a background for the furniture. In Colonial
work the painting of the trim white, pearl-gray, or cream is always
the most pleasing, and so the architect should select a wood which
will best take the paint. White wood and white pine are ideal for this
purpose. Gum wood is good, but there is always the chance that it will
not hold its place and twist. Yellow pine is difficult to paint well,
since the hard summer wood has a tendency to stand out beyond the
softer spring wood, making the surface irregular; but this difficulty
can be overcome if a number of priming coats are used to fill in the
grain before the enamel is applied. It is a mistake to finish the
painted trim with a glossy enamel, for this will destroy its quietness
and background effect. A matte surface of paint or an egg-shell enamel
finish is better.
This same principle should be followed in selecting and treating the
hardwood casing which is not to be painted. The trim should never
be finished with a bright, glossy varnish and stain, for nothing is
more ugly in its final effect. Treat the hardwood trim, such as oak,
chestnut, ash, and the like, with an oil stain; rub in a filler,
stained slightly darker, and then shellac. Over this apply a wax
finish, and rub this down with a shoe brush. Varnish manufacturers make
grades of varnish which give the dull effect of wax, and these can be
used, if desired; but why? Many prefer to even omit the shellac and
depend entirely upon the wax for the gloss.
When trim is delivered to the job, it should not be stored in a damp
place nor fitted in place before the plaster is entirely dry. In fact,
in order to protect the trim from losing its shape, as soon as it comes
on the job a priming coat, or filler, should be applied to it, and the
ends and back painted with white-lead and oil. It will be noticed that
all well-designed trim has a gouged-out space at the back to permit
circulation of air around it, and also to make it easier to fit against
a flat surface of plaster.
[Illustration: Stock Bed Mouldings