FINISHING WOODWORK

Press, Volume LX, Issue 17997, 14 February 1924, Page 5

FINISHING WOODWORK

A VALUABLE DECORATION.

Ine success or failure of the interior woodwork depends, in the llnnl analysis (writes Mr Kobert L. Amos in the ''Decorator ). very largely upon me finish which is given to the surface of the wood. 'lhis woodwork may have boon designed and ''derailed,'' as arciiitects say, with the utmost care, and tho best grades of excellent woods may have been used, hut the employment of careless or indifferent workmen or the use of inferior materials may easily mar what might have been entire success. The employment of (•xjKirieiu'cd careful workmen seems to be almost more important than the ■selection of excellent qualities of wood, tor there are countless instances where skilled workmen have wrought wonders with woods of inferior grades by intelligent, careful work, but use of the best woods and the highest finalities of finishing materials avails nothing, and will not ensure success if this important work be entrusted to careless workmen. As for the quality of the finishing materials—fillers, stains, shellacs, varnish, and the like —it would be the height of folly to use anything other than the best, nrul the cost of even the best for a house of average size is but a comparative trifle. '"•» As has already been suggested, the owner of the house must not make 'the

fatal mistake of hurrving the architect nr builder into finishing the woodwork before the moisture has been dried out of the nlaster, for with moisture in the building no finishing process could lis anything but more or less of a failure. The growing use of "heaver hoard'' and similar materials as substitutes for plaster lessens Ihe possibility of the finish being spoiled, and the general use of what fre known .*s "salamanders"—small charcoal furnaces kept burning continuously—also improves the chances for success of this highly important item: but the owner wbo expects his contractor to deliver to him a structure well built, and well finished must, curb his imnntience and allow sufficient time for tho proper performing of the wo?k. A conscientious contractor will often rro over the woodwork after it has l>een installed to ensure the surface being absolutely smooth and to remove any

marks which may have been made by the workmen who pet it in place. Spots or roughness may be removed by using sandpaper: grease is easily removed with benzine or gasoline. In many instances it is found necessary, as a beginning of the finishing process, to use stains to "equalise'' the colours of the wood. In a large wood-working plant the wood, even of the same variety, may have come from widely different sections of the country, and may bo of slightly different colours or degrees of density, so that if the same treatment were given to nil parts the

result would not be satisfactory This ] slight equalising with thin stain is done : before the application of the filler and | the rest of tho finishing materials, and I is done, of course, to secure a suitable boclv or base on which to work. Each of the large firms manufacturing materials for wood finishes has_ its own particular classification of stains, varnishes, and other materials, and its own specifications for their use. An architect may be accustomed to follow the classification and specifications of one such firm, or else the contractor may have his own methods and his own preference as to materials. It- is usually wise to allow a wood-finishing contractor some latitude as to choice (if he can be depended upon to use materials of the quality indicated), for if his workmen are accustomed to obtaining good results with one fi«n's products some risk is involved by forcing them to use another brand, and any failure to secure good results is certain to be attributed to the obstinacy of the architect or owner who insisted upon is use. After all, the materials, supplied by a number of well-known firms are entirely reliable, and in the hands of efficient workmen will give results which will be all that could be desired.