Roof Coverings

The purpose of a roof is to keep the weather out of a house, an umbrella on a

wet day and a parasol on a hot day. The kind of roof that is best for a particular

house will depend on many things. The preference of the owner should first be

considered. Although good roofs are sometimes made of grass, palm leaves, or

cedar bark, these are not commonly used in America.

Photo owned by Wouterhagens

The principal things to consider besides the taste of the owner in selecting a

roofing material are the first cost, the appearance of the roof, how long it will

last, how much maintenance or upkeep it will require, how fireproof or fire resisting

it is, what insulating value it has, and most important, will it really keep the house

dry even during driving heavy rains or periods of excessive snow.

How steep should a roof be? That depends on the effect you want. The steepness,

or pitch, of a roof will determine what type of roofing should be used. A roof

composed of small pieces of material, as shingles or slate, should seldom have a

slope of less than 5" rise per foot of horizontal distance covered.

One thing should be noted carefully: it is not the steep roofs that leak. When it

comes to keeping out the rain, the steeper the better. This has, however, practical

limits; we do not want a house to look like a church, and we do not want the roof

area to become too large. We may want a rather low appearance to the entire

house, and a steep roof would be out of the question. Let us be reasonable about

it, and if at all possible, keep the pitch at least as steep as 41/2" rise per foot, and

preferably 5" or more; that is, if we want a roof made of shingles, slate, composition

shingles, rigid asbestos shingles, or similar small pieces of material.

Hip roof with shingles on roof ready to nail in place. Note spacing of sheathing.

Rafters are cut off square giving an angle to the facia or finish boards at eaves.

If a really flat appearance is desired, it will be necessary to use a built-up roof. Many

roofs with a slope of less than 1/4" per foot are giving satisfactory service, but they

might do better with 1/2" per foot slope. These flat roofs are what are called built-

up roofs. That is, they are made of several layers of roofing felt cemented together

with asphalt or coal tar pitch, and covered with a layer of gravel to keep the wind

from disturbing the roof, and to keep the sunlight from causing deterioration of

the asphalt and felt. This roof depends for its effectiveness on its being one piece of

impervious material. Roofs of this type should never have a pitch greater than

about 21/2" rise per foot, as they tend to slide down the slope when they expand

on hot days, and are not strong enough to pull themselves back into shape when

they contract at night.

It requires more care and skill to put on a good flat roof than it does to put on a

steeper roof. I do not say that a flat roof will always leak, but I have had a lot

more trouble with them than I have had with steep roofs.

Local customs, the materials available, the preference and prosperity of the owner,

and the type of house, will have an influence on the type of roof selected.

High class workmanship and meticulous care about the details are the things that

make a good roof, fully as much as the choice of materials.

In wet climates where it really rains, and rather often, it is hard to beat a roof of

wood shingles. These can be of cedar, redwood, or cypress; but in many sections of

the country builders feel that genuine red cedar shingles cut with the grain vertical

are the most satisfactory. See detail illustrating what is meant by vertical grain.

Shingles should be thick at the butt. The most popular thickness is expressed as

5/2, meaning that the butts of five shingles will measure 2" in thickness, so that

each shingle is 2/5" thick, at the butt, tapered, of course, to less than an eighth

of an inch at the tip.

These shingles should be put on with galvanized nails, as the blued or bright nails

will soon rust and let the shingles blow off. A good cedar shingle roof should last at

least twenty years if properly put on and treated. Treating will be explained in the

chapter on painting.

Cedar shingles must be vertical grained as mentioned above; that is, the surface of

the shingle should show the edge of the grain. Flat-grained shingles are not

worth putting on as they tend to split, and usually in places to permit leaks. They

can be used for under coursing when shingles are put on walls.

Expose wood shingles about 41/2" to the weather on the flatter roofs, and 5" to the

weather on the steeper roofs. Note that the roof must not be too flat for shingle

roofs, minimum rise 5" per foot of run.

Shingles are laid with a small space, about 1/4" wide, between the shingles. If they

are laid too tightly together, they will buckle when they get wet, look unsightly, and

give opportunity for the rain to blow under them.

Always put two nails in every shingle, no matter how wide or narrow. Split all

shingles over 8" in width, as they will split of themselves if you don't do it, and

they may split in the wrong places.

To start shingles, stretch a line along the lower edge of the roof about two inches

out from the cornice. To do this put a shingle on at each end of the roof, and let it

project the required two inches beyond the cornice. Then with shingle nails in the

ends of these shingles, tie the string and stretch it tightly.

This will give you the line for the first course of shingles. Always double the first

course of shingles; that is, lay a second course directly on top of the first course, with

the lower ends even so that you have two thicknesses of shingles at the start.

Then measure up 41/2" or whatever your exposure is to be and strike a chalk line,

or lay a straight piece of 1" x 6" on the correct line to mark the bottom of the

next course. Put the next course of shingles to this line, or against the straight edge,

and nail them in place. Put the nails about 3/4" from the edges of the shingle, and

far enough up so the next course will cover them. Give the shingles a side lap of

at least 11/2".

Sheathing does not need to be tight together for shingles. Do not use roofing paper

under wood shingles. Rough split or cut so-called shakes make a more spectacular

roof than regular wood shingles, and because of their extra thickness may last slightly

longer. Because of their roughness, however, and since they do not fit as tightly

together, they cannot be considered much superior to the ordinary-sized shingles.

Some people, though, like the rough appearance. They do make a good roof.

For asphalt or composition shingles the sheathing must be tight together. If you

want a projection at the eaves, it will be necessary to support the asphalt shingles,

as they are too limber to project by themselves. An easy way to accomplish this is to

use a double course of wood shingles at the eaves, giving a projection of about

11/2"; the asphalt shingles can then be made even with the wood shingles and will

be adequately supported. This will get the drip far enough away from the cornice.

To get a smooth effect, some shinglers place the first course of asphalt shingles with

what is normally the top edge toward the bottom, then place the next shingle

immediately on top of this one in the regular way to start the pattern of the

shingling.

Care should be taken to keep the pattern of the roof running in straight lines, as

the regular size of the composition shingles make any deviation very noticeable. If

you get started right, no difficulty should be encountered.

View of side of house framing. Note barge boards cut off an inch above roof so shingles can go

under the end of it. Roof sheathing is spaced. Electric wiring in metallic cable (B-X) runs from

one box to another.

Nail the composition shingles with 7/8" galvanized roofing nails, or with other size

if recommended by the manufacturer. Directions for placing composition shingles

usually come in the bundle with the shingles.

It is a good precaution to put a layer of 30 1b. felt on the sheathing before

placing asphalt shingles.

The principal disadvantage of wood shingles or asphalt and paper shingles is that

they are not fireproof. While you can install fire alarms to get warned by potential

fire, it is more beneficial for your roofs to be made of fire proof materials.

The fireproof roofing materials include such materials as slate, tile, rigid asbestos

shingles, copper, and galvanized iron.

In the eastern part of the United States, slate is extensively used. The average

builder would doubtless be better off to hire someone experienced in the

application of slate roofs to put this roof on for him. Be sure it is nailed with

rustproof nails, as copper or galvanized iron. For a roof as permanent as slate,

copper flashing and valleys should be used. Aluminum is now coming into use as an

auxiliary roofing material, and its use for flashing and valleys might well be

considered. Slate makes an extra good roof, if properly installed, as it is

permanent and is not so much affected by the weather as the organic materials.

Since large hailstones sometimes break the slates in a roof, no material is the

perfect roof.

In some areas tile roofs are used successfully. Although well-burned clay tiles do

make an excellent roof, the roof frame must be very strong, because of the weight

of the tiles. Tiles made of cement are also used. There are two general types of

roof tiles used in this country, French tile and Spanish tile. (See illustration.) Either

type is good if properly laid and secured in place.

In Japan and many parts of China and Korea tile roofs are the accepted thing.

These roofs are much more permanent than wood or asphalt shingles. It is partly

a question of balancing the first cost of the roof against the fact that the cheaper

roofing will have to be replaced much sooner than the more permanent materials.

If it takes all the money you can get together to build the house at all, then use

the cheaper roof; perhaps you will be more affluent when the roof needs to be

replaced.

If you wish a tile roof, it might be wise to get a professional tile roofer to do the

work, rather than trying to put it on yourself.

Rigid asbestos shingles are much superior to the ordinary pliable asphalt shingles,

as they will last many years longer and they are fireproof. They also make a good-

looking roof. Be sure to nail them with rustproof nails. They cost much more than

wood or composition shingles. The process of laying them is not complicated. Begin

with a double layer at the bottom and shingle as you would with regular shingles,

being careful to follow the manufacturer's directions.

If you prefer a roof that is nearly flat, then you will select a material that is built up

so that it forms one impervious sheet over the entire roof area and is not

composed of many small pieces the way the previously considered roofs are made.

These flat roofs are composed of several layers of asphalt-saturated paper

cemented in place with hot asphalt or coal tar pitch mopped on between the layers

of paper. Sometimes the first layer is held to the roof boards by dripping spots of

hot asphalt over the roof area and rolling the paper immediately over this hot

asphalt. It used to be the custom to put a dry sheet of building paper over the

roof area before the first layer of roofing was placed to prevent the roofing from

sticking to the boards, but some roofs have blown off and now it is considered

good practice to stick the roofing to the boards with a very light coat of asphalt. The

first layer is also nailed in place, at least around the edges.

A built-up roof is composed of at least three layers of 15 lb. felt, each layer well

mopped on.

A person putting on his own built-up roof may find it convenient to use a roofing

pitch or asphalt that can be applied cold. Ordinarily the asphalt is heated and

applied to the roof while still hot. This is a great bother to a person working

alone, and the danger of getting a bad burn is always a possibility, while the

material that can be applied cold is easy and safe to use, although it costs a little

more money.

A metal strip is usually put along the edge before starting to apply a built-up roof.

Then start with a strip of roofing felt a foot wide and fasten it securely in place. This

is often done by nailing, but as mentioned above, many roofers now sprinkle drops

of asphalt over the area, each drop forming an attachment for the roofing and

thus save much of the nailing ordinarily required. In districts where wind is a

problem, be sure the roofing is well fastened in place. After the piece one foot wide

is in place, it should be followed by a strip two feet wide, also placed at the same

starting point. Then follow this with a full-width strip, three feet wide, also starting

at the same place. This gives three layers at the starting point for the first foot of

roof. Of course, you have mopped each piece in place with plenty of asphalt. The

next sheet is put on so as to leave exposed about 11" of the previous sheet.

Continue on up the roof exposing each time 11" of the previous layer. In this way

you will get three full layers of roofing with asphalt between the layers all over the

entire another layer or two, lapping the sheets about two inches, and mopping each

piece down thoroughly as you go.

Then mop on a heavy layer of asphalt and immediately place the gravel on the roof

so it will stick to the fresh asphalt. Use about 3 lbs. of gravel to the square foot.

The grayel can be all of one color, or you can put on a layer of one color and put

larger rocks of a different color on afterward. Large rocks can be put on to give an

"arty" effect, but be sure they will not roll off and hit someone on the head. Small

blue rocks followed by larger white rocks can make a very artistic roof. Common

gray gravel can be used to make a good-looking roof if carefully applied. Put on the

kind you like and can afford.

The rocks have two purposes, to make the roof more windproof by adding to its

weight, and to keep the sunlight from causing deterioration of the asphalt or pitch.

Fenestration

A very important part of every house is the fenestration, which means the selection,

size, and arrangement of the windows. Windows do much for the exterior appearance

of a house and can make a room livable or intolerable, depending on where they

are placed and how they operate.

Photo owned by Albert Bridge

There are three general types of windows: those that slide up and down, those that

slide sidewise, and those, called casements that are hinged at the side and swing

out or in.

The ancient and honorable double-hung windows that slide up and down have

many things in their favor. They are weather tight, if properly installed, they

operate easily, and they are not expensive. The ones that are fitted with weights and

cords that run over ball-bearing pulleys are the most satisfactory. So-called sash

balances of various kinds are on the market, which seem to work rather well,

especially when they are new; these work on the principle of winding and unwinding

a spring. Be sure the windows are sufficiently counterbalanced in some way so that

they operate freely and easily.

The windows that slide horizontally are at the moment more in favor, perhaps

because these new aluminum windows lend themselves particularly well to the

modern house. If they move on nylon rollers they seem to be rather satisfactory;

but they are not as windproof or dustproof as the double-hung wood windows.

The fact that the aluminum does not require painting partially offsets the slight

additional cost. You consider the repeated paintings that wood windows will

require; the aluminum will be cheaper in the long run.

Many people feel that the metal windows go particularly well with modern type

houses and fear that the wood looks out-of-date. This is largely a matter of

opinion.

In a very cold country the wood is less liable to collect frost on the inside, as the

metal is a very good conductor of heat, and will conduct heat rapidly to the

outdoors on a cold night and may collect considerable frost on the inside from

moisture condensed from the warmer air of the room.

In a very cold country the wood is less liable to collect frost on the inside, as the

metal is a very good conductor of heat, and will conduct heat rapidly to the

outdoors on a cold night and may collect considerable frost on the inside from

Aluminum, window nailed in place with flashing around it. Flashing is heavy waterproof paper. The window

is nailed to the studs here. If sheathing is used on outside of frame, the aluminum window frame is

nailed outside of the sheathing. Flashing similar in any case; it keeps out the wind and driving rain. Double

flash at the top of the window, using rustproof metal on the outside, arranging it so water will not run

toward the inside of the building.

outdoors on a cold night and may collect considerable frost on the inside from

moisture condensed from the warmer air of the room.

Much depends on the taste of the home owner. Either type of window will last as

long as other parts of the building. If you like one kind, use it. The size and

placement of the windows is more important than the material of the frame.

Glass blocks can be used to let in light and for decorative purposes, but they do not

help with the ventilation of a room, which must be provided in some way for every

room.

If the bathroom window can be fitted with a piece of glass that is translucent, but

has a surface texture that does not transmit an image, it will save a lot of

curtaining, which is often in the way in a bathroom. This glass is known as rolled

glass, hammered glass, or obscure glass, and is not too expensive in the simpler

patterns.

Casement Windows

Windows that swing in or out have a few advantages, but they tend to be in the

way. Those that swing out are easier to make weatherproof, and are usually less in

the way than those that swing in. When you hinge a window at the side or at the

top and can open it wide, you get the full size of the opening for fresh air, but

when you open a sliding window you get only half the opening for air circulation. If

a window is mostly for ventilation, then the casement (hinged) type will be more

effective. But casement windows are not noted for their tight fit and ability to

exclude dust, water, or cold. Although weather stripping often is helpful in making

them tighter, it can also make them more difficult to operate.

Large windows and picture windows are better put in so they cannot be opened. If

plate glass is used, or the less expensive crystal sheet is selected, a window as much

as 10' in one dimension is possible. The glass must be bedded in putty and set so it

does not touch the metal frame at any place, or a crack is probable within a year

or two. Some people have had better luck to set the large fixed piece of glass in

a wood frame, fastened in place with wood stops; of course, the glass is bedded in

putty in either case.

Where a large fixed piece of glass forms the principal window in a room, remember

that every room also needs a window or two that can be opened. The most

common rule in use in America today demands that the window area in any room

must equal at least 1/8 as many square feet as the floor area, and 1/2 of this must

be openable. So if your room is 16' x 20' it has 320 sq. ft. of floor area, and

must have 40 sq. ft. of window, and 20 sq. ft. must be arranged to open. You may

have as much window as you wish, but the 20 sq. ft. is all that must be openable. A

room that is not properly ventilated can be very uncomfortable on a hot night.

Another invention to serve most of the purposes of a window is the movable louver

or jalousie. This consists of a series of horizontal strips of wood or glass that swing

in such a way that light and air can come through them, but they can also be

closed, the one above laps slightly over the outside of the one directly below it.

They are reasonably waterproof, most of them let in plenty of fresh air, a feature

that is good in many tropical climates. They also let in a great deal of dust. They are

not too difficult to operate if fitted with a good quality of hardware, and are

attractive in appearance when something different is wanted. I have installed a great

many of them in the tropics with excellent results, but I have grave questions as to

their suitability in colder climates, and I know they are not satisfactory in dusty

places.

Glass is a good conductor of heat, and the more windows you have and the larger

they are the harder it will be to heat your house. Air comes in around the windows

and brings cold in with it, or goes out around them and takes heat out with it.

The better the windows fit the less transfer of heat will take place. Weather

stripping helps to make windows more airtight, but since people need a certain

amount of fresh air, perhaps the small amount of infiltrating air is just what we

need. In very cold weather storm windows would help to keep in the heat.

A great deal of heat can come in through the glass if the sunlight strikes the

window. This can be largely prevented by using draperies with light-colored linings.

The aluminum-treated coat lining called "milium" helps to reflect the heat back

when used as the lining of the draperies.

A house that is well lighted is a more pleasant place in which to live than one

that is dark and dingy. The extra expense of proper windows is more than

compensated for by the extra livability of a well-lighted house.

Double glazing is sometimes used to reduce the amount of heat that escapes

through the glass. In very cold countries this would be a worth-while investment,

but in the warmer parts of the nation like the Pacific Coast, many of the southern

states, and Florida the extra money would be largely wasted.

One of the problems with double glazing is the condensation of moisture between

the two panes of glass. If you get the kind of glass that has a partial vacuum sealed

in at the factory, you should have no trouble, but just putting two pieces of glass,

with a space between them, in one frame could lead to difficulty.

All windows that open should be screened in most parts of the country. Screens

are made of galvanized wire, painted black wire, aluminum, bronze, copper, and

plastic. For ordinary jobs the galvanized wire is perhaps the most commonly used,

but aluminum screen is coming into wide use. Bronze screen, which is usually

considered the best, is also expensive. Some of the new plastic screen, coming into

rather wide use, seems to be satisfactory.

Whatever kind of screen you use, be sure it is fine, at least not less than 14 mesh

to the inch, perhaps 16 would be better. If it gets too fine, it retards the circulation

of the air through the window; some window screen has as many as 18 wires to the

inch, which is the finest that should be considered for use in a house.

Screens may have either metal or wood frames, and some of them called "tension

screens" have bars at the top and bottom, and no frame at the sides.

Screens should be detachable from the inside for ease in washing the windows.

Sometimes screens are made to be interchangeable with storm windows, so that

storm windows are taken down in the spring and the screens are put up and the

reverse procedure occurs in the fall.

The back door is often screened, or sometimes it just has a screened section in

it. Many builders omit the screen from the front door as they feel that it does not

improve the appearance of the front of the house, and that the front door does

not stay open often enough to make a screen necessary. In sections where

mosquitoes or flies are bad, a screen should be used, but local conditions will

determine the need. This is something that could be added later if the need

became apparent.

Glass

Glass comes in several thicknesses and qualities. The most expensive and

undoubtedly the very best is called "plate" glass. The surfaces of plate glass are

polished with abrasives after the glass is cast. This glass can be bought in several

thicknesses. For small windows 1/8" is used, but for large picture windows 1/4" is the

thickness to use.

Crystal sheet is heavy flat drawn glass about 7/32" thick that is widely used for

large windows. Since very few people can tell the difference between this glass and

plate, for an ordinary house it should be good enough. If you have such an

exceptional view that you want to make sure that none of the view is distorted,

use plate glass as the crystal sheet may in places have a slight waviness or other

minor defect that might annoy a very fastidious person.

For ordinary windows use "B" grade flat drawn double-strength glass. The single

strength is heavy enough for small panes, but the larger windows at least should

have double-strength glass.

In speaking of windows, or any other openings in a wall, the width is always given

first, then the height. If you give the height first, you will confuse the carpenters

and they may frame the openings so the windows will not fit in them.

In some places the full size of the finished opening is used as the measure of a

window as 36" x 54", for a double-hung window. In other places only the glass size

is given, which for the above window would be 32" x 24". You will note that

the size of only one piece of glass is given, but if this is indicated as a double-hung

window, the builder will know that there are two sashes each with a piece of glass

of this size. The 2" of wood on each side and at the top, with three inches at the

bottom and 1" between the two sashes will build up the size to that indicated at

first.

If you live in an area where the glass size is used, you can get windows in almost

any size so long as you keep the glass in even inches, as 20", 22", 24", etc.

In places where the outside measurement is used, the sizes increase by 6" jumps, as

2', 2'-6", 3', etc., in both horizontal and vertical measurements.

Since the aluminum windows have various kinds of sizes, it is advisable to get the

windows before making the openings to insure getting them exactly the right size.

The wood windows require that frames be made for them and placed in the wall.

These frames can be bought ready cut, or ready assembled complete from the

lumber yards, or you can make them yourself if you have time, but you might not

save very much in doing so.

Be sure to put thick paint in the joints of any woodwork that is to be exposed to the

weather. The place where the sides of the frame join the sill is particularly liable to

leak, if not carefully put together.

The aluminum windows come complete, and all that is necessary is to nail them in

place in the frame of the house. The sills should be protected from the plasterers,

who will most certainly fill them with plaster if possible. This plaster is very difficult

to remove completely from aluminum. Paper and masking tape to keep the plaster

off is much easier and better than trying to remove the plaster once it has

hardened in the grooves of the aluminum frame.

Wood Floors

The woods used for floors are oak, maple, pine, fir, pecan, beech, hemlock; but by

far the most common wood for flooring in houses is oak. Maple is used in public

buildings, skating rinks, dance floors, etc. Eastern hard maple is very tough, close-

grained and durable under hard usage. It is fairly light-colored, and is less

interesting as the floor in a house than oak.

Oak flooring is of two kinds: white oak and red oak. It is made in several grades: clear,

select, No. 1 common, and No. 2 common. The clear will be all uniformly light in color

without defects. Select flooring will be almost as clear as the clear grade, but will have a

wider range of color. No. 1 common will have many minor defects and a still wider range

of color. No. 2 common will have many defects and many pieces will have to be thrown

out. Actually, a more interesting floor can be made from No. 1 common than from either

of the better grades, if one has the time to lay it carefully, once in awhile discarding part

of a board. Select, or No. 1 common, will be the choice of the frugal builder.

Photo owned by David R. Tribble

Oak flooring must be well nailed. The boards must be well drawn together. After

the floor is down, it must be sanded with a power sander, then filled, and usually

given two coats of shellac or sealer. It is then waxed. The sealer is superior to the

shellac in some ways. The finish should be down in the wood, not on the surface.

An ideal floor is given three or four coats of varnish and then is rubbed to a satin

finish with oil and pumice stone, and rotten stone. This is a great deal of work. If

people are not careful when they have nails in their shoes or track in sand they

can ruin the varnish, and it is much harder to repair than the shellac or sealer

finished floors.

The higher the gloss the harder it is to maintain. A rather dull finish, a satin

patina, is better looking in a floor anyway.

Before beginning to lay the floor, first sweep the area very carefully at least twice, to

get all the dirt out of the way, scrape off any plaster or other foreign material that

is stuck to the floor and sweep again. Make sure there are no humps in the sub-

floor and that all boards are securely nailed in place.

Then cover the entire area with a good quality of building paper, not felt paper,

but some slick paper, a waxed rosin paper, or a vapor-proof slick asphalt paper, or

some smooth paper, as this will greatly facilitate getting the boards together, and

will give a nice clean surface for the flooring. It will also keep little particles of

plaster from jumping up out of the cracks in the sub-floor and getting between

the flooring boards.

To lay hardwood floor, see that the sub-floor is clean and level, without any warped

sub-floor boards, and that the sub-floor is well nailed at all places. Be sure that the

plaster is well dried out and that there is no source of moisture to cause trouble.

Stretch a line down one side of a room, usually the longest room in the house,

about 8" from the wall. Check to see that it is parallel with the wall nearest the

string, and also see how it will come out at the opposite side of the room. When

the string is adjusted exactly lay a board along the wall, and make it exactly parallel

with the string. Do not attempt to follow the irregularities of the wall. Face nail this

first piece with two nails at each joist so it will be solidly fixed in place. When the

first board is in place the full length of the wall, start with the next one. You will

note that the boards are tongue and grooved on the ends. Be sure the ends come

tightly together. Be careful in placing this second board that the first one is not

driven out of line.

After you have three boards in place, make a second check with the line, to see

that the flooring has a straight start. If so, you may start several courses at once, by

starting with a long board, following with one that is shorter and then a third still

shorter.

When you have about five boards started, move along and continue the boards

until you reach the end. It is not necessary to waste even an inch of a board; select

one for cutting when you come to the end that will give you a good piece to start

the next course. By cutting a longer piece every time, you save not only the waste

of the short pieces you would normally cut off, but also the time spent in hunting

for a board just the right length. Use the piece you have cut off to start the next

course.

Nail each board, driving it up tightly against the board previously laid. For 3/4"

flooring use 7d casing nails or flooring brads, and for 1/2" flooring use 5d casing

nails or flooring brads.

When you get near the wall, you may have to pry the boards into place. Avoid

prying against the plaster; use a 2" x 4" against the wall to protect it.

In nailing flooring it will take a little practice to learn to hit the nail only, to get

the boards tightly together, and to avoid hitting the top edge of the board,

making a very conspicuous mark on the finished floor.

You can hit the tongue a bit without doing much harm, if you do not bend it down

so far that it is difficult to get the next board into the proper place.

If you have too much difficulty getting a board into its place, perhaps you will find

a stray nail or more likely a sliver from some previous board that has rolled under

the tongue of the board previously applied.

Sometimes a fold of the building paper has been forced up into the space between

the boards, thus holding them apart.

When the floor is almost finished, and you get near the wall, you may experience

some difficulty in nailing the last boards in place. A large chisel or a wrecking bar may

be necessary. Do not pry directly against the plaster, but put a piece of 2" x 4"

about 3' long against the wall and pry against this. To get the last board in place, it

is often necessary to remove the under half of the groove, put the board in place,

and face nail it to get a neat job. Any nails driven through the face of a flooring

board should be set or driven below the surface approximately 1/8" to allow for

sanding and filling to make a good job, and to give opportunity to make the hole

inconspicuous.

After the floor is all nailed in place, and the painting in the house is completed,

you are ready to sand the floor. This is best done by the use of a floor-sanding

machine. Perhaps an 8" size is best for a beginner. Begin at one side and go slowly

up and down the length of the room, always sanding lengthwise of the grain of the

floor, and do a thorough job until the floor looks clean all over. Begin with No. 1 or

1 1/2 grit of sanding paper, and finish with 1/2 or No. 0 or No. 00 sandpaper. The

grit used in floor sanding is usually aluminum oxide, a trade name for which is

Aloxite. Garnet paper is sometimes used. Begin with a coarse paper, cut down the

area to a true surface and finish with a fine paper. The floor is now ready for the

finish. After it is sanded, keep people off it, or at least make them take off their

shoes when they walk on it until it is finished.

There will be a small area near the walls that the sander can't reach. This will

need to be scraped out or finished with an edger. A hand scraper which is easy to

use will give a good job.

To sharpen the scraper, file the edge straight and true. Then with a burnisher, a

nail set or other smooth hard tool, run along the edge with considerable

pressure, and a burr will be bent out along the edge. This will be found to cut

quite rapidly and will let you scrape out the part that the sander skipped. Scrape

with considerable pressure.

To Lay Asphalt Tile

The concrete floor should have been troweled smooth when it was laid. Sweep it

carefully and scrape off any bumps of plaster, stucco, or other extraneous material.

Rub off any ridges with a coarse carborundum stone. Sweep the floor again to be

sure it is absolutely clean and free from any dust or grit.

Strike a chalk line across the room to get a straight starting point. Cover the

area to be tiled with asphalt tile adhesive, usually an emulsified asphalt, taking care

to leave a space to stand or sit while you start.

Strike the chalk line again after the adhesive has been on for a half hour or so

and begin to lay the tile along this line. Lay the first pieces very carefully, as they

will determine the layout of the entire floor. You can walk on the pieces as soon

as they are laid, so keep laying them, taking care to alternate the direction of the

grain each time. Push them tightly together. A common mistake is to put too

much adhesive on the floor, and to lay the tile too soon into it. If any adhesive is

forced up between the tiles when you walk on them, either you have too much

adhesive on the floor or you should wait a time before you continue laying the tiles.

Adhesive oozing up between the joints is a sure sign of a poor job that will perhaps

never be satisfactory.

You need only a very thin layer of adhesive, which should be allowed to dry until

it becomes tacky. If you touch it with your finger and the adhesive comes up with

your finger, it is not yet time to lay the tile.

If you are going to put a border around the room, find the middle of the room, and

strike a chalk line across the room in each direction at right angles to each other,

parallel with the walls. Start laying at the center where these lines cross, putting a

tile on each side of the chalk line across the room. Then when you reach the

edges, you will have the same border on opposite sides of the room.

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