The Country House 



Fig. 6. Section of wooden cornices 



The simple form of box cornice is constructed about the projecting ends of the 

 roof rafters, which are cut off vertically at an established distance beyond the 



house walls. Only one series of fur- 

 rings is necessary to complete the shell 

 horizontal pieces to which the plancia 

 is attached (see Fig. 6). The nose of 

 the gutter should be in line with the top 

 of the roof boarding, so that the extra 

 height given by the shingle shall insure 

 the free passage of sliding snow over it; 

 this is an insistent rule. If a wooden 

 gutter is used, the fascia is tongued into 

 the under side of it, and ordinarily the 

 plancia is tongued into the fascia. This 

 makes a tight box of the cornice, which 

 is rigidly insisted upon in spite of its 

 serious drawback. 



Owing to the fact that snow, 

 gathering, as it does, on the lower edge 

 of the roof, is apt to melt and back up 

 under the shingles, the above method 

 does not seem wise for Northern local- 

 ities. Water comes in, stains the walls, 

 peels off paint and paper and destroys 

 the plastering, and still no means are 

 taken to stop it. With the steep roof 



this is unlikely to occur, but with the roof of less than 45 it is almost certain. 

 Of course it will be understood that this mishap is not of very frequent occur- 

 rence; but as one visitation is enough to do considerable damage, and as its 

 repetition is a constant menace, some means should be taken to obviate it. 



One remedy is to leave an open 

 space between the shingle nailings in 

 the roof boards overhanging the wall, 

 or to lay the shingles at this point on 

 strips. To prevent the collection of 

 moisture in the cornice box the plancia 

 is pitched slightly, and w^here ordinarily 

 tongued into the fascia, a one-quarter- 

 inch space is left. This space, being in 

 shadow, will show very little (see I 

 Fig. 6). 



Another method of treating the 

 plancia would be to tongue it into the 

 fascia in the usual way, after having 



Portion of house near Philadelphia Pa. showing good t notc h eS intO the tOngUed edge ? 



balcony and veranda motive. The cornice, while suggestive ... , 11 



of the open type, is really a box cornice inches Wide and 6 inches apart and deep 



