The Country House 



The sliding door has some advantages over the double swinging door. When 

 open, it is out of the way entirely and does not occupy wall space, which is the 

 case with the double swinging door. The modern room of moderate dimen- 

 sions, in which the swinging doors are installed, loses practically the whole side 

 as a satisfactory background, and the floor space within the radius of their swing 

 is absolutely useless. Ordinarily, perhaps, the doors would not be often open, 

 though this would depend largely on the frequency with which the occupants 

 of the house entertain. But sliding doors have most important advantages : 

 they permit of the circulation of fresh air without danger of banging. The 

 closed swinging door is far less healthy, and is, moreover, an awkward thing at 

 the best. When opened to its fullest extent, especially in a small room, it fre- 

 quently infringes upon half the available wall space. 



On the other hand, the swinging door is easier to keep closed, and is more 

 truly architectural in all positions than is the sliding door. One finds its easy 

 movement, in opening and closing, hardly retarding to one's passage when in a 

 hurry, while the sliding door works more heavily and requires a special effort 



to open and close it. We have men- 

 tioned these things, not with the idea 

 of forming a prejudice against either 

 style, but to show the shortcomings of 

 each, that the builder may choose between 

 them in special cases. In the planning 

 of a house, the swing of a door should 

 be indicated on the plan to show its full 

 latitude. 



The "batten door" is usually made 

 of | stock, tongued and grooved and 

 secured by battens on one side; one at 

 the top, one at the bottom and perhaps 

 one in the middle, with a diagonal brace 

 if necessary. These braces, or battens, 

 are best secured by means of screws. 

 They are used where any rough door is 

 required, as inside cellar doors or bulk- 

 head doors. In the latter case, care 

 should be taken to give it a sufficient 

 pitch to shed the water. Ordinarily they 

 are hinged at the side and let into a 

 rabbet on three jambs, which often 

 allows rain and melting snow to freeze 

 up the joints. This may not be, in some 

 localities, a serious objection, yet it seems 

 as if the accepted construction of the 

 bulkhead door is far from perfect. 

 About the only safeguard is to pitch the door as much as possible so that water 

 will run off quickly and snow will be less liable to lodge. 



Fig. 1 1. Diagram showing parts of an ordinary panel-door 



A. Door a. Door styles 



B. Door frame I,. Top rail 



C. Casing or architrave c. Middle or lock rail 



D. Threshold d. Bottom rail 



e. Panel 



f. Panel moulding 



g. I!a< k liand 

 h. Wall 



k. Floor line 



