96 



The Country House 



Returning to the door structure: The frame is secured to the door studs on 

 the inside of opening, and any deficiency between the frame and studs is furred 

 in at the point of nailing. It is well to see that the door frame is placed in 



the centre between the stud opening or, 

 better, the room, as, in case there be much 

 play between them, any attempt to disre- 

 gard this and nail one side of the door 

 frame to the stud would result in a slight 

 throwing off centre of the whole doorway. 

 Ordinarily, perhaps, this might make little 

 difference, but an over door of some de- 

 signs is apt to be found noticeably out 

 with ceiling decorations or panelling and 

 the flanking wall motives of an academic 

 or balanced plan. The architrave is ad- 

 justed by fastening one edge to the door 

 frame and the other to the door stud. 

 The back band is the outermost member, 

 and is rabbetted to fit over the architrave, 

 forming in design a part of it (see Fig. 

 13). From its character and position the 

 back band adds strength and colour to 

 the doorway, and relieves it of a certain 

 flatness. Practically it receives the butting 

 of the base and dado moulding. 



Door panels, especially of soft wood, 

 are apt to shrink considerably, and if 

 hindered in shrinking will crack. It is 

 {Jierefore advisable in adjusting the panel mouldings that they should be nailed 

 into the stile and rail rather than into the panelling, as in addition to cracking 

 they are Ijable to pull away from the stile and leave ugly gaps in following the panel. 

 As such springing is only possible in the centre of the panel, since the ends 



are held in place by the return mould- 

 ing, it is readily seen that what is liable 

 to happen to that panel is likely to be 

 annoying enough. The nailing into the 

 panel at its ends is less liable to be 

 attended with evil results, but this should 

 be done in the centre only, for obvious 

 reasons. A vertical panel is termed a 

 "standing panel"; a horizontal one, a 



rig. 13. Fine examples of Colonial architraves and door i i 



mouldings with raised panels tying panel. 



Thresholds or door sills are usu- 

 ally of | stock, preferably of oak or maple, but selected close-grained hard pine 

 makes the next best thing. They should be considered as regulating the swing 

 of the door from the floor, and as such should be thick enough to keep the door 



Old doorway at Deerfield, Mass. A fine suggestion for 

 modern Colonial work 





.- Voor-stile * ftoor-panel - 



