May, 1910 



AMERICAN HOMES AND GARDENS 



An excellent wall surfacing is a hard cement finish 



The Out-of-Door 

 Living-Room 



By John A. Gade 



OWEVER small or inexpensive the house is the ground level outside to allow twelve inches of air space 

 to be, it may still be so arranged as to have underneath, giving circulation of air and hindering rotting, 

 an out-of-door room, serviceable both in The wooden as well as the waterproof flooring should fur- 

 summer and in winter. It can be built ther be laid to drain, pitching about one-eighth of an inch 

 either originally, or added later, in a very to the foot towards the side best adapted to carry off the 

 inexpensive manner, for it needs little of water. The doors and thresholds between the house and 

 the trim and finish of the interior rooms our room are important, for they will probably be used 

 It is a half-way place between indoors and more than any others in the house by master as well as by 



of the house 



out-of-doors, its object being naturally to provide as much 

 sun and light and air as possible without too much expo- 

 sure. Being half piazza and half summer-house, and cer- 

 tainly intended for use in early spring and late fall, if not 

 during the winter, the first considerations in its planning 

 are those of protection. The flooring will in summer 

 naturally at times become drenched by rain. It should thus 

 be waterproof — of brick, quarry tile, cement, or of one of 

 the several excellent patent waterproof floorings. All these 

 are cool and clean, may be laid In any color, and easily 

 washed; and In win- 

 ter. If too cold, may 

 be covered with 

 rugs and matting. 

 They cost, however, 

 more than a wooden 

 floor, and must gen- 

 erally be laid upon 

 some more or less 

 expensive bedding 

 of concrete and wire 

 lath. If expense Is 

 the only considera- 

 tion, a North Caro- 

 lina pine flooring 

 should be used, one 

 and one -eighth 

 inches thick, Instead 

 of merely seven- 

 eighths of an inch 

 thick, as the Interior 

 floors of the house. 

 The beams which 

 carry It should fur- 

 ther be laid a suffi- 

 cient height from A successful method of curtaining with inexpensive chintz 



servants. French windows are the best means of com- 

 munication. The bottom rail should be at least twelve 

 inches high. Glazing to a point nearer the floor Is useless, 

 as the glass will constantly be broken and no light Is ad- 

 mitted below. The leaves of the windows should be fur- 

 nished with hooks or catches, so that they may be fastened 

 back, and made at least seven feet high. The nosings of 

 the thresholds should be rounded so as to hinder stumbling, 

 and not raised over three Inches above the outer flooring. 

 The walls and ceiling must be built of durable materials. 



Plastering them 

 similarly to Inside 

 surfaces Is unsatis- 

 factory. An excel- 

 lent and inexpensive 

 method Is to give 

 them a hard cement 

 finish, either smooth 

 or more or less 

 rough. Anv color 

 desired m ay be 

 added in the finish 

 coat. If the cot- 

 tage is covered with 

 shingles, cover simi- 

 larly, or with 

 wooden panels o r 

 sheathing. But natu- 

 rally what we are 

 striving to obtain Is 

 as little wall surface 

 and as much trees 

 or sea and sunshine 

 as possible. In view 

 of this fact, con- 

 sider carefully what 



