The Care Of The Floors

The floors should be rubbed about every two months and additional wax applied to all worn places. If a floor is allowed to become worn down to the bare wood, dirt is ground into the surface and cannot be removed without scraping. All grease and dirt should be thoroughly removed before any new finish is applied. On varnished floors this is especially important, and a good scrubbing with strong soapsuds is most effective.

The Renovation Of Old Floors

Very poor floors may be successfully stained and then varnished, if first all nails are removed and every crack and chink filled with putty. When floors are old, or badly discolored, it is often best to use another finish which is made especially for this purpose. It is a varnish and stain combined, called floor lac. The pigment is retained in the varnish instead of sinking into the wood, so that the floor with its imperfections does not show through to any great extent. If the floors are very badly marred, however, one coat of ground paint is necessary before applying the varnish stain. The painted surface covers the rough places in the wood and furnishes a surface which is extremely durable.

The Dark Stain of the Floor of This Living -Room . ...........

Background for the Furnishings - a William and Mary High-boy, Windsor and Hepflewhite Shield-back Chairs, and a Gate-leg Table.

Tiles Make the Ideal Floor fob the Kitchen.

(Courtesy of Mrs.Henry Dunlop).

Oiled Floors

Oiled hardwood floors are suitable for the kitchen and the bathroom. Oiled floors have the advantage of not being slippery and may be mopped up with water each day. A good quality of raw linseed oil should be used, and two coats each year are generally needed to keep the floors in good condition.

Linoleum

A practical covering for the* kitchen and the bathroom is linoleum. It may be kept spotlessly clean with frequent washings and is attractive in appearance. It comes in simple inlaid designs of white or cream, combined with a light color. The best grade of linoleum is the wisest purchase, for it wears well. A good kitchen floor covering of this material will usually be found to be in excellent condition ten years from the time it is first used. Linoleum is rather awkward to handle, so it is best to have it laid by the firm from which it is purchased. A narrow molding should be placed over the edge next to the baseboard of the room.

Floors Of Tile And Cement

Tiles, of course, make an ideal sanitary covering for kitchen and bathroom floors. They may be kept clean and are beautifuL. They are, however, too expensive for the average small home, so it is fortunate that there is a very satisfactory substitute in cement. A cement floor is often now laid in any one of a variety of colors which will harmonize with the rest of the room. It may be left in one plain surface, or may be lined off with a small tool in tile effect while the material is still soft. It is the most sanitary of all floors in one respect, for the edges are usually rounded up to the baseboard in one continuous curve, thus facilitating cleaning. In one corner of the room an outlet for water may be placed. The one disadvantage of both tile and cement floors is that they are rather hard on the feet if there is much standing to be done. In the kitchen when floors of this kind are used rubber mats may be found a great comfort when placed before the sink and work tables.

Comfort and suitability should both be considered in choosing floor finishes. The floors of the home will then take their place as a subordinate but very important element in the general scheme of decoration.

References

Elder-Duncan, J. H. The House Beautiful and Useful. John Lane Company, New York, 1908. Cement Floors, p. 35. McIntosh, John Giddes Manufacture of Varnishes. Scott, Greenwood & Son, London, 1911. Floor Recipes, pp. 393-396. Robinson, L. Eugene Domestic Architecture. The Macmillan Co., New York, 1917. Sabin, Alvah Horton House Painting. John Wiley & Sons, New York, 1908. Floor Finishing, pp. 61-68. Sabin, Alvah Horton Technology of Paint and Varnish. John Wiley & Sons, New York, 1904, Floors, pp. 318-320. Sabin, Louis Carlton Cement and Concrete. McGraw Publishing Co., New York, 1905. Cement Floors, pp. 426-428.