“ Other ways of lining the roofs of rustic buildings are discussed in Chapter XIII. For summer-houses thatch makes a good-looking roof, but a thatched verandah would scarcely be desirable unless attached to a thatched cottage. Practically the choice lies between shingles, metal, and tile or slate. A metal roof is, undoubtedly, that most easily fixed by the beginner; black sheet iron looks better than galvanised, and must be kept painted. As a matter of taste, metal looks thin and poor, but it becomes less objectionable when painted; a deep, dull red would be the colour to be preferred. ”

“ The space beneath the seats is also shown as roughly covered with bark.
Fig. 180.—Seat Side of Octagonal Summer-house.
The almost conical roof is thatched. No other covering is so pleasing as thatch for a rustic building. Its colour and rough texture harmonise well with the natural wood, and all its associations are of a rustic character; no other covering so effectually excludes the summer heat, and nowhere [Pg 148] can one find a retreat so suggestive of coolness, quiet, and repose, as under the low eaves of a thatched building. ”

“ Reeds make a strong thatch, but are not easily to be procured, except in fenny districts. Stubble, which is the lower and stronger part of the wheat stem, stands better than straw, which is its upper and weaker portion; to last properly, however, stubble should be cut immediately after harvest, and should not be left standing, as it frequently is, till the spring, for then the winter rains, collecting in its hollow stems, cause it to rot before it is cut. On small buildings like summer-houses especially, stubble makes a much more compact and sightly roof than straw. ”

“ When they are required for fishing rods or walking sticks they are hung up to season—this keeps them straighter; but the hanging of them up is not necessary for the work about to be dealt with. When the sticks have been put away for from six to twelve months, according to size, they will be ready for use, after being rubbed with a cloth or brushed to clean off the dust and bring up the colour of the bark. Fir cones may often be worked into a design, and bits of rough bark and the warts and burrs found on old elm trees may be collected by the rustic worker and put by for future use. ”

“ The materials will be entirely rough wood in its natural bark. For the posts fir poles of some kind should be chosen, and larch is especially to be preferred both as regards durability and appearance. All the smaller pieces which show as straight stuff may well be of the same kind of wood as the posts, though hazel is best for the finer rods. It will be seen that in the mere filling-in much crooked stuff is used, and for this apple branches, or indeed almost anything that comes to hand, will answer. ”

“ The mullions and transoms of the windows—mere sticks—are of small straight larch stuff, but the ornamental filling in above is of crooked branches—oak bangles by preference, though apple-wood would do very well. It often happens that an old apple-tree is cut down, and at once condemned as firewood; yet its stem may have grotesque knots, and its branches picturesque contortions which would make it valuable for rustic work. Whenever rustic building is contemplated, it is well that such wood should be laid by ”

“ Nothing that is absolutely level satisfies the requirements; the best alternative is rustic mosaic. By this is meant split rods of wood so bradded down as to form patterns. For the present purpose, however, the mosaic must be kept more neat and smooth than usual. Fig. 178 shows the top of the table thus treated.
The rods most in favour for rustic mosaic are those of the hazel. They are to be bought cheaply and abundantly when the undergrowth of woods is cut. They have a smooth and pretty bark, and the useful size is from 3⁄4 in. ”

“ If he is re-thatching an old building, he merely thrusts the ends of his new material into the old thatch with a wooden spud; but if he is covering a new roof he sews down his "yelvens" to the laths and rafters with a huge needle and stout tarred string. He begins at the eaves, laying as wide a breadth as he can conveniently reach on one side of his ladder, this [Pg 149] breadth being called a "stelch." He works upwards, each new layer covering the tar-cord which secures that beneath it; and thus he goes on till he has reached the ridge. ”

“ Thatch has, it must be admitted, certain practical disadvantages—birds and winds are apt to scatter fragments from it, and it needs renewing at comparatively short intervals. The common saying is that a thatched roof needs re-coating every ten years. Often, no doubt, this is near the truth, yet really good work will frequently stand for almost twenty years. The materials in use in this country are reeds, straw, and stubble. ”

“ The front elevation of a rustic verandah is presented by Fig. 133, which shows a part only, which may be extended to any required length at either end. As to the width, that indicated is 31⁄2 ft. from the wall to the middle of the collar-posts, the eaves having a further projection of 6 in. For a cottage verandah the width given is a satisfactory one. It gives sufficient room for seats on a hot day, or for a promenade on a wet one. The width, as also the height, can easily be increased to suit a larger house. The verandah is supposed to be built on a raised platform of brick or stone. ”

“ Some precautions against the first defect have already been suggested, and if the snuggery is erected where it will be shaded by trees during the hotter part of the day, this disadvantage will be somewhat overcome. Its inartistic appearance is greatly due to its colour, and some improvement may be made by painting. If surrounded by trees, an iron roof looks very well when painted a reddish-brown colour, while in other situations a buff, or a dull sage green, might be suitable. The paint needs renewing often. ”

“ The rails are tenoned to fit mortises in the legs, and battens are nailed to the lower long rails, to support the flower pots (see Fig. 19) . The rustic work is then fixed diagonally to the rails. The ends that abut against the legs and centre-piece are pared away so as to make a neat joint, and angle boards are fitted to the under side of the lower rails to support the rustic work where it curves downwards. ”

“ If this covering is used, instead of nailing laths across the rafters, it is proposed to cover the whole roof with similar boarding to the back, and upon this it is a simple thing to nail the shingles, placing them just as tiles might be placed. Whilst nailing them on, it will be necessary to have some person within to hold a heavy hammer against the place, otherwise the vibration will jar off the shingles as fast as they are fixed. A 3⁄4-in. board, rather wider than half the length of the shingles, should first be nailed along the eaves to make up the required thickness. ”

“ Short struts may also be fixed between the posts and cross rail, as in Fig. 105; they are not shown in Fig. 101. A floor is formed of saplings, connected to the sills, thus preventing them from spreading. The trellis-work, both on the roof and sides, is now fixed. This is composed of 13⁄4-in. and 2-in. twigs.
The swing hooks (Fig. 106) pass right through the rails, and are secured with nuts and washers. Collars should be forged on the shanks to prevent the hooks being drawn too far into the wood when screwing up the nuts. ”

“ Perhaps, of all available coverings, nothing will look better than tiles, as drawn. Red or buff tiles will in themselves look best, but the choice must, to an extent, be influenced by the general covering of the house. ”

“ If the rustic work is intended to be placed out of doors, it should be given two or three coats of hard outside varnish.
The rustic flower-holder for table decoration, shown by Fig. 7, consists simply of a gipsy tripod formed with six rustic sticks, put together in the form shown, and tied with a length of bass. There is no attempt made at finish, but the sticks must be firmly tied together at the joints, and the ends of the bass can be left, either hanging loose or tied in a bow. ”

“ It is probable that the rafters will be arranged with intervals of about a foot between them, and to hold the matting more closely to the boards a strip of split rod may be nailed up the middle of each space, or strips may be nailed so as to form a simple ornamental pattern; an intricate one will not be desirable, as fixing it will be overhead work. ”

“ Rustic carpentry does not demand great skill in woodworking, but it does require a large amount of artistic perception. The tools needed are but few, and the materials employed are comparatively cheap, although in many districts they are becoming dearer every year.
It may be said that any articles made from the now popular bamboo may be made quite as effectively in light rustic work.
For light rustic work, sticks of hazel, cherry, yew, blackthorn, birch, larch, fir, and the prunings of many varieties of shrubs may be used ”

“ Hazel sticks, with the bark on, should be used, the straightest obtainable being best for the frame; if at all crooked or bent, the sticks can be straightened by steaming, or, if not too dry, by the heat of a spirit lamp.
Four uprights, 1 ft. 51⁄2 in. by 5/8 in., are first cut; then six rails, 1⁄2 in. thick, are made, with the ends shaped as shown in Fig. 113, to fit the uprights, measuring 2 ft. 10 in. inside the hollow ends when finished. ”

“ Fig. 1.—Photograph Frame and Wall Bracket Combined.
One method of treatment for designs in light rustic work is to split the sticks and use them to overlay the work with a Swiss pattern, as [Pg 11] shown by Fig. 1; another method is to work the sticks up after the manner that canes are used in bamboo furniture (see Figs. 3 and Fig. 42, pp. 12 and 36) .
Fig. 2.—Section of Bracket, showing Fixing of Glass.
Fig. 1 represents a wall bracket with a photograph or mirror in the frame. To make this, the piece forming the back is first cut out of 3/8-in. deal. ”

“ The joints are secured by either brads or panel pins. Care must be taken to bore for the nails with a bradawl, as nothing looks worse than splits in the work. The upright piece in the centre of the top bar may be secured by driving a long panel pin into the lower upright through the top bar, filing the head to a point to form a dowel, and driving the top piece on with a hammer. ”

“ Fig. 120.—Half Plan of Aviary Roof.
A sliding bottom or tray is required for cleaning purposes; this is of 1⁄4 in. board, and is nailed to the strip that fits between the rails in front; other strips about 1 in. wide are nailed on the upper side at the extreme ends and back edge to form a tray for the sand, runners being put in against the lower end rails. The front strip is treated with the split, and to draw out the tray, the door may be slightly raised to admit the fingers to push it forward from the inside. ”

“ A pitching of pebbles is more in character: it is dry and cleanly, and especially if some variety of colour is obtainable, and the stones are arranged in some geometrical design, it may add to the ornamental effect. Pebbles are not, however, pleasing to the feet of those who wear thin shoes. Gravel, where it is always dry, is apt to become dusty, and to disagree with ladies' dresses. ”

“ The legs may be secured to the top by boring holes in the ledges and driving them in. The cross bars must be firmly secured to the legs, and, for the joints, the mortise and tenon shown at Fig. 6 (see p. 14) would be suitable. If the sticks used to form the legs are rather small, it will be better if the cross bars are kept a little higher on two of the sides, so that the mortises do not meet each other. ”

“ At the sides this weather-boarding will extend as far forward as the rustic pillars, thus enclosing the sides of the porch. For the inside of the snuggery use 1⁄2 in. matchboarding, as shown in Fig. 147. This may be carried up beneath the rafters to the ridge-piece. The porch may be also matchboarded throughout if desired, although this is not essential.
There are several methods of making the wooden walls non-conductors of heat, the most thorough being to pack the space between the inner and outer casings with sawdust. Shavings or similar materials could also be used, but less effectually. ”

“ The top back rail and the arm-rest can next be fitted. The ends of the back rail are worked bird's mouth, to fit the posts. The arm-rests are treated in the same way at the back; they fit in vees cut in the front posts, and are fixed with nails.
Measure off and mark equal spaces for the struts, the ends of which are trimmed to fit the rails and posts. Secure them with two nails at each end. The seat (Fig. 53) is made up of split saplings laid as shown, with the ends pared to fit the rails and bradded on. Finally, fit the struts between the seat rails and the lower part of the posts. ”

“ These slabs generally retain their bark (except in the case of oak) , and in most districts they will commonly be of elm. Their thickness and outlines are necessarily irregular: one end will frequently be narrower than the other; and this will account for the arrangement seen in the walls and door of the tool house. They are to be bought at saw-mills, and often sold at a fire-wood price. Where their cost is not sensibly increased by carriage, no other material comes so cheaply for building rough sheds. The ordinary country way of using them is as in the horizontal section, Fig. ”

“ The buckles have some resemblance to ladies' hair-pins on a colossal scale. They are made of slips of withy, twisted and doubled in their middles and pointed at their ends; the runners are long straight slips of the same. ”

“ In so small a structure, rough planks on the inner side would take up too much space It is, therefore, proposed to straighten the edges, either by sawing or by chopping with the axe, according to circumstances, and lining their inner sides with thin board. ”

“ In agricultural districts a load of stubble—sufficient to thatch three such buildings as the one illustrated—costs 30s., and a thatcher expects the wages of a first-class labourer only, not those of a mechanic. ”