Having entered this heading, take the first item in the specification, which is "wash, stop, and clerecolle, and white ceilings," and commence to measure. It is best to start from the same corner or angle of a building on every floor - as, for example, when you are standing outside the front of house take the angle of house at left hand and keep this as your starting point on every floor, and on your outside as well, working round to the back and finishing with the front.

The length of the room by the width gives you the size of ceiling, it is not usual to deduct small or ordinary chimney breasts from distempering. Describe the room you are measuring: 18. W. S. &C. &W.

14. Ceiling. (Front room, L.H.)

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To measure the stripping of walls, add the two above dimensions together, double them and add the projections of chimney breast, putting these additions under the description at right hand, where I described the "waste" to be kept in the extra wide book.

I have supposed the chimney breast to project 9 in., and added 1 ft. 6 in. for the two sides of this. This addition makes a total of 65 ft. 6 in., which is to be carried to the left hand, as the length and then the width, or rather height of wall requiring to be stripped, etc, is obtained by measuring from top of skirting to the ceiling; there is no cornice on this floor, as of course it would only be necessary to measure up to that; then take the deductions as follows, writing Deduct as a heading: Deduct (mostly written Ddt.).

2/ 7.

4.6 \Vs. (short for windows).

-6.3 3.4 Dr. (short for door).

-4

3.3 Chy. (do. chimney or fireplace).

-In measuring the door for deducting, measure from the top of the skirting, and the same for the chimney opening - this latter has to be measured from top of skirting to the top of the shelf, and from the outside to the outside for the width of chimney piece. Paper hangers measure walls for paper by taking the height, say 9 ft. each, and then trying how many breadths the walls will take. A piece of paper is sold as 12 yards long, but even if it measures this it is not always printed the entire length, and the ends get damaged, so the paper hanger would reckon to cut three lengths of 9 ft, and to use the remaining piece over doors or windows, chimney piece or cupboards. In taking the number of breadths he would not measure the doors, windows, or chimney piece; then, if the pattern is large, he allows waste for matching at joints.

The last dimension completing the deductions write the word "Add " as a heading.

A practical eye will quickly see the value of the making good plastering to walls, which is the next item in the specification; it should be set down at once, thus: / No. / x / Add / M.G. to walls || || | 2 | 6 |

M. G. is short for make good, or making good. A good plasterer, with a boy to attend on him, or a labourer, could make good any ordinary holes in the walls of a room in an hour. To this add the plaster of Paris; the 2s. 6d. is not set down as the value of the above item. The next item is, "Hack out all broken glass, and reglaze with new of the same quality as it is glazed with now." This work may be let to a glass merchant, the most economical way of doing it, as they keep the best and quickest of glaziers in their employ, men who can do the work in half the time of an ordinary glazier. Take the number and size of squares, and book them thus :3/1.61/2 Hack out and regla.

.10 21 oz.

"Carefully wash the paint, rubbing down any parts requiring it, and afterwards bringing them forward with an extra coat. Paint the whole of the work that is now painted, including chimney pieces, two good coats of oil colour." This is the next item to measure.

Take the face of the door as given under and the run of jamb lining and architrave, measuring this latter to the centre of the mitre and from the floor, and the head from centre of mitre to centre of mitre; number the sash frames (one side) and the squares; take the architrave and window noseing extra; take the net length of skirting; take the cupboard front (the door two sides), and feet run of shelf edge; number the chimney-piece, the measuring of runs differ; take 6 in. and over "super," and all under take "run," describing width in the book, but where they have to "be abstracted" put all under 6 in. under one heading or price; measure the flat surfaces, and when they are in the abstract and added together, divide by 8 instead of by 9, this allows for edges, mouldings, etc.; the door edges, and especially those to cupboards where there are four vertical edges, must be added to the dimensions; to the room doors, one edge for each side; for cupboards two edges one for the door which is twiced, and one for the edge of frame.

6.10 W. &2O. etc. dr.

2.10

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This "W. & 2 O. etc." is wash and two oils. Two inches are allowed for vertical edge of door and two for the top one, though it is extremely doubtful whether this latter is troubled much with paint at any time.

16.8

.6 Ling. and arc.

____

This jamb lining is taken 2 in. (the thickness of the door), and the architrave 4 in., the other part of jamb lining being taken with the outside of door - as very often the outside of the door is painted differently to the inside, sometimes it is grained.

2/1 S.F. 2 O. 1 S.

This is number 2 sash frames, 2 oils, one side.

2/12 Sqrs. do.

The old-fashioned sashes are the basis on which squares are reckoned. They were (there are plenty to be seen in some of the old streets now) plentifully divided by horizontal and vertical bars in both sashes, making generally 9 to a sash, or 18 squares to the pair. We allow one dozen to the above, presuming the frame to be 6 ft. 8 in. by 3 ft. 10 in., and, whatever the size of the squares should be, allow them on that scale, to save having three or four items of squares, "large," "extra large," etc.