Doors, Windows and Shutters

ALTHOUGH there is nothing particularly complicated about windows and doors, care should be taken in installing them because it is at such points that rain and snow and cold enter and cause discomfort or damage. It is just as important to have weather‑proof windows in the simple cabin as in the costliest mansion.

The simplest window imaginable is one that does not open but consists merely of a sash set permanently into a wall. However, the fact that cabins, lodges, cot­tages, and bungalows are fundamentally summer-time residences, makes the hinged or sliding sash a neces­sity. For the log cabin, the window sash can be set into a simple frame made of 2- by 6-in. lumber. The lower cross member of this frame, or the sill, is sloped downward so that water will run off. If the window is to swing outward, the bottom edge of the sash is bev­eled to correspond to this slope, and a strip of wood, forming a stop, is nailed firmly along the sill inside the sash. Likewise, similar stops are used on the side pieces or jambs and across the top crosspiece or head. The sash can be hinged either at the top or at one of the sides, the latter probably being better because the window glass can be used as a scoop to capture air currents moving parallel to the wall.

When the sash opens inward, the stops are placed on the outside of it and the bottom edge is not beveled. Instead, the top of the sill, from the front edge of the stop, is planed off so that it- is horizontal and not sloping. This permits the sash to swing inward without binding. An alternative construction is to rabbet a groove along the sill and let the sash swing in it, a nailed-on stop in this case not being necessary.

For the somewhat more elaborate construction en­countered in framed cabins, a single-sash window frame, like that shown in one of the sketches, can be made. The inside upper edge of the sloping sill is rab­beted to fit the sash, which likewise has a rabbeted edge. The stool is integral with the sill and is so low that its upper surface is slightly below the rabbet. This permits the sash to swing inward. The lower edge of the sash, near the outer surface, should have a groove plowed in it to prevent water from creeping back into the rabbet joint. Note that there is some clearance between the sill top and the grooved surface. The window sash may be swung on hinges at the top or one side. The vertical sides of the sash rest against stops that can be nailed-on strips, or ledges formed by rabbeting out the jambs, the latter method being the better. With this construction, a single-sash window is as storm-proof as more elaborate types.

While the majority of cottages, cabins, and other recreational structures will require casement windows, the type having weighted sliding sashes can be em­ployed in some cases. Window frames for either of these styles should be purchased ready-made. They are cheaper and better than any you could construct. It is a wise plan to obtain the sash before the window openings are framed, so that you will be certain of a good fit.

In order to operate without the aid of a crowbar, a door should be constructed with care from the studding outward. Select the straightest and soundest 2 by 4's out of the lumber shipment and set them aside for use around doors in outside walls and partitions. Double the studs and crosspieces about door openings. The door swings in a frame made generally from 7/8 - or 1-in, material. Strips of wood, fastened to the inside surface of the frame, form stops that prevent the door from swinging too far. Sometimes the frame is made of thicker stock and a groove rabbeted out for the door edge, forming a stop.

It is of utmost importance to get the door frame perfectly plumb or nearly so, and to have both sides plumbed to exactly the same degree of accuracy. Then the door will operate without binding. The frame is nailed to the opening in such manner that the outer and inner edges will be flush with the respective wall sur­faces if additional trim is to be used. If no trim is to be applied, the frame can project slightly beyond the surfaces. Weatherboarding, shingles, plywood, or other materials used on adjacent surfaces can be butted tightly enough against the frame if care is taken to make cracks a rarity. It is better to use interior and exterior trim with doors, but with inexpensive cottages and similar buildings these can be omitted. Such trim consists of 1-in. boards a few inches wide, nailed around the opening in picture-frame fashion, the cross­piece at the top overlapping the ends of the vertical pieces. There are various ways of arranging the trim, but the simplest is generally the best. Fancy mouldlings do little more than catch dirt. For a log cabin, a rugged door frame made from 2-in. material will serve. It can be worked over with an ax or adz or broad chisel, to make it look like a hewn plank. Hang ordinary doors on standard butt hinges and use stand­ard latches and locks for holding them shut.

A simple window, with a sash that swings inward and can be fastened at top or bottom, is illustrated above.

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How To Build A Log Cabin