Architectural Dumbing
Down?
I’m disappointed that JLC would publish a gross
abomination of our architectural heritage (“21st-Century
Greek Revival,” 8/08). With this article, you’re
contributing to the dumbing down and disappearance of
traditional trim. For around $300 spent on molding knives,
standard profiles could easily have been made. I’m a
minimal Modernist, but grew up in Virginia and studied colonial
and Georgian architecture at the University of Virginia.
I’d rather see a “colonial” minimum-trim
approach than this waste of money. I’m sorry, but this is
not a “poor man’s cornice”; it’s a
“stupid man’s cornice.”
Kirby Grimes, Architect
Bridge Hampton, N.Y.
Besides the high Greek Revival seen in many public
buildings and mansions from the first half of the 19th century,
there are also many vernacular — or
“carpenter” — expressions of the style dating
from the years leading up to the Civil War. Cape Cod, where
author Trevor Kurz lives, is full of homes from the period that
were built with flat — rather than molded — cornice
trim (see photos, above). Far from diminishing our
architectural heritage, Kurz is continuing it. — The
Editors
Grounding Three-Prong
Outlets
George Flach’s answer (Q&A, 7/08) about
using three-prong outlets with BX cable states, “Even if
the cable is properly fastened to the metal box, the spiral
metal tape jacket alone can’t be considered a reliable
equipment grounding conductor.”
This is not entirely true. Assuming reliable mechanical
connections at each box (the set screw and clamp nut must both
be driven tight), the real issue is the electrical resistance
of the grounding conductor, which can be verified.
Adding a GFCI for three-prong receptacle installations on BX
cable circuits is good insurance, but it is not absolutely
necessary.
Tom Kadesch
Damascus, Md.
Reasons for Red Flags
I’ve been in construction for more than 30 years. The
problems described in “Framing Red Flags” (7/08)
stem from the growing use of untrained labor during the last
decade and the lack of union skills on site. Contractors in
every trade are hiring unskilled workers because they can hire
three or four for the wages of one trained worker. The result
is not only lower incomes but a deterioration in both building
quality and respect for the trades.
Craig Thomas Yates
San Rafael, Calif.