Roofing

“ There are apes and hares peeping through wonderfully chiselled leaves, and doves and demons, and dragons writhing in storms. And while looking up at these, my eye is attracted by a peculiar velvety appearance of the woodwork forming the immense projecting eaves of the roof. Under the tiling it is more than a foot thick. By standing on tiptoe I can touch it; and I discover that it is even more velvety to the touch than to the sight. Further examination reveals the fact that this colossal roofing is not solid timber, only the beams are solid. ”

“ We make the felt for Paroid Roofing in our own mills because we could not entrust to others the making of the most important part of Paroid. If the felt is not right the roofing will not be. Do not run risks. Buy your roofing from manufacturers who make their own felt. ”

“ Do not forget the importance of carefully going over your roof after it is mended and make sure that every joint is properly covered, tacked, and thoroughly coated with white lead. Cover all joints, nails, and caps with a coat of white lead. Water will not run through the tin roofing, but it will find its way through nail holes, rust holes, and open seams if they are not made absolutely tight. ”

“ The single-pitched roof is the most economical of material and labor, a consideration of importance in the housing of large flocks
Wood, metal, and the tarred paper or felt roofing have peculiar qualifications which adapt them to individual requirements. The paper or felt roofings appeal to a great many people, as the work of applying the material can be done by an amateur. These roofings are laid on over boards and secured in position by nails, the joinings being made watertight with cement. Pliant roofings should be turned well over the edges of the roof and fastened securely. ”

“ The roof may be made of lumber, as shown by Fig. 160, or it may be made of poles like those shown on the Wyoming Olebo (Fig. 236) , or it may be made of planks and covered with tar paper (Figs. 296, 297, 298, and 299) , or it may be shingled, using barrel staves for shingles, or covered with bits of old tin roofing tacked over the planking—or anything, in fact, which will keep out the water. As for looks, that will not count because the roof is to be afterward covered with sod. ”

“ Begin nailing at the centre of the edges of the strips and work both ways to the ends—never the reverse, as the roofing may become wrinkled, twisted, or crooked. Always set caps even with the edge of the laps about two inches apart between their centres. ”

“ Between the ribs, timbers are fixed which carry minor ribs at a distance of eight feet apart, and upon these the ridge-and-furrow roofing is constructed in the manner that has been described for the flat roofing, but following the curve of the arched ribs. At the springing or foot of the arch on either side of the transept there is a range of louvre-frames to assist in the ventilation of the building, and on the top of the arch externally a narrow passage is formed to give access to the different parts of this roof. ”

“ Benjamin Franklin once said that next to a good foundation a good roof was the most important feature of a building. Although the constructive features of mill roofs are well defined, yet with regard to roof covering there is a wide diversity of experience and opinion.
The present form of factory roofing resembles a floor in its construction, being made, in a similar manner, of plank laid upon beams which project through the walls, where they act as a bracket to the cornice, the ends being sawed after any suitable ornamentation. ”

“ In this instance metal roofing was used, and it only required fastening at intervals, and to prevent rusting out, it was well painted on the under side before laying it and coated on the outside when fastened in place. If a more substantial shelter is wanted, it is best to lay the roof solid with boards, then cover it with the regular prepared roofing material. ”

“ The larger choice of building materials now available is a great help towards cheaper construction. Instead of walls and pillars being restricted to stone, brick, or woodwork, other materials such as iron and concrete are now, in many cases, found admirable substitutes, alike in point of fitness, durability, and economy; and the costly and cumbersome roofing tiles, slates, and shingles are now often advantageously superseded by the cheaper and lighter covering of galvanised corrugated sheets, asphalte roofing-felt, rubber roofing, or even the Willesden roofing-paper. ”

“ Figure 12 represents our brooding-house as it appears outside. Its dimensions have already been given. It is boarded in with closely-fitting hemlock boards, the whole being covered on the outside with the heaviest quality of "Paroid" Roofing.
This roofing is manufactured by F. W. Bird & Son, East Walpole, Mass. We have more than an acre under roofing, a large proportion of which is covered with Paroid. ”

“ Between the rafters so described, ridges are supported by light sash-bars sloping up to them, at an inclination of two-and-a-half to one, and the rafter itself forms the bottom of the furrow. The advantage of this form of roofing is the facility it affords for the escape of the water, which runs from the surface of the roof into the Paxton's gutters; from them it is discharged into the main gutters resting on the roof-girders, by which it is conducted to the hollow columns, and passes down through them into the drains. ”

“ The flat roof should be covered with good roofing and well-insulated for comfort in both summer and winter as described in the working drawings. The cost of the insulated flat roof should not be greater than that of an ordinary pitched roof without insulation. The accumulation of snow will help to keep the building warm. ”

“ Unmatched boards with battens nailed over the cracks or a layer of lightweight roofing paper over all are equally good. In fact, in case of necessity, one may use the roughest of lumber, and by covering the entire structure with roofing paper make a building which is tight and comfortable and acceptable in appearance. ”

“ While a rain-proof roof can be made with our shingles, our system, as well as all metal or slate roofing should not be put upon open sheathing. If walked upon the metal will not support the weight, and bends out of shape, and the roof is blamed. ”

“ Some architects bed the roofing slates in hydraulic cement, instead of having them nailed on dry in the usual way, which leaves them subject to be rattled by the wind, and to be broken by any accidental pressure. The cement soon sets and hardens, so that the roof becomes like a solid wall. ”

“ We began by forming a kind of roof above the arched roots of our tree, and employed bamboo canes for the purpose; the longest and strongest supported the roofing in the place of columns, the smaller more closely united and composed the roof itself. ”

“ Birch bark and patent roofing are more pliable than tin or shingles, consequently taking less time to lay and making it easier work. In very cold weather put your patent roofing in a warm room a few hours before using it. Never try to cut birch bark, tar paper, or patent roofing with a dull knife. ”

“ Likewise, since old house lumber when taken apart and stored warps and splits so badly that it can only be used again with difficulty, they leave their houses standing wherever possible until sold. They are far from impressive in this state and it takes both imagination and enthusiasm to inspect the assortment offered. Usually the roof and possibly one or two of the sides will be covered with prosaic roofing paper. ”

“ You have drawn the entrance flight of steps in perspective, as the Chinese do ... but that is a trifle. What will you build your walls with? Masonry, rubble-work, masonry and rubble mingled, or stone and bricks?
Fig. 3.—Roof Plan.
“Let us study this together. When you draw a horizontal or ground plan, independently of the arrangements, you have to consider how your buildings shall be covered in. For the most important question in a building is that of the manner of roofing it, as every building intended for internal use is a shelter. ”

“ The roof-covering where the land was chiefly arable, or the distance from market considerable, 124 was usually wheaten thatch, which was certainly the most comfortable, being warm in winter and cool in summer, just the reverse of the tiles or slates that have practically supplanted it.11 In other districts the cottages are covered with what are known as stone slates, thick and heavy. Roofs to carry the weight of these had always to be flattened, with the result that they require mortaring to keep out the wet. The West Tarring cottage (Plate 51) is an instance of a stone roofing. ”

“ ROOFING
It is a difficult matter to say that one part of a house is more important than another, as all parts are important, but a building with an unstable or leaky roof is an abomination. The framing of the roof must be strong enough to withstand gales, blizzards, drenching rains, and the weight of tons of wet snow.
As the method of shingling has been described [466] under tennis court shelter, it is only necessary to take up the subject of the frame. Boys will do well to confine their early efforts to plain sloping, or possibly hipped roofs.
These two styles are illustrated in Fig. ”

“ These roofs are generally shingled and practically never painted; the soft gray color they attain in weathering is sometimes imitated in stain on new shingles.
The addition of a wing or ell brought up a new problem in roofing, and it is this point that demands most serious attention from the remodeler. The old builders have not always been successful in preserving the unity of the roof line that is so essential to pleasing design. Whenever it is possible, the new roof should be made a part of the old, and the lines of one should run into those of the other. ”

“ Sometimes it is desired to have more attractive looking buildings than the severely plain ones seen on many farms, and to illustrate the decidedly attractive appearance which can be given to buildings which are covered with Paroid roofing, we have had prepared plans of a dairy barn and a village stable, with the roofs treated with ornamental battens and the whole roof painted with a dark green or red paint, which gives the rich effect of copper sheathing and is most pleasing to the artistic eye. ”

“ Pierced by windows it may be, and broken by gables, but steep enough to shed rain and snow, and high enough to be plainly visible to the coming guest, promising safety and welcome beneath its tranquil shade. Practically, the steep roof is better than any other, because a flat one cannot be as permanently covered with any known material at so little cost, the multitudes of cheap and durable patent roofings to the contrary notwithstanding. By steep roofs I mean any that have sufficient pitch to allow the use of slate or shingle. ”

“ If not made of good clay or if not baked sufficiently, it shows itself defective there when exposed to frosts and rime. Brick that will not stand exposure on roofs can never be strong enough to carry its load in a wall. Hence the strongest burnt brick walls are those which are constructed out of old roofing tiles. ”

“ Dear Sirs:—During the recent very heavy storms—wind and rain—the roof on my house, put on with Walter’s Patent Tin Shingles, stood the test; not a single leak has ever been discovered, not even around the chimneys, valleys, nor where the roof of the wing butts up against the main building. ”

“ On the angles of the hip-rafters at I, it will be necessary to fix some blocks to carry the ends K of the purlins, which will support the bearing of the rafters.
Fig. 49.
“At L you see the gable which has to join the roof of the staircase; and do not forget that stone filletings M must be built into the walls against which roofs abut, forming a weather-moulding above these roofs, to hinder the rain-water from getting in between the slating and the wall. Filletings are most commonly made with mortar or cement, on the roofing itself ”

“ I consider a roof of this material far superior to the ordinary tin or iron, both in beauty of design and solidity of construction, and see no reason why it should not supersede slate, as it is far less costly, requires a lighter frame, is just as much fire or storm-proof, and equally durable if kept painted. ”

“ Gentlemen:—I have put on in the Northwest large amounts of your Metallic Shingles for others, and also covered my own residence some five years ago, and can heartily recommend your goods to any one desiring a substantial and absolutely tight roof of fine appearance, which gives a roof much better than slate and a lower price. ”

“ Across the poles, covering the rest of the roof, willows and straight twigs of any kind are laid close together, and over these is placed a layer of dry grass arranged in regular rows. Mud is then carefully spread over the grass to a depth of about 3 inches, and after it has nearly dried it is again gone over so as to fill up all the cracks. A layer of dry earth is then spread over all and firmly trodden down, to render the roof water-tight and bring its surface level with the surrounding ground, following the same method and order of construction that prevails in dwelling-house buildings. ”

“ A roof is formed in skeleton on the ground. A number of beams, corresponding to that of the posts, are made to converge at the top, and are held in this position by concentric circles of plaited twigs; the whole being then raised to its position on the house, where it is fastened and made ready to receive the thatch of straw and grass. Not a nail or rivet of any kind is used in the construction of these buildings, and they are rendered totally impervious to the wet. ”