The Portland daily press., 1868-10-28
Concerniug Shingles.

A sermon might be made on shingles, and
l send you very short one. 1t is quite
time that shinsle weavers an2 those who put
them on roofs should know what is necessary
to good shingles-well laid. Il is quite won
der.ul how little some workmen know or care
about the quality of their work. So that a
man who has a job to do in any line of me
chanics, must look alter it himself, until he
knows whether his workmen know or care
about their work. A little time ago, 1 was
building some stores with party walls to Sc
cure them from neishboring fires. / found
the workmen were putting the roof timbers
through the partitions, thus opening an easy
and sure comm nicatIon for fire through the
whole block; they said that was the usual
mode!
Well, about shingles. They should be per-
tectly free from sap and unsound knots. ]
mean those intended for roots. For walls a
few small knots do not signify-but no sap
should be tolerated. Ask carpenters how
good shingles should be laid-to be well laid.
and you will have as many replies as there
are carpenters. Examine first class work on
agood root with good shingles. The theory
is THAI the sides OF shingles are parallel, but
IN fact, it is rot so; the to, S are often if not
usually little narrower than the butt.
When laid the shingles will touch each
other at the butts, and tie tops being little
narrower, an opening will be LETT between
them. When the next shingle is laid on, a
vacant space will be lett, exposed to rain,
closed at the lower end, and sixteenth or
an eighth or quarter open at top. Dust
and other matter, as well as rain will enter
this-close up entirely the lower end of the
opening and thus compel the water to spread
out under the shingles, finding its way among
the joints OF the under courses, thus causing
rapid decay.
Shingles are large item of annual expense
in this State, their cost il great, and TO lay
them costs as much more. The question OF
their durability then, is one of great impor-
tance TO Maine. Ask carpenters how long
good shingles will last: the answer will be fl
teen to twenty years, some say even twelve.
The shingles erxsss,- :, ,<pe wife,. y thirty
nine years ago. The difference in durability,
between fifteen and thirty years, will be
worth IN lliuns of dollars to Maine-a great
many millions to the country
l had the butts of my shingles opened,
that is every shingle was cut away from a
point five inches from the butt, taking off
hall an inch ON each side of each shingle.
When the shingles are laid, there is free
passage, an inch wide at the lower end, for
the flow down the root, of water and dust, SO
that the ram will not spread under the shin
giles. This was done after the root was COM
pleted, and cost considerable sum, so that
small advantage, perhaps, was gained by il,
but it 1t could be done without additional ex.
pense, great saving would result from that
mode OF doing the work. Well, it won cost
anything.
At the mill the shingles are sided to make
the sides parallel and at right angles with the
butt. In this process, the knives can easily
be arranged so as to cut off piece at the
thick end, halt an inch at the butt, tapering
to point aud five inches long. The only
cost would be to crook the knife of tn. siding
machine. This small change in the manu-
facture of shingles in this State would adj
| one half to their value to the consumer, at n,
additional cost to the manufacturer. D.