Iowa voter. [volume] (Knoxville, Iowa) 1867-1874, 1871-06-29
Increasing the Height of Rooms.

Increasing the Height of Rooms.
1T is frequently desirable to raise the
roof of dwelling house few feet higher
than it was originally built, for the pur-
pose of making sleeping rooms in the at
tic story, or to render the rooms that are
quite too low, more pleasant and airy. But
many builders dare not attempt such a
job, unless they take the roof entirely
down, for fear that they may get dead
fall trap on stills, when they have lifted
the roof from its original foundation. 1t
will be found comparatively easy job to
raise the roof of an ordinary building one
vided a workman will operate understand
ingly. Let us assume, for example,
that it is desired to raise the roof of a
dwelling house, or the roof of one wing,
which is thirty feet long and twenty feet
wide. If the lower ends of the rafters
rest on plates six inches square, or larger,
it will be better to elevate the plates with
the roof, by cutting openings through the
side walls about six feet from each end, to
receive sticks Of timber extending across
the building beneath the plates. If the
building has been erected with balloon
frame, there should be three sticks of
square timber, one near each end, and one
near the middle. Let these timoers be
blocked up close to the urder
side of the plates. The ends of
these sticks need not extend beyond
the outside of the plates, so as to inter
fere with the cornice. II there are no
collar leaves secured to the rafters, the
plates must be fastened, temporarily, to
the timbers, to prevent their spreading as
soon as the roof is lifted. The next step
will be to set a screw near the end of each
stick of timber, on foundation that will
not topple or sway as soon as it receives
the superintendent pressure of the roof
If strong iron jack screws cannst be OBJ
tanned conveniently, three two inch wooden
bench screws will elevate one side Of a
large or small roof with perfect safety.
The writer has frequently lifted the corner
Of thirty by forty foot barn with pair
of two and one-eighth inch wooden screws.
As soon as the timbers are secured in their
proper places, and the screws are set to
lift one side, remove board just below
the cornice, and saw off all the studs on
both sides of the building. Let all the
studs at the gable end be sawed in two at
point nearly in q horizontal line with
the plates, and let the gable end walls and
windows rise bodily with the roof Now,
let the screws be all worked together,
blocking up every inch as fast as the roof
rises. After one side has been elevated six
inches, remove the screws to the opposite
side, and elevate it about one foot, keeping
the timbers beneath the plates and well
blocked as fast as the roof rises.
In case there should be chimney rest
ing on closet, or on the collar beams sup
ported by a partition, procure another
wooden screw, and set it beneath the chin
ney. Four wooden screws will usually
cost no more than the proprietors Of jack
screws are accustomed to charge for the
use of set of screws while performing
such a lob. If the screws are placed on
the foundation so as to elevate the roof
perpendicularly, by raising one side six
inches, then the opposite side one foot,
and, after this, lifting each side alternately
one foot, there will be no difficulty in car
rying up the roof in perpendicular di.
rection, to any desired height, provided
the screws and the blocking are supported
by broad foundation of blocks that will
not rock. Before removing the screws,
see that the blocking is SO secure that the
roof cannot slip, in case the screws are
not set perpendicularly on the opposite
side. AS the roof is lifted, let plumb
line be frequently employed to determine
whether it is not being carried in any di
rection away from perpendicular line
In case the entire roof is one inch or more
too far to the north, let the north side be
lifted one foot higher than the opposite
side, and be blocked up; then set the
screws under the opposite side inclining
about one inch per foot in height. BY this
means, the roof can be carried IN any de.
sired direction, the distance OF half
an inch or two inches. If the screws
are always set perpendlcularly,
the roof will rise in the right direction
If, for example, the plates beneath the
roof to be raised were four feet from the
chamber floor, in lieu of square blocks,
make a strong platform for each screw to
rest on, by placing four pieces Of scantling,
two feet long, on the ends, for corner posts,
and mailing stays from the top OF one TO
the lower end of the another. Then, iet
the scantling stand on strong planks rest
ing on the floor. A crib can then be car.
ried up, on the tops OF the corner posts,
with pieces Of plank, or studs or boaras,
and the foundation will not topplc. AS
soon as the roof has been elevated TO the
desired hight on one side, let the space in
the side wall he filled by mailing pieces OF
studs TO the sides Of the pieces attached to
the plates, and the sides of the studs be-
meath. Then lift the opposite side OF the
roof, and secure pieces Of studs to the sides
of any timbers that have been sawed In two.
If studs, when Tapped together, be nailed
firmly, the side wall will Be about as strong
as if the studs were Of one entire piece Of
timber. Should there be partitions ex-
tending from the floor to the roof tear
away the base boards and saw off the studs
near the floor; and let another screw be
employed to carry up such portions of the
structure, or let . self-acting lever, with .
weight ct the farther end, hold the parti-
ton wall up 70 the desired position - the
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