The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1883-12-04
Pitch and Gravel Root.

AsOV4s
Ii may be observed that fau
Things have given more trouble r.
owners and occupants of buildinps
IN thls city than roofs for stores. ho.
tells, etc., within the fire Limits
#nere wooden shing .es are not adj
mISSlble. Alterations and ext,emao
OF temperature here are sometimes
great, causing breaks in the roof
inducing leaks with CONSEQUENT
damage anu great ANNOYANCE. so
that some people have no confidenco
in auy of the metals for roofnT
Tin or iron will gradually rust from
below wherever The temperature is IS
low as the freezing pOint, even if thev
can oe protected Dy regular paintinS
from above. Some parties are here
now introducing pitch and gravel
roofs, and as precautiOn to inter
ested parties, | beg leave in your
journal to state that,
These roofs are to be recon.
mended only when properly con-
structed and laid in thoroughly
Workmanlike manner, observing.
First, The fall OR slant of the
roof must not exceed four inches In
ten feet "a little less than half an
inch to the foot
Second, The boards must first he
covered with loose sheets of the
prepared paper without any pitch
whatever so that the shrinking and
swelling of the boards underneath
will not tear or affect the roofing
material.
Third, Have three other thick
nesses OF the prepared paper laid,
single fashion, on top of the loose
paper, one-third to the weather, and
pitch well laid On the other two
thirds OF each sheet, as nearly as
possible.
Fourth, Finish with a coat of
pitch over all, putting on an excess
OF small, fine gravel, perfectlg drv.
while still hot. so that it will bed
into tAe pitch, leaving an inch or
more q loose gravel on top.
The reasons for making these
roofs SO nearly fiat are that they will
shed the rain and be Watertjgbt.
when well put on, even if the fall be
only an inch in ten feet; whila if
there be much more fall given than
four inches in tea feet, the giavel
will be liable to wash off. or move.
IN heavy rain or wind, and the
pitch to run when the hot summers
sun strikes it. When these roofs
are covered with all the perfectly
dry, fine gravel that will stick to the
pitch, and are sufficiently near level
to re;ain a layer of gravel on top of an
inch or more in depth, they will be
reasonably proof against sparks and
heavier pieces that fly from a con-
migration: but when the excess of
gravel can't stay in place on ac-
count OF the great slant, the roof
becomes much less safe from the
attacks of fire from outside.
An additional advantage in hav-
ing to this class of roofs no greater
fall than what has been stated.
arises from the fact that such a
body of gravel will keep the roofing
material in place without the use
OF nails or any fastening, and prob.
aoly nails are unnecessary, if not
Injurious, except perhaps where the
material is turned up against the
ire walls and over the caves at the
rear.
Ii there be ceiling under pitch
and gravel roof, the space between
the ceiling and roof icing air-tight,
1t is necessary to ventilatate the
same with wooden or other tubes to
prevent injury to the roof from
the great expansion and contraction
Of the air when confined, and in
such a way that a great force of
wind cannot get under the roof.
Recently l saw small place
'oOfed with what purported to be
pitch and gravel. where the fall was
10 great that gravel could not stay.
except a very little, which was
stuck fast in the pitch, and to make
'ure that it would be water-tight
heet of domestic was spread out as
fnal covering and coated with tar
md pitch-appearing to be one of
1e most in1ammable materials
md in about the centre of the fire
limits. Where, oh! where is Bishop
Raleigh? L. w. ELLERBECK.
Salt Lake City, Dec. 3, 1888.