The times. (Owosso, Mich.) 1882-1897, 1896-12-11
ROOFING FOR THE BARN.
Five Barns Under One Roof That Needs
No Repair.

ago lost by fire five barns writes as
follows about how he supplied these
with new ones. He says:
put all under one roof, and that
roof is large enough to furnish cover for
is SO feet wide and 100 feet long, with
80 foot posts ON 9 foot wall. But what
want to tell about now is the roof. 1t
was an experiment, but has proved very
satisfactory. Instead of using 16 or IS
foot posts, with gambreled roof, de-
cided to use 80 foot posts and a fiat
roof. So now have no timbers to clut-
ter up the space under the roof, but all
is clear up to the beams, which are only
a foot below the top Of the posts. Be-
tween the beams there is nothing up to
the roof joists, which are 2 by 10. 90
feet long and double bridged. On the
joist is laid inch matched Norway
pine. Hemlock or any other wood would
do as well, only it should be of even
thickness and we'll nailed. The roof has
q fall Of half an inch to the foot and
should have no more.
procured the best quality of roofing
felt, single ply, and cut a strip long
enough to go the whole length of the
roof. / divided this into two parts by
cutting one-third the width. This can
be done by rolling the felt very tight
and even, then using sharp saw, keep
ing it we'll oiled while saving the roll.
I got the best quality of roofing pitch,
which is queer stuff. Even in the cold
est weather two pieces laid side by side
will run together and become one. 1
melted this and pitched the boards,
commencing at the caves. A strip one
third the width of the felt, or as wide
as the narrowest piece cut, was rolled
into the pitch while hot.
/ then pitched over the third of the
width of the felt already on and an
equal width by the side, and rolled the
two-t thirds width into this. Inext pitch
ed over these and q sufficient width Of
roofing to equal the full sheet of felt
and rolled the felt into this pitch. now
had, commencing at the edge of the
roof, three, two and one thicknesses
Of felt and three coats of pitch.
now struck line up one-third the
width of the sheet of felt from the
edge. Commencing at this line, I pitch
ed over the felt and upon the roof
boards the width of the roll Of felt and
followed rolling the felt into the hot
pitch. In this way l continued until the
roof was covered. 1 then used tin caps
and barbed wire roofing nails and nail
ed the lower edge Of each sheet Of felt
az inches apart.
1t will be seen that now had my roof
covered with three thicknesses of felt
and three coats of pitch. The felt was
put on single fashion, or one piece lap
ping over the other each time two
thirds. On this run hot pitch about
one. twelfth of an inch deep and into it
put all the coarse gravel could make it
hold. The gravel should be coarse, from
the size Of wheat up to half an inch in
diameter. By using pieces Of two inch
plank, cut one foot square and having a
handle put into the middle, the gravel
can be gently rammed into the hot pitch.
In this way it can be filed full. In such
a roof the pitch fills and preserves the
felt. 1t holds the gravel firmly in place,
and the gravel protects the pitch. My
roof, of course, cost moro money than
one of iron or steel. To all appearances
it is as good as the day it was laid. OF
course felt. pitch and gravel roofs are
nothing new. but if we'll laid will give
satisfaction. The new thing about mine
is the use of three thicknesses and put
ting them on single fashion. Although
little expensive, it looks as though it
would last 100 years with no repair.