The Barre daily times. (Barre, Vt.) 1897-1959, 1911-03-09
MAKING A CEMENT ROOF.
Getting Permanent Results at Modest
Cost.

Roofing has become quite a deep prob
lem for all real estate owners who have
to roof and keep buildings, in repair,
says W. A. Bangs in the Rural New
Yorker Years ago. when our forefa-
theirs had the old original pine and hem
lock straight of grain and lasting
quality Of from SO TO rs years, a man
OF rs or 80 years, building q new house
or barn, did not expect to have to re-
roof in his natural lifetime, barring
accidents. The life Of an ordinary pine,
hemlock or chestnut shingle roof Of to-
day is practically Is years, and shin
giles at $3.50 per 1000, besides nails
and cost Of putting on. They must be
repaired several times in order to get
Is years wear. This makes a very ex-
pensive as well as unsatisfactory roof.
Cedar makes a good roof if you get
the genuine cedar. but many farmers
have paid the price OF cedar shingles,
but the lasting qualities were no bet
ter than home manufacture, which cost
about half as much. Same way with
different felt preparations; some give
fair return for the money, while 9TH
ers are worthless or nearly so. Slate
Is good, but out Of many farmers reach
in price and cost Of putting on Many
farmers who can afford il are putting
on galvanized iron as they are COM
PEELED to reroof, but that Is also very
expensive One man of my acquain.
lance paid over $500 the past year for
galvanized iron roofing. The dust at
thrashing time Is very destructive TO
shingle roofs, and the moisture from
sweating hay and grain hard on metal,
beside the outside elements wearing on
them continually.
In the spring Of 1907 ] decided to
build a small building for storing lime,
fertilizer, cement Or anything that had
to be held a short time and must be
kept perfectly dry. | first made good
concrete foundation, as | intended to
load it heavily for the size Of the build
ing, six by twelve, with shed roof,
When l was ready for the roof / put
false work Of old boards inside the
building even with top of plates, also
boards about twelve inches wide on out
side at top for caves and projections;
then ] drove a 30-penny wire spike
every twelve inches to stick up about
half an inch. Then | drew No II fence
wire from one spike head to the other,
both long and short way Of the build
ing, weaving like a chair bottom. Then
| put on my roof OF cement. one part
cement TO three of sand, two inches
thick
Pieces Of old buggy tires about Is
inches long were bedded in the fresh
cement on corners of the projections to
reinforce them. In few days / re-
moved the false work from inside and
| found | had a roof that | think viii
be doing business for many generations,
and / think it would carry an ordinary
team of horses without being damaged
In the least. The cost was $40, which
included 80 cents for sand and 50 cents
for man half day to mix the cement
while / put it on As the roof has
passed the experimental stage. having
passed through all kinds Of storms with
ont leaking or showing any signs of
wear, / pronounce il success. and al
most as cheap as poor shingles, besides
the protection from fire, wind and hail
storms, and see nothing in particular to
bar the use Of cement for any build
ing. large or small with good founda-
ton walls and a little extra timber for
verv large buildings. A building of
that kind if built Of good material and
kept well painted should last for gen
erations.