The Roof

The type of roof used on a log cabin is largely a matter of personal choice. It should, however, har­monize with the rustic surroundings. Wood shingles are satisfactory, and will last 15 to 50 years, depending on the wood and climate. They probably are more

Floors and roofs give the inexperienced builder much trouble but this work should be easy if these directions are carefully followed

hazardous, from the fire standpoint, than some other types. Slabs, strips sawed or split from logs so that they are flat on one side and curved outward on the other, can be used, but generally do not give a leak proof roof. Composition roofing, composition shingles, asbestos shingles, and the like can be used, if they are of a dark, dull color such as brown. Asbestos shingles that simulate weathered wooden ones, even to ridges imitating the raised grain, are available.

But whatever the type of covering, the framework for the roof will not vary much from established designs.

Building and finishing a gable is a simple matter as is indicated by the directions given in this illustration

The plate is the top part of the wall on which the roof rafters rest. This can be a sawed timber or a log. When a straight gabled roof is used—one that looks, in cross section, like the letter V inverted—there may be only two plates, one on each side. When a hip roof—one that resembles a gabled roof with the ends sliced off on an angle—is used, the plates extend along all four walls.

The plates support the rafters, which are notched to fit over them. The tie beam is a pole or 2- by 4-in. plank that ties the ends of the plates together, when but two plates are used. The upper ends of the rafters come together at the ridge piece, a 2- by 6-in. board running the full length of the roof. Rafters are spaced from 16 to 20 in. apart, a closer spacing being used when the roof is likely to have a heavy load of snow to support. The pitch or steepness of the roof is deter­mined by the relative dimensions of the span or hori­zontal distance across the roof measured above the plates, and the height or distance from the plane of the plates to the ridge piece.

Generally the roof should be one-fourth to one-half pitch. A steeper pitch can be used in regions of heavy snowfall. A roof having a one-fourth pitch has a rise of 6 in, every foot, the height being one fourth the span. When the pitch is one half, the rise is 12 in. every foot, and the span is twice the height.

Cutting rafters demands care, if they are to fit properly, They can be made of either 4- or 6-in. poles or 2- by 4-in. boards. A satisfactory way of notching pole rafters and the plate at the point of intersection is illustrated. When the plate and rafters are 2- by 4-in. timbers, only the rafter is notched, for a maximum depth of half its diameter. Spikes hold the pieces to­gether.

Wide eaves are desirable in log cabins because they keep the log walls dry and add to the rambling ap­pearance of the building. Therefore the rafters generally should project beyond the log walls for a distance of at least a foot.

Upper ends of the rafters are cut on an angle that will permit them to fit solidly against the ridge piece. Whether pole or dimensioned rafters are used, this ridge piece should be of sawed lumber. Rafters are fastened to the ridge piece with nails.

In erecting a roof, cut the ridge piece the same length as the plates, and cut the end rafters (four in number for a straight gable roof) to the proper dimen­sions. The angles at which the upper and lower ends of the rafters are cut is determined by the pitch de­sired. A steel square is employed for determining the angle as described in Chapter VIII. Erect the end rafters and fasten them to the ridge piece and plates, which previously should be marked to indicate the positions of other rafters. Then fasten in place the remaining rafters. The roof now is ready for sheathing.

If you have a quantity of slabs cut from logs or can obtain them cheaply at a sawmill, you can use them for sheathing. For a shingle roof there should be spaces between slabs. If the slabs are 4 in. in diameter, they can be spaced 2 in. apart. Lay the slabs with the flat side up (bark side down). If composition roofing requiring a uniform foundation is used, the slabs should fit tightly together at the edges, and some wood should be cut from the edges to eliminate thin parts. Extend the sheathing beyond the gable ends for the required distance, If desired, you can nail the project­ing ends of the sheathing to false rafters or boards.

When laying a shingle roof, start with a double course of shingles at the eaves, and then work towards the ridge, all remaining courses being single. Most of each shingle is covered by the ones above it. Satisfac­tory amounts to expose to the weather are: for shingles 16 in. long, 5 in.; 18-in. shingles, 5 ½ in., and 24-in. sizes, 10 in. Space shingles 1/8 in., if they are not wet thoroughly just before laying, or dipped in creosote stain. Use copper or zinc-coated nails.

Before laying any kind of roof, cover the ridge and any valleys with painted sheet metal, to reduce possi­bility of leaking. This metal should extend about 12 in. each way from the joint. The roof covering is laid over it. The ridge of the roof is finished off with a ridge cap of some sort. An excellent cap for a log cabin is made by cutting a V groove along a pole 4 in. or so in diameter. Another way of making a cap is to nail two pieces of 1-in. lumber together to form a trough measuring about 6 in. on a side. Still another way of finish­ing off the ridge is to lay shingles as indicated in one of the sketches.

There are numerous variations that can be intro­duced for creating an interesting roof of composition material laid in rolls. One way is to run the strips parallel to the roof ends, that is, from eaves to ridge; and then nail a batten over the seams, after the usual tarred joints have been made. The battens are made by splitting 3-in. poles in halves, or can be sawed strips or sawmill slabs. Other attractive systems can be worked out. As another example, a composition roof can be covered completely with parallel slabs, to give the appearance of the old-fashioned slab roof that, un­fortunately, nearly always leaked.

There are a variety of ways to finish the gable ends of log cabins. One is to run the logs all the way to the roof top, cutting the ends to the proper bevel.

Another method that produces a weather-tight and good-Looking job is to set 1 by 12-in. boards on end, fastening their lower ends to the tie beam and their upper ends to the end rafters, and then sealing the cracks between edges with battens made of ½ - or ¾ -in. wood strips about 4 in. wide. Slabs can be used for battens.

The gables can be made of logs or poles set on end and made weather-tight by chinking. A similar effect is produced by slabs in vertical position, nailed either to flat boards or to other slabs set with their flat sides outward and staggered so that joints are covered. In­cidentally, this method can be employed for inside partitions.

Shingled gables blend with log construction. Small-sized shingles, such as the 16-in. size with 4 ½ or 5 in. of wood exposed to the weather, are preferable because the narrow horizontal rows are in harmony with the squatty appearance of the cabin.

A useful feature is a wood ventilator consisting of a series of wood strips set at an angle with lower edges on the outside, installed in the gable. This keeps out rain but admits air. It should be screened on the in­side to exclude insects, and provided with a hinged cover so that it can be closed in cold weather.

There are, of course, variations to the method of framing a roof. One way that was employed genera­tions ago, and still is to be found in vacation cabins, is to build the gable ends up to the desired height and shape, and then lay logs or poles parallel to each other and to the eaves. The projecting ends of these poles produce a decorative effect at the gables. Butts and tops are alternated, so that an even construction results. If the poles are laid close together, shingles can be applied directly to them. If composition roofing is used, sheathing must be added. Sometimes these parallel poles or "ribs" are spaced 2 ft. or so apart, and are covered with sheathing running from eaves to ridge. Any type of roof covering can be applied.

A log cabin generally is constructed with ceiling joists or beams. These are logs or dimensioned pieces extending across the cabin, the ends being fastened to the side plates. When the interior is to be finished with ceiling, it makes little difference which kind of ceiling joists are used, because they will be hidden from view. Two-by-fours, their ends spiked to the roof rafters, are commonly employed. When the interior is not to be celled, rustic beams extending across the room add much to the appearance. These beams can be massive, and can support vertical logs that extend up to the roof ridge, and which are made rigid with rustic braces set at angles of about 45 degrees to the joists and up­rights. Spacing of beams is determined largely by their sizes. Ceiling joists made of 2- by 4-in. lumber generally are on 16-in. centers.

Continue to Log Cabin Porches and Interior Details

How To Build A Log Cabin