It is a difficult matter to say that one part of a house is more
important than another, as all parts are important, but a building with
an unstable or leaky roof is an abomination. The framing of the roof
must be strong enough to withstand gales, blizzards, drenching rains,
and the weight of tons of wet snow.
As the method of shingling has been described under tennis court
shelter, it is only necessary to take up the subject of the frame.
Boys will do well to confine their early efforts to plain sloping, or
possibly hipped roofs.
These two styles are illustrated in Fig. 229.
[Illustration: Fig. 229. Roof framing]
The hip roof is the more pleasing and the more difficult to make. It
reduces the attic space, if that is a consideration, and is harder to
cover, or rather it consumes more time, as the question of whether a
piece of work is difficult or not is really a question of whether or
not you know how to do it.
The method of fitting the rafters is shown at Fig. 230. To find length
of rafters, make a drawing to scale, in which _a-b_ is the height above
plate level and _c-b_ half the width of the building measured on the
plate or sill. The angle for cutting the mitre at the ridge may be
obtained from the drawing, also the angles where the fit occurs at the
plate. The length should be distance _a-c_ plus about two feet for the
overhang.
A ridge board is usually inserted between the top ends of the rafters,
and if made from a 7/8-inch board, half an inch should be deducted from
the length of rafters to allow for the difference.
The shape of lower end of rafters will depend on the kind of finish or
cornice to be used. Two kinds are shown, the first and simpler being
suitable for a barn or rough building.
On account of the high price of lumber, most boys will be obliged to
use the most inexpensive style of finish.
Cut all the rafters the same size, and in erecting space them as nearly
two feet apart as possible.
[Illustration: Fig. 230. Building details]
The first pair should be flush with the edge of plate and temporarily
held in position by braces of shingle lath. It will be necessary in
erecting the roof to place timbers and floor boards across the top of
plate as a temporary floor to work on. Nail rafters to ridge board, and
plate with ten-penny wire nails. Two boys must work together on this
job, as every part of the work must be plumb.
When all the rafters are in place, cut and fit the short studs between
plate and rafters, being careful to leave the openings for windows in
the places called for on the plan.
The ship-lap siding may now be continued up to top edge of rafters, and
sawed off even with upper edge.
If novelty siding is used without any under sheathing, it may be
treated in the same way.
Shingling may now be done as described under tennis court accessories.