3/13/2023 0 Comments Best design?I often get asked what the best design is for a building, so I’m going to cover some of the pros and cons of each design, but ultimately it is a matter of what you like best!
The Hip roof is a style that has the roof sloping down to each side of the building, I believe as a structure when properly built offers the most strength. And I also find the symmetry quite pleasing to my eye. It also offers the best protection from weather as the shingles meet the fascia in a downward direction giving extra protection from wind, rain and the combination of the two which can be quite destructive as water can be pushed horizontally underneath shingles when this is not the case. The downsides to this design is that it can be difficult to the inexperienced builder also this has the minimum interior space when one wants to max out storage as in many sheds. The Gable and Saltbox designs are buildings that have only 2 sloped roof surfaces and can be oriented as a front and back slope which is the case for almost any Saltbox design, and can be done on Gables as well or a side to side style where the front and back walls go up to the peak of the roof aka the gable ends of the building. This is a classic design clean and simple. It offers the most interior space. Can also be strong when built properly. Looks very nice when features like gable dormers and gable overhangs are added. This roof style can be susceptible to wind, catching shingle, ledges, and also wind driven rain can get underneath the gable end sides. The Modern slope and Lean-to styles are opposite to each other when it comes to slope direction but share some of the same characteristics as in the roof slopes only in one direction. This style can be quite simple to build when the side overhangs are small and they get a little trickier with larger side overhangs. When used as a screen for privacy, or to block out unpleasant views the high front wall of the Modern slope can often achieve this. This design can be a blank canvas to achieve the desired look. The lean- to is often used to build up against another structure. This single slope style of roof is often the most susceptible to the wind driven rain and generally offers the lowest slope angle. This can affect the lifespan of shingles. The 5 sided building is quite basically a Hip roof and shares many of the strengths of that design. It also offers the ability to face an open area while maintaining equal spacing in a corner due to the front angled wall. This is a stunning building when the 3 front walls get an extended overhang. This building is difficult to build and even more complex when extending the front overhangs and must be properly supported to last. It can be built but doesn’t not have the same appeal when 2 back walls do not share the same dimensions. Gerry From left to right Hip roof with extended overhang, Gable shed with gable dormer, Modern slope with transom window features 5 sided with extended overhang
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3/13/2023 1 Comment Nails or screws?There is some to be debate on which is stronger screws or nails?
Nails have been used for centuries as a means to join two pieces of wood together. The oldest nails were individually made by blacksmiths. Once so valuable that laws were passed to prevent early settlers from burning down their houses in order to reclaim them. Modern nails are made from steel wire and remain flexible even after being stamped into shape. For the last 175 years nails have been manufactured by machines and perhaps only in the last 60 years these nails have been placed on strips and later in coils for nail guns. This has made assembly of homes and other structures much faster, and I’m sure has saved quite a few elbows as well. The best nail for building is a spiral nail, as the name suggests it spins into the wood as it penetrates, making it much more difficult to remove. A screw is a further advancement on this but requires a great deal more effort in it’s application. It definitely has more holding strength than a nail but because of the way most screws are made with soft steel being shaped and then hardened it becomes brittle. I know I have over tightened or screwed into knots or dense material and snapped a few heads off myself. Lumber used in construction is naturally flexible and when floors combined with walls and then roofs all made from this naturally flexible material are exposed to high winds, heavy loads or natural disasters like an earthquake, it makes sense to not have a connector that might snap, as the old adage goes it is “better to bend than to break”. As for me, I have seen firsthand how a spiral nail into damp Lumber that is allowed to dry for sometime becomes nearly impossible to remove so my inclination will always be to use a nail over a screw, but not just any nail, a full head spiral nail! Gerry Shown below are (from bottom left) smooth shank nail, spiral shank nail, coarse threaded wood screw, half head nail, full head nail and above those are examples of strip and collated nails |
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