SHEDS 



necessary to use larger stuff and especially in the plate above 

 the wide doorway. A two-story machine shed will, of course, 

 require heavier and more substantial framing, but a two- 

 story shed is comparatively rare. A floor may or may not 

 be used as the owner may desire. It is likely to prove some- 

 what expensive in first cost and in maintenance, though for 

 convenience it is much to be desired, especially if any repair 

 work is to be done in the building. 



The roof may be of almost any style from the simple 

 single pitch shed roof to the modified shed roof or the 

 ordinary double pitch gable roof. It is desirable that the 

 pitch should be not less than one-quarter in order to get the 

 greatest life out of the shingles, which are likely to collect 

 moisture and give shorter service where the pitch is quite 

 flat. The foundation of a machine shed will naturally not be 

 designed for great strength except in the case of a two-story 

 structure, since the onlyload which it has to support is that 

 of the superstructure itself. A footing 12 to 16 inches wide 

 at the bottom and extending down a foot or 15 inches into 

 solid soil will support a building of this kind. However, 

 if a concrete floor is put in the building as is sometimes 

 done in the more expensive ones, it will be well to extend 

 the foundation wall and footing to a point below the frost 

 line, which will vary from a foot to three feet according to 

 climate. 



Sills are usually not necessary in the simple framing of 

 machine sheds. The posts can be set directly upon founda- 

 tion walls and fastened in any one of many different ways 

 that have been devised. Timbers are more subject to decay 

 at the ends than elsewhere, consequently it is advisable to 

 treat them at this point with a preservative such as creosote. 

 This will add greatly to the durability. The foundation wall 

 should be brought up some distance above the ground so as 

 to further protect the bottom timbers from moisture. This 

 above-ground extension must be omitted at doorways. 



One of the most serious problems in the design of a 

 machine shed is the insertion of doors. Wide doors are an 

 absolute necessity, especially for certain machines. An 

 eight-foot door is large enough for the majority of farm 

 machines, even allowing the modern binder with its folding 

 grain dividers to enter in safety. The wide drill, the rake, 

 and several other implements require a much wider door than 

 this and it may be necessary to provide an opening 12 or 

 even 14 feet wide. This leaves a long unsupported section 



Eleven 



