POULTKY HOUSE CONSTRUCTION. 15 



be of 2 by 4, 2 by 5, or 2 by 6 inch lumber; the first is used only in 

 light buildings; the first and second in buildings where the rafters 

 arc not over 14 feet long; and the latter in climates where the roofs 

 must sustain much weight of snow. It is advisable to use a purlin 

 in buildings where rafters are over 14 feet long. Purlins are usually 

 made of 2 by 6 or 2 by 8 inch material set on edge. They are placed 

 lengthwise of the house above halfway between the front and back 

 walls and make a support for the rafters. A ridge board may be 

 placed between the ends of the rafters at the apex of the house to 

 keep the ridge straight and even. Collar beams or crossties 1 by 6 

 or 1 by 8 inches are used to connect and strengthen the front and 



FIG. 11. A semimonitor style of laying house. 



rear rafters on two-pitch, gable, or combination roofs. They should 

 be placed as low as possible on the rafters, so as to stiffen the frame, 

 but not to interfere with head space. One pair of rafters may be 

 set in position and the rest marked from these, or a square may be 

 set on the rafter, using the inches on the square to correspond to the 

 feet in the slope of the roof and the rafters marked from the angle 

 thus obtained, so that they will fit correctly. Rafters should only 

 be notched or cut enough to fit tightly where they rest on the plates; 

 not ovei 1 inch, as deep notching weakens them. They are usually 

 placed 2 or 2^ feet apart from center to center, so that the sheathing 

 may be used with the least amount of waste. 



CONSTRUCTING FLOORS. 



Wooden floors are usually made of matched flooring and are gen- 

 erally doubled in cold climates to make them tight and warm, in 

 which case the lower layer of boards is usually laid diagonally to 



