18 FARMERS' BULLETIN 574. 



just under the eaves on the outside of the rear wall for summer venti- 

 lation. The essential point is to have a rear wall which is tight near 

 the roosts to prevent drafts from striking the birds. 



MAKING THE ROOF. 



Specially prepared paper or shingles laid on sheathing may be used 

 for covering the roof. Roofing papers are used very extensively for 

 poultry houses at the present time, and in many places are replacing 

 shingles. As a rule, the former are cheaper and easier to lay, while 

 they can be laid on a much flatter roof than the latter. One or two- 

 ply paper is usually used on the sides, and one, two, and three ply 

 paper on the roofs, although this varies with different styles and grades 

 of manufacture. This paper generally comes in rolls or squares, 

 which cover 100 square feet, and contain directions and materials for 

 use in laying. Paper may be used on roofs which have a slope or rise 

 of 1 or more inches to the foot. Sheathing for paper roofs must be 

 planed on one side and laid tightly to present a smooth surface for the 

 roofing paper, while sheathing paper is often used between the sheath- 

 ing and the roofing paper. Shingles may be laid from 4 to 5 inches to 

 the w r eather on roofs which have one-third or more pitch, which is arise 

 of 8 or more inches to the foot, or one-third of the span of a gable roof. 

 Cedar and cypress shingles are usually laid 5 to 6 inches to the weather 

 on w r alls or on rooi's with one-third pitch, but are not generally used 

 on roofs which have a rise of less than 8 inches to the foot. One 

 thousand shingles, or 4 bundles of cedar shingles, are the equivalent 

 of 1,000 shingles 4 inches wide. In shingling, commence at the eaves 

 or lowest edge by laying a double course, while the rest of the layers 

 are of single courses. They are laid either to a chalk line, which is 

 fastened at the right points at either edge of the roof and snapped to 

 make a mark for the lower edge of the tier of shingles, or to a straight- 

 edged stick. Each shingle is nailed with two either 5 or 6 penny nails, 

 driven 7 to 8 inches from the butt, depending upon the lap, so that the 

 heads of the nails w T ill be covered by the next course. One thousand 

 cedar shingles laid 4J inches to the weather will cover about 125 square 

 feet, depending on their size. Shingles may be laid on narrow 

 sheathing 3 to 5 inches wide, or on common sheathing, which is spaced 

 from 1 to 2 inches apart to allow the roof to dry out quickly, and 

 they should break joints at least 1 inch and as much more as 

 possible. 



ESTIMATING THE AMOUNT OF MATERIAL REQUIRED IN BUILDING. 



Lumber comes in even lengths usually 10, 12, 14, and 16 feet long. 

 It is figured at so much per 1,000 feet board measure, which means the 

 number of square feet which the material would cover if it were 1 inch 

 thick. To compute board measure, divide the area of the cross sec- 



