Construction of the Shell 



55 



plan) four ways, being thus somewhat pyramidal in form. In this type the 

 gables are eliminated by the pitch of the roof. The hip rafters (those which 

 come at the return or intersection of the several roof planes) should be heavier 

 than the common rafters practically of the same size and strength as the 

 valley rafter. 



This form of roof is very strong and is well adapted for large houses, where 

 dormers will admit of enough lighting area for the attic, or for small houses where 

 the attic is used for little else than a storeroom, and little light and head room 

 are required. 



The gambrel roof, so common in the Colonial farmhouse, is most artistic, 

 and very practical for the purposes for which it is designed. It consists, as in 

 the case of the pitch roof, of two sides sloping in opposite directions, but, un- 

 like the simpler form, each of its two sides is made up of two distinct pitches. 

 Although these pitches vary and have no rule to govern their actual relation, 

 still they are always alike, in that the lower pitch is comparatively steep and 

 the upper much flatter (see Fig. 5). 



It will readily be seen that the idea is to eliminate one story, and, at the 

 same time, by making the lower pitch steep, to gain considerably more space 

 and head room than the simple pitch roof would give. The lighting areas are 

 gotten through dormers, and much good small closet and drawer space can be 

 had where the lower walls are furred in. 



The framing is comparatively simple (see Fig. 5). A plate is required at 

 the intersection of the two pitches on which the rafters rest, and, overlapping 

 one another, are spliced. The lower rafters rest on the plate proper, and often 

 in the modern work, though not always, a short false rafter is used to give a 

 slight "kick" to the eaves. Ordinarily 

 the lower pitch embraces but one story. 

 If it is desired to include more, the 

 floor timbers are framed to the rafter 

 with a ledger board or some similar 

 substitute, every other timber being 

 spiked to the rafters as a tie beam. It 

 is essential in this case that the floor 

 timbers should be at right angles to the 

 roof, rather than parallel to it, thus find- 

 ing a bearing and effecting a strong 

 cross tie at the same time. 



After the framing of the walls is 

 complete and any member out of line 

 has been braced or shored into proper 

 position, the rough boarding is put on. 

 This is usually of spruce or hemlock 

 and should be of f stock, planed on one Portion ol , old T^T' " VT^' Ma ? s " showin8 the 



' . overhang effected by the use of a large projecting girt 



side to avoid uneven thickness, and laid 



with the planed side out. It is not necessary that this boarding be matched; 



in fact it is just as well that it is not; nor is it imperative that the joints should be 



