Economy of Roof Construction 109 



considerable importance, the ordinary building laths 

 may be used, and will answer the purpose admirably, 

 although somewhat heavier battens will be more 

 durable. A mistake is sometimes made in selecting 

 heavy battens which will not draw down by nailing 

 as well as lighter ones. The battens on the outside 

 boarding and the tarred building paper on the 

 inside boarding make two coverings, each of which is 

 impervious to wind, with an air-space between them. 



Roofs. Various kinds of material are used in the 

 construction of roofs for poultry houses, although 

 shingles are more generally employed than anything 

 else. Tin, steel, and various kinds of roofing-paper 

 are used, although they are more or less objection- 

 able on account of the great heat radiated in the 

 building during the hot summer months. 



Roofs of various forms are constructed. The 

 gable and lean-to or shed roofs are used most. A 

 shed roof may be constructed with a trifle less 

 labor than a gable roof, yet it is not nearly so eco- 

 nomical in the matter of space as the latter. At first 

 thought, a shed roof may seem to include the most 

 space, but upon closer analysis it will be found 

 that the gable roof, other things being equal, includes 

 considerably more space. To further illustrate, we 

 will suppose that boards twelve feet long are to be 

 used for the side walls in constructing a house 

 twelve feet wide, the roof to be one-third pitch. If 

 the gable form be used, the building would then 



