# Wooden Shingle Rooves



## Dwight Ennis (Jan 2, 2008)

Since my earliest modeling days, I've seen scratchbuilding articles and craftsman kits (Campbell's, FSM) use a solid timber piece (3x3, 4x4) running lengthwise along the ridge of a simulated wooden shingle roof. These solid timbers are generally supposed to be mounted in a diamond orientation - i.e. from an end view, the timber orientation resembles a diamond. The top row of shingles butts up against this timber.

However, when looking at Google images of old, wooden shingle rooves (weird word, but I looked it up - "rooves" = plural noun of singular "roof"), the ridge in the photos is usually angled "cap shingles" (I have no idea if that's the correct nomenclature), or in a few cases, a sheet metal angle.

So my question is, are these solid timber "cap" or "ridge" pieces prototypical, or are they a form of modeler's license?


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## Ironton (Jan 2, 2008)

Dwight,

I cannot answer your question directly, but do have an insight.

The major purpose of a roof is to protect the building below it. This is usually done by applying a covering which directs rain and melted snow off the roof rather than into the building. Thus the ovelap rules.

The beam along the ridge would seem to fly in the face of this practice. There is a crack between the beam and the top row of shingles regardless of how well the shingles were originally applied (very tiny when new and increasin as the wood shrinks and the building moves). So I would suspect the idea of a beam was for the cap shingles to be nailed to rather than the finis structure.

Just my thoughts.


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## Dwight Ennis (Jan 2, 2008)

Thanks Rich!  I got some good answers on another forum I posted this on which caters to the smaller scales I'm currently working on. Here's a link to that post and the answers if you're interested...

http://www.railroad-line.com/forum/topic.asp?TOPIC_ID=45726


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## Semper Vaporo (Jan 2, 2008)

I read this earlier and didn't really understand until later when I was away from the computer and the whole idea gelled in me punkin haid. I think that 3x3 or 4x4 beam laying on the point is serving two purposes for the modeler... 1) it is a structural member, being the "ridge board" of a gabled roof. 2) once the shingles are applied, they usually leave a portion of this board exposed above the surface of the shingles that are butted up to its length and it then LOOKS LIKE a "Ridge Cap" over them (even though it really leaves a very leaky joint that would not do for a real roof).


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## Richard Weatherby (Jan 3, 2008)

Dwight;
The link below is the current authority for shingle/shake roofing. Ridge details are shown on pages 11 (per pdf). Please disregard ridge vents for historical buildings.

http://www.cedarbureau.org/manuals/imperial/2015/RFI/RoofManual-0407-i.pdf


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## Dwight Ennis (Jan 2, 2008)

Thank you Richard.  Very helpful!!


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## R.W. Marty (Jan 2, 2008)

Dwight,
The ridge "boards" were used where metal was not readily available.
I have also seen old buildings with one board lapped beyond the top of the other
on the off weather side. Guess they thought it gave more protection to the 
joint.
Rick


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## Mike Flea (Apr 8, 2014)

That link is interesting, I put a shake roof on the round henhouse the wife made for our farm.


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## Pete Thornton (Jan 2, 2008)

Dwight. That word didn't look right to me.
FYI:


> *Roofs vs. rooves*
> 
> *Roofs*is the plural of _roof _in all varieties of English. _*Rooves* _is an old secondary form, and it still appears occasionally by analogy with other irregular plurals such as _hooves_, but it is not common enough to be considered standard.


http://grammarist.com/usage/roofs-rooves/


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