A Done with That® Project by Koper, America’s #1 Connected ContractorTM, Free Augmented Article©
An attractive, sturdy roof built over a well, picnic table, sandbox or bicycle rack can make a pleasing addition to your yard. You can even design it to complement the look of your house.
Post and rafter style roofs are easy to build yet sturdy. The dimensions of your roof will depend on the size of the object over which it is being built.
Measure the area you want to cover and determine what size roof is required to provide adequate shelter from rain and snow. The wider the area to be covered, the shallower the angle of the roof
should be. In parts of the country with heavy snowfall, the sides of the roof must be at no less than 45-degree angles so they can shed snow and ice.
Sketch a rough design on a sheet of paper, experimenting with various roof angles. Also keep in mind as you sketch that the vertical support posts will need to be high enough to allow adults to move under the edge of the roof without having to duck their heads. The height of the support posts depends on the angle and size of the roof.
Triangular cant strips and weather strips along the rakes of the rooftop channel ice and snow down the sides of the roof toward the drip edges, ensuring the roof will not be damaged by excessive weight during the winter.
The rafters, barge boards, cant strips and weather strips require miter cuts where they meet at the ridge of the roof; the miter angle is determined by finding the degree of angle of the roof and dividing it by 2. The rafter boards are reinforced by triangular braces called battens and a collar beam that will be parallel to the ground when mounted on the vertical posts.
The shingles you choose for the roof should match or complement those on the roof of your house. For the frame, you should use pressure-treated lumber or naturally rot-resistant wood such as cedar or redwood, especially for the support posts. The posts are fastened to a well tub or other existing structure with anchors and lag screws, or they can be sunk into the ground and anchored with concrete. You should use galanized nails in constructing the frame and particularly for the roofing materials.
Constructing the Roof
1 Measure the outside diameter of the well tub. Measure across the center to ensure accurate dimensions for planning the roof.
2 Decide on the slope of the roof. Set a bevel at the correct angle for the miter cut. Transfer the angle to one end of a 2×4 and cut the rafter.
3 Measure from the tip of the miter cut to the drip edge side of the rafter. Square up that end. Cut three more rafters the same way.
4 Join the mitered edges of two rafter pieces to form the rafter point. Trace the contour of the point onto two 1-inch boards.
5 Use a hand saw to cut out the shape of the rafter from the boards. This will form two triangular rafter braces called gussets.
6 Nail a gusset to each side of the rafter pieces. Take care that the mitered joints of the rafters remain snug and flush as you nail.
7. Lay a collar beam across the rafter. Mark the lower angles of the resulting triangle; they must be equal so the beam will be level.
8 Cut the ends of the collar beam flush with the angle of the rafter and nail the beam in place. Make sure it does not shift as you nail.
9 Select a 2×4 that is straight and unwarped to use as a support post for the roof. Mark a point at the center of its top end.
10 Set the bevel at the same angle used for the rafters and draw a line on both sides of the center point to match the shape of the rafter point.
11 At the lower end of the post, mark three holes, evenly spaced, to anchor the post to the well tub. Drill the holes with a spade bit.
12 Place the post against the well tub and use a masonry bit to drill through the top hole in the post into the well tub.
13 Drive a screw anchor through the top hole in the post and into the well tub. Fasten the board loosely with a lag screw.
14 Use a carpenter’s level to check that the post is plumb. Fasten the remaining lag screws into the well tub the same way; tighten all screws.
15 Lay a 2×4 across the exact center of the tub. Mark on the tub the location for the second support post exactly opposite the first post.
16 Before attaching the second post the same way, level the tops of the two posts. Trim the bottom of the second post, if necessary.
17 Once both support posts are fastened to the well tub, set the two rafter assemblies on the tops of the support posts.
18 Place a torpedo level on the collar beam to ensure the rafter assembly is level. Keeping it level, nail the rafter assembly to the post.
19 Nail sheets of plywood sheathing to the rafters, beginning at the lower drip edge and working toward the ridge.
20 Nail the cant strip flush to the edges of the sheathing. Miter the ends of the cant strips where they meet at the ridge.
21 Roll a layer of roofing felt acros the drip edge of the sheathing, leaving a 1/4-inch overhang. Nail the felt along the drip edge.
22 The second strip of roofing felt should overlap the first by at least /2 inch. Nail the felt flush against the cant strips.
23 Use a sharp utility knife to trim excess felt along the cant strips and drip edges. Work carefully to ensure a smooth, even edge.
24 Begin laying the first course of shingles at the middle of the drip edge. Fasten the shingles securely with roofing nails.
25 Continue to lay shingles, working out to the sides and up to the ridge. Maintain an even overlap a you work.
26 After laying shingles up to the ridge on both sides, overlap the ridge with a single row of shingles.
27 Miter two 1 x6 barge boards and nail them to the cant strips and the edges of the sheathing.
- Nail 1 x2 weather strips onto the edges of the barge boards. Mi- ter the ends that meet at the ridge.
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