Timber roof ?

[TheGlassHouseproject]

I am considering the potential of covering my workshop in large Timber Lengths.

I’ve been working with Large Timbers for a while now and see the potential of laying the planks side by side probably linked together with a large routed tong n groove.

If i covered the roof conventionally with normal material I would have to remove the protruding 1f high wall running along one side of the Workshop/Garage. To ensure I can wrap fold/seal the roof correctly.

So, by laying the planks across I have the potential of introducing a sweet curved look using 13foot+ locked together.

Q: So my question is..
Has anyone done anything like this and when considering how boat timbers are lock/sealed together how could I achieve a seal while keeping the Timber aesthetic as the finished look.

Any Thoughts..
Regards,
Bren.

 

[AJB Temple]

A drawing or photo would help. It is harder to keep water out of wooden boats than you might think! A roof is subject to extremes of dryness and wetness and a tongue and groove joint will move and provides an ingress point for water unless you can caulk it successfully as on a boat deck.

Could you use cedar shingles instead? These are wood of course and do keep the weather out and can last for many years.

 

[MikeG.]

I wouldn't be laying them like a carvel-planked boat. I would definitely be lapping them like shingles. One of the reasons boats stay watertight is that the wood is kept wet. If you try a flush wooden roof with caulking between the joints it will suffer terribly in the sun.

The Weald & Downland gridshell roof is roofed with long timbers, but lapped like a shingle roof. It's a pretty ugly roofing, frankly.

 

[TheGlassHouseproject]

Excellent info.
Boats need to stay wet. Awesome insite.
Thank you.

So I can exclude young n groove and calk / boat style.

Thanks guys.

 

[Woody2Shoes]

There's a long tradition of using 'sarking boards' under an outer roof covering of shakes/shingles, lead/copper, tiles (where they can be used like battens) or maybe felt/edpm. For example, https://swanbarnfarm.wordpress.com/2011 ... ng-boards/

 

[TheGlassHouseproject]

Thanks for that.
I love this type of roofing.

These planks run across the roof and overlapped. But I’m thinking of how to lay planks down the roof and take advance of the little flexibility in heavy wide planks and introduce a curve.

My flat roof has a very subtle incline with a wall rising up on 3 sides above the roof. Sealing it has been costly and waistfull so I was initially gonna drop the wall down to roof height and extend the roof over and out to allow sufficient overhang before re-covering.

However, i am considering keeping the walls and laying planks across..

Will send photo and poss sketch later today.

Thanks for everything I better get back to work now.. lol

Thanks again,
Catch u all later
Bren.