cabin roof

[JNG]

My wife and I just bought some land next to our previous property. It has a half acre pond, also butts up to the land that I lease with a few other retired firefighters. Question, I am going to build a ~12x12 cabin until we decided what we are going to do after the folks pass. I was looking to make a slant roof to the rear. But the more pictures I view most roofs slant to the front. I know that this is not about leverguns, but what the hay, I need your input.

Thanks

[brno602]

It is not traditional but go with a metal roof it will out last the cabin.

[Mescalero]

+1 on the metal roof, no problems.

[kimwcook]

I'd slant my roof to the rear. Rain, snow, whatever runs off the back and not onto the front porch. I'd use metal roofing as well. I'd have some type of cover for the front door. Again so it keeps the rain, snow, etc.. from coming down in front of the door.

[horsesoldier03]

I would slope to the front, but I would have a porch, you have to have someplace to sit in the morning! Rain gutters would be nice too!

[jnyork]

Some nice colored metal roofing, say green or red, would not at all be out of place on a rural cabin, would look nice and be there forever with no maintenance.

[AJMD429]

Absolutely go with METAL. This roof replaced a cedar-shake one with decking of 1x6's in horrible shape, and cost about the same as replacing the roof with "30-year architectural shingles" and repairing the deck. It's warrantied for 100 years, up to 130 mph winds , and I think hail up to 8". This particular style comes in 3'x5' interlocking sheets you fasten to the joists (decking basically 'optional') with 4" stainless screws, and the individual panels are strong enough that the guy installing them could just sit on one while it was on a pair of sawhorses without it bending. Weight is actually LESS than shingles, underlayment, and decking would be.



You can't see it well in this photo, but it has the grainy-stuff shingles have, and moulded 'shingle' contours, so you can't really tell it's not shingles, other than after 10 years it still looks 'new'.

The house has cathedral ceilings of 2"x6" cedar tounge-and-groove wood laid on 8"x8" box-beams 4 ft apart, and on top of those is styrofoam 3/4" thick with 1"x4" strips for nailing/supporting the 1"x6" decking boards that are spaced with ventilation gaps (due to the cedar shake roof we replaced). That means the total roof thickness is only about 4", yet when it is pouring rain, you hear no "tin-roof noise" (although that never really bothered me, but the anti-metal-roof crowd always says it will deafen you in a rainstorm).

Personally, the standing-seam smooth metal roofs are fine with me, though, and probably cost even less.

DITTOS on the "watch where your snow will slide off" stuff - our 30'x60' pole barn has a garage door on the 'long' side, so one time a 15'x60' avalanche of snow fell off all at once, locking my four-wheel-drive truck inside. I couldn't 'push' the snow due to it being all compacted and no blade on, and I couldn't drive over it, due to the snow lifting my truck enough the garage door would have hit the windshield even when raised.

[Malamute]

I rather like a peak in the roof running lengthwise of the cabin. If you extend the ridgeline forward 6 or 8 feet, you have a nice porch, no pitch break (angle change) to construct or to leak as when you put a porch roof on the low end of a roof eave, and good protection for the doorway. No gutters needed either, all the rain and snow runs off the sides. Gives good headroom inside as well.

I'd go just a bit larger if you can swing it. 12x12 isnt very big. I've been in a 14x18 for a couple years. It's small, but functional. I lived in this 16x22 for a couple years back in the 90's, it's a much more practical size. Picture shows the roofline style I was talking about.

[2ndovc]

I'm with Malamute. Won't cost that much more and you will have fewer problems than with a flat roof.


jb

[DennisD]

I recently built a 14X20 camp house at my place in the woods. I, like others have suggested; went with a metal roof. I used 28 gauge galvanized "R" panel which was a little shiny at first but being under some live oak trees it has patined nicely. "R" panel doesn't look rustic but it is very strong plus they make a closure that seals it nicely. I would like to make another suggestion; I went with a 10" on 12" pitch. Then for 8' on one end of the camp house I put 2"x8" joists but didn't set them on top of the sidewall plate but instead put scab studs 6'5" tall next to the actual studs and set the joists on top of those. That gave me good headroom underneath to make a small bathroom and dining area. Then I decked the top of the joists which gave me a 8' long loft. With the 10" on 12" roof pitch, I have enough space right down the middle in which I, at 6' tall can stand up straight. I put a mattress on one side for sleeping and use the other side for storage. Then for the remaining 12' of the camp house length I only put 2 joists spaced evenly. That gives me kinda a cathedral ceiling. I finished out the entire thing with a mix of knotty cedar, coarse cut cedar and even made the ladder to the loft out of 3"x6" coarse cut cedar. I didn't do the extended roof for a porch like malamute suggested (didn't have room between the trees) but it will be very easy to do so if I ever want to cut down the oaks for a porch.

[Tycer]

A slope to the rear is fine. Perhaps you could consider an overhang in the front making a sort of gable roof and extend the floor joists to give you a small protected deck to remove muddy boots and what not. You can cut just the raised portion of the metal roof panels and allow the panels to bend at the cuts tying the porch part to the rest of the building. If your pitch is pretty low, the cuts can be left open or filled with Lexel or similar, if your pitch is steep you might want a ridge piece.

On a low pitch flat roof, EPDM with a living/green roof on top gives great insulation against heat and cold and if you get a bit of sun can grow veggies or flowers. If it's dry there sedums will flourish and give plenty of shade to keep it cool.

[Griff]

I rather like a peak in the roof running lengthwise of the cabin. If you extend the ridgeline forward 6 or 8 feet, you have a nice porch, no pitch break (angle change) to construct or to leak as when you put a porch roof on the low end of a roof eave, and good protection for the doorway. No gutters needed either, all the rain and snow runs off the sides. Gives good headroom inside as well.

I'd go just a bit larger if you can swing it. 12x12 isnt very big. I've been in a 14x18 for a couple years. It's small, but functional. I lived in this 16x22 for a couple years back in the 90's, it's a much more practical size. Picture shows the roofline style I was talking about.

I'm with Malamute also. Just swing the peak around to run across the cabin and have the peak over the front wall. (Note: my TENT is 16'x20'... 12' x 12' is awful SMALL!!)

[adirondakjack]

On a small cabin like 12X12 (my office/workshop started out 12X16, is now 17x16), I'd use a peaked roof. Yep, more work, but in the end, more value. Run the spine front to back and ya can always add a small awning roof over the front door later. With a slant running toward the front, snow and rain are issues outside the front door.. Before I re-worked my shop, the only available exit door was on a sloped side, and I was always worried snow would drop off and trap me inside (yep, I'd have to climb out a window).

Though metal roofing is all the rage, I prefer a regular shingle roof. They are quieter, provide better insulation from the sun (important in a small space), and if ya use good stuff, will last 30 years.


The add-on "porch" is really a mower/chainsaw, etc shed to keep the gasoline-powered stuff outside. I plan on enclosing it next year. For now it is just a deck and roof, enclosed by silver tarp.

a peek inside the bullet casting room



side view, showing the other door and the potential problem of snow dropping off and blocking the door.
The "crib" on the back of the building is a woodshed. I heat the place with a masonary heater that will go the winter on a cord of wood.

[Ray Newman]

Seems to me you'll first need to determine which way the land slopes and water drains off and accordingly plan the building site and the building from there??

No use in sloping the roof to either the front or rear if there is a chance that water will drain towards the structure.

Metal iroofs are popluar around here. From what I've been told, be sure to more than amply insulate the structure -- esp. the ceiling -- as the metal will draw in the cold and increase the rain noise.

[Malamute]

Ive used metal roofs on a number of houses and cabins I'be built and lived in. Never heard they could make it any colder. I think that's more of somebody's guess or an old wives tale. They probaby do add heat in summer if they're dark colored. Any reasonable amount of insulation along with a proper venting system will deal with it and any additional rain noise. I have 8" rafters (with R-20-something insulation), and sometimes when it starts raining I can't hear it unles I stop, and look outside to confirm that I heard something.

You should vent the roof, to prevent condensation in winter and heat buildup in summer. It's fairly simple to do. There's various ways to do it, but a 3/4" air space between the sheathing and insulation, with vented ridge or gable end, and eave (low end) vents should be used, screened to keep bugs out. With a metal roof, the ridge vent can be completely hidden using the standard ridge cap most manufacturers have available, and versa-vent. I like doing a simple stepped facia that conceals the eave vent and looks nice.

[adirondakjack]

As to heat and cold, metal is conductive. Asphalt shingles are an insulator. Yes a shingle roof will get hot, but metal readily passes the heat trough the roof in either direction.

A peaked roof with a conventional ceiling of sheetrock and insulation above, and a COLD ROOF (no insulation against it) works. Vent the "attic" area.... My little shop, at noon in summer is often 10-15 degrees cooler than outside, if it has been sut up since the day before. In winter, even when the fire is out by midnight, at noon it'll be 20 - 40 degrees above outside temps. Sheetrock and fiberglass.....

[AJMD429]

A peaked roof with a conventional ceiling of sheetrock and insulation above, and a COLD ROOF (no insulation against it) works. Vent the "attic" area.... My little shop, at noon in summer is often 10-15 degrees cooler than outside, if it has been sut up since the day before.

In really hot weather, we'll sometimes put a 'soaker' hose at the roof peak, and run maybe a half-gallon per minute (we're on a well) through it - the 55 degree well-water drips off the roof (what doesn't evaporate) at 130 degrees or more. It reduces the inside temperature (cathedral ceiling, conventional drywall, fiberglass, ridge-vent, shingles) maybe 8-10 degrees, and saves a bit on air conditioning. Not bad for just the cost of pumping a horse-trough's worth of water during the daytime.

[Tycer]

While we're talking about heat....

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[Batman1939]

I'd go with Malamute's plan. Also, his advice regarding both insulation and venting is sound. The additional costs necessary with be worth it in terms of comfort in using your cabin in both summer and winter. Just my opinion.

[Old Ironsights]

METAL.

Slant to the rear, front to the SOUTH. Lots of glass on the South face, not much on the other 3 walls.

That alone will durn near heat the place.

PM me if you want some real, 80+% sulf sufficient designs (think 50 degrees inside, while -10 outside with NO supplemental heat (this in WYoming Winter - proven designs))

[JNG]

This a a birdseye view of our land. It goes from the middle of the picture toward the right where the grass looks cut, to the middle of the woods to the left and just past the top of the picture. The cabin I wish to build will be placed to the left of the pond in that bowl. Thanks for all the ideas.

[Birdman]

Metal is good. How about a gambrel style roof and add a loft. You're talking a small cabin and the loft would give some extra storage for not much extra money.