Amazing timber frame and reciprocal roof
Wow. This is gorgeous. I like catching wind of different reciprocal roof designs, and this one is mighty impressive. Designed and built by Fire Tower Engineered Timber, this reciprocal roof is part of an Episcopal Church construction on Standing Rock Sioux Reservation in North Dakota. The dimensions are… massive. Read below for details.
I suppose I’m a sucker for reciprocal roofs. After much thought, April and I decided to go ahead with building a reciprocal roof over the woodshed. The original plan was to make a shed roof, but alas, I couldn’t bring myself to build a shed roof. I just really don’t like them. In the end, a reciprocal roof seemed to serve us best, aesthetically and functionally.
There are a few books that I referenced and relied on throughout the process of building my cob house. I’ve come up with a short list of books for aspiring cob builders to get inspired and get set on the path to actual construction of a small cob house similar to my own. Check them out!
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You may remember reading about how I stumbled upon a perfectly sized tractor tire that I decided to use for the frame of my skylight atop my reciprocal roof. Well, I finally installed the actual skylight to the tractor tire frame a couple of weeks ago with the help of my friend Tamar. Read ahead for all the details!
A freshly assembled reciprocal roof frame
This is a long-delayed post about building my reciprocal roof frame. This entry documents the details of building my reciprocal roof frame, including the type of wood I used, the number of rafters, and the work process itself. I hope that this will be useful for individuals who want to attempt building a similar frame. With the general lack of information about reciprocal roof construction on the internet, I hope this will become a primary resource. Here we go…
Before the EPDM went on the roof, I wanted to add a cushion of cardboard on top of the rafters and decking to protect the membrane. And before the cardboard went on, I wanted to add some kind of fabric so that the cardboard would not be visible from inside of the space. I bought a 50 yard bolt of muslin for $50 at Zimmerman’s, and Karen (my current work exchanger) and I draped the fabric and stapled it to the decking.
A few nights ago, a flash of brilliance struck during a conversation after dinner about making a frame for a future skylight in my reciprocal roof. We were sitting around, thinking of alternatives to making a wood frame, which would have proved quite difficult considering the irregular nature (14 uneven round poles) of the top of the roof.
And then someone mentioned a tire. And then I remembered the huge tractor tires we have lying around on the property, and amazingly enough, the dimensions were nearly perfect: a five foot diameter tire with a three foot diameter hole, perfect for the 4.5 foot diameter rafter ring, and 3.5 foot diameter hole in the roof.
I finished decking my reciprocal roof yesterday. I’m pretty satisfied with how it turned out. It got a little funky trying to nail dimensional lumber up and around some of the knots of wood on the rafters, but overall, it wasn’t nearly as difficult as I thought it might be. It was more time-consuming than anything.
Next up: making a frame for the skylight in the middle of the roof. This will be interesting…
Well, the roof decking continues. I’ll probably finish it in another day or two. The shadows have really been great lately with all of the rafters and decking casting shapes all over the walls:
Last week, I began the somewhat tedious process of decking my roof with the help of Jeff, my most recent work exchanger. It’s pretty slow work, having to mark and cut and then nail every individual piece of board, of which there are over 200 now on the roof.
I am using scrap 1x black walnut lumber that I purchased from a local lumber ‘dealer’. (Perhaps a very apt title for this particular fellow…) It cost me $1 per board, and most of if was defective (for cabinet-making purposes) in some way, but with its length still largely usable. (Each piece of wood is at least six to eight feet long, I’d estimate.)
The roof line has taken shape now that the decking is getting nailed to the rafters. The roof is somewhat wavy and undulating, and I must say that I like it’s uneven, flow-y appearance.
Hi there, I’m Ziggy. In 2008, I launched The Year of Mud while building my first natural home. This website is a collection of personal stories and experiences building with clay, straw, and wood over the past 15+ years. A few of the things that get me fired up are natural plasters, timber framing, & Japanese architecture. In 2012, we started offering Natural Building Workshops, so you can learn essential hands-on skills to build your own natural home.
