Good Roof & Bad Sauna

[M J Epko]

>> I should more accurately have said "like the outline of the top view of 
>> a snail shell." Like a hastily-drawn circle whose beginning and end don't
>> match. Like a stylized "G". Just yer standard vaguely elliptic 
>> almost-circle.

In response to the above, Dan Wooley wrote:

>You have described the home design we have been working on...

>We know how to roof the spiral house (~2000 ft) with shingles, membrane, etc,
>but instead wish to use metal without the waste of cutting each shingle or
>piece of decking or sheet of metal. We have not figured out how to build a
>spiral (in plan) house with a square metal roof, so have almost resigned
>ourselves to straight lines and square corners. Is anyone on the list who can
>suggest solutions? Or provide fee consulting on this plan?

        I've wrestled with this a little bit too; standing seams on a conic
roof seems a bit of a difficulty. Ponessa nearly came up with my best easy
solution when he said:

>It might not be your esthetic cup of tea (now there's a good band name)
>but a spiral can go under a square roof- it means the walls are taller as 
>you approach the centre (or center). It also means corner posts to support 
>the roof corners and maybe other posts as needed. Most materials are square 
>which means cutting for curves.

        It's not really 'organic', but what I've been considering is a
squarish shed roof with clerestory windows to allow for a naturally-lit loft
over at least half the interior. The post-supported corners of the
overhanging roof areas can easily be made into functional and beautiful
sheltered outside areas. The two-story area on the tall side of the building
can also accomodate an exterior balcony.

        A scheme I'm probably going to discard as too worky is using a "+"
shape, where each of the four extensions slopes downward. Those would be
metal, the width depending on the circumference of the house. The remaining
wedges would be decked (little wasted decking if properly designed) &
shingled, set just a bit lower than the metal parts of the roof. If the
house is huge, parts of the shingled area could be replaced with additional
metal areas - lay an "x" over the "+", and the serifs of the "x" would be
metal as well. Each successive alternating layer would be in a cascade.

        Another option I considered is a 3/8 dome, but there goes the metal
roof.

        Then the argument comes up: if there's a square roof anyway, how
much extra material would be needed to square out the house and how much
additional usable interior space would be gained? "Feh" to that. Sometimes
art wins.

Tom Ponessa wisely concluded:

>Shingles seem most appropriate to me, or maybe an earth roof (forces you to go
>post and beam).

        I'm guessing he means for conic applications. I'm thinking he's right.

*

        There are some posts about 'round house roof options' in the
archives, but they concern tensioned conical systems.

*        

Richard Kuhnel said:

>Remember the guy who used the top of a metal grain-silo? Maybe too small? But
>maybe even available used?

        This is something else that crossed my mind, and was also mentioned
in an email I received. Too small for the whole house. But for my current
plans, the thought of it in the center of a conic roof making the top of the
house look like something Marvin the Martian would pop out of makes me
laugh. I'd do it.

*

        One of the reasons we won't be settling on a plan until we've
actually lived on the property for a year is that it will give us a year of
scavenging and salvaging. To degrees (within reason), our house will be
designed around the parts on hand.

        The biggest reason to wait is to ensure that we *know* the land in
all its aspects so we can design things properly. Otherwise we could just as
well buy some stick box plans and plunk 'er down.

*



       M J Epko    duckchow at ix.netcom.com
        http://www.netcom.com/~duckchow/