by Todd Walker
When sitting by the fire on a winter day in the future, we want to be able to look up and see the log rafters and rough sawn ceiling boards. The challenge for this type of roof is how to insulate without an attic.
I started by nailing down the 2×6’s DJ and I milled from logs on our land. The overhang needs to be at least 3 feet on all sides. This helps keep the wall logs dry during rain.
The overhang here is 4 feet once the rafter tails are trimmed.
After using up all the boards we had milled, I was 2/3rds of the way up on only one side of the cabin. This was late October and I wanted to get the cabin dried in before the winter rains set in. We found a gentleman with a mill about 30 minutes away from us who could saw the boards needed for a reasonable price. He even followed me back with his forklift and unloaded the boards at my site!
To expedite the project, I called in some reinforcements to finish up the ceiling boards. Many thanks guys! On the first day with help, we lifted the green 2x8x12’s relay style onto the roof.
The next day Woody rigged up a well pulley to a beam over the log rafters to hoist the ceiling boards up to the roof. Non-cured lumber is quite a bit heavier than box store lumber.
With the ceiling boards installed, it was time to build a second roof on top of the board roof. I nailed 2×4’s on 2 foot centers from the ridge to the eve. This would allow me to insulate between the boards before putting the metal roof on.
I go dumpster diving to save money on lumber. You’d be surprised what gets tossed on construction sites. Ask for permission before diving in.
The 2×4’s above came from dumpsters. It’s not as convenient as building with the same lengths of lumber, but can save you money if done right.
Pictured above are new 2×4’s which Kathy bought for me as a Christmas gift. Thank you, babe!
Once the second roof frame was up, insulation was installed. I started by using three inch thick styrofoam panels I picked up from my cousin and another friend a year or two ago. I think this stuff was originally used on cooler rooms or guard shacks on construction sites. Most of the panels were 13 inches wide so I needed to rip some to make them fit tightly.
There will be enough headspace between the insulation and metal to ventilate the roof from eve to ridge. I used all the panels I had to cover 3/4ths of the roof. Fiberglass insulation batts filled in the remaining bays.
I had five 21.5 foot sheets of metal which helped determine the length of my log rafter tails.
I’ve been very fortunate when it comes to equipment, material, and labor for this log cabin build. One of the biggest savings came when Jake, my nephew, hooked me up with his father-in-law, John, for a load of used roofing metal in almost new condition.
The challenge was to install the furring strips in such a way as to line up with the screw holes in the metal from the previous roof. I only had to silicone about ten screw holes that didn’t line up correctly.
Fiberglass insulation going in.
You’ll notice that not all the metal was the same length. The metal over the fiberglass insulation was 17′ while the sheets closest to the lake are 18′. It took longer to install used metal but more than made up for it by the money saved.
The metal below the seam in the above photo was all 17′. Above the seam was 64″. The ridge cap was the cherry on top.
With the roof complete, the flooring system is next.
Keep Doing the Stuff of Self-Reliance,
~ Todd
