Erecting a Pole Building

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Place a 2 X 6 on each side of your roof deck so that the ends come out even with the edge of the joists on one end, and approximately 2' to 3' in from the edge on the other end (Fig. 24a). Temporarily nail these pieces in place after checking to be sure your measurements were the same. Next lay out two 2 X 6's so that they run across the end of the two you have secured and cross each other in the exact middle of the deck; temporarily nail. Mark lines through the joints at the hips and the peak (Fig. 24b), and cut through the boards at the same time. The four pieces should now fit tightly at the joints. Nail 2 X 4's to make a jig for assembling the pieces uniformly. Mark your pieces as patterns, and mark out one rafter at a time; when the pieces are cut, place them in the jig and nail them at the joints. For added strength at the joints, make plywood gussets 1 ' wide and 4' long out of 1/2" plywood. Lay them at the joints and cut them to fit the angles (Fig. 24c). Glue the rafters and nail the gussets with No. 6 coated box nails. Do this on both sides of each rafter (except for the end rafters, which should only be done on the inside face). Set your end rafter, bracing it well and making sure it's level, then set the remaining rafters, securing each one as described in the truss setting.

When assembling either the saddle or the gambrel roof, if you desire an overhang on the ends of the building, you must build ladders and attach them. Ladders are framed with the same material as the rafters, or with 2 X 4's. A ladder has two runners with spacers every 16" (Fig. 25). Nail the ladders into the end rafters with 16d nails.

Tails for a gambrel should also be attached at this time; a few styles are illustrated in Fig. 26.

If you're going to use metal on your roof, you'll need roof purlins. Purlins serve much the same function as the side girts; they too are 2 X 4's spaced on 24" centers across the rafters (Fig. 27).

Preparations should now be complete for the actual roofing.

Roofing

here are three basic choices of material used in roofing pole buildings: steel, aluminum, and asphalt shingles over plywood; each has its own advantages and disadvantages. Steel and aluminum are strong, quick to apply, relatively maintenancefree, and less costly than shingles and plywood. On the other hand, when they're used in heated buildings without adequate ventilation, condensation may form and the metal will sweat. Plywood and shingles provide a tighter roof that holds heat better than metals, but that costs a little more and deteriorates faster.

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