how do I build a pagoda roof?

[GCarnegi]

All,
I'm looking to build an 8ft square gazebo / pagoda with a slate roof, but supported by four six-by-six posts (no walls).

The awkward part is it needs to be a pagoda roof style - ie a normal roof with a hole in the middle of it, with a "second" smaller roof over the hole - with a eight inch gap between the main and top roofs.

It's kind of hard to describe, but the general type of roof is the pyramid style, not the gable style - or whatever the terminaology is...

Imagine a shallow pyramid with the top third sliced off and then re-attached slightly higher - supported by four short posts resting on the bottom section.

Does anyone know of any guides out there which would help me build such a roof structure. think I might have to do it myself.

On a related point, how does one seal the edges of a slate roof, where one roof plane meets the other - ie the "edges" of the pyramid?

By the way, I want the roof to have around a 12-15-inch overhang (outside the 8ft square) which would be at a shallower angle than the rest.

best regards,
Guy

 

[2scoops0406]

There is a wealth of useful info, calculators links kindly provided by pip here

 

[Pat Hougi]

Hi Guy,

The term you need is HIP, These types of gazebo's are interupted hip roofs. If your Math minded there is a book by a fella called Marshall Gross (Roof Framing), its a U.S book all in imperial using sliding gauges, but the math principles in it are spot on.

Your padoga is actually 2 hip roofs, one sitting on top of the other.

Careful considerations before you begin are the type of covering, slate V tiles or even shingles(real nice!)

You'll need to figure out the type of lumber to use, 2*4 SS(Structural) stock is prob what you need, the posts will have be concreted in and you'll need to use a pretty strong grade for your wall plates, or alt prop your wallplates out from the posts to cut the overall run of the wallplates.

Your hips are ridged tiled, this provides the seal you mention. You could use lead or copper if you wish.

The bell cast on the bottom that appears as " By the way, I want the roof to have around a 12-15-inch overhang (outside the 8ft square) which would be at a shallower angle than the rest. "

the way i'd do this -
- adding on secondary lookouts, birdsmouthed, abutted to the seat of the hip rafters, cut to a shallower pitch. this way your overhang doesn't have to come way below your wall plate.

As you cover the framing you'll have to add cant strips as you move over this bell cast to prevent water ponding and loosening off your shingles/tiles/slates ans to give a rounding effect.

: in short this may sound easy, but take your time, and it will come out well, rush into it and you'll be in trouble.

rem: 1 point, hips ain't the same as common rafters, they have a unit run of 17 not 12, plus your hips will have to be raised and chamfered to allow the roof cladding to sit nicely and to have a uniform effect when you look up froim underneath...

good luck with that!
Pat

 

[Pat Hougi]

Oops sorry!

I wrote "rem: 1 point, hips ain't the same as common rafters, they have a unit run of 17 not 12, plus your hips will have to be raised and chamfered to allow the roof cladding to sit nicely and to have a uniform effect when you look up froim underneath... "

That should read, the hip will either have to be dropped (at the seat) or chamfered, valleys are raised.

Moderator, use the

for editing your post

 

[Joe Bartok]

GCarnegi, do you mean something similar to this pavilion? These were the preliminary sketches and calculations.
The "unit run", backing bevels and other angles depend on the initial values of the roof slopes and the angle in plan at the eaves.
Or are we talking about a structure with curved rafters?