The Roof

How exactly did a barn roof come to be on the log cabin? Here’s Chuck Egle’s answer:

I like the look of gambrel roofs. I like barns with gambrel roofs. We wanted the interior look of an old rustic place. Why not get an old barn roof to do that?

My nephew had dismantled a barn in Menomenie to be put up at a later time. 300 saw blades helped take it apart , but the barn never found a home. I asked if I could use the roof. He said yes. So it came to be that the roof got the ride of its life on a semi and two trucks – all to be a part of the Amherst Riverdance cabin.

After we got them here, we had to figure out how to get them on top of the cabin. We had to build the framing to support the roof sections, and it didn’t quite match up perfectly. It was a bit of a challenge, but we were up to it.

We put the sides of the gambrel roof on first. (4 units on each side.) Only one section fell down. Twice. The lift operator (Mary) nearly quit. I’m not sure why. I was at least 3 feet away from it when it fell. (It was a bit spectacular sliding off the framing.) I did, however, convince her to continue.

Now you’re probably wondering how the heck an old barn roof was going to keep the cabin nice and toasty in the winter and cool in the summer. And, as you can imagine, an old barn roof that’s been sawn apart doesn’t keep out the elements very well either. Rest assured that we had plan… a whole new frame for insulation and a new roof on top!

To get the new roof started, we got the bright idea that we would build the frame of the outside roof on the ground and just set it on top. We mounted it right onto the top sections of the old roof and lifted all of it onto to the top of the cabin. It was like working with jumbo-sized Lego blocks!

We managed to get the roof frame put on, spray insulation in, and the roof decking put on before winter arrived. We had to tarp it for the season. We also had to build the front entrance and back porch roofs before the roofing material could be installed.

Naturally, Mother Nature teased me a bit when we secured the tarp. She decided we needed a windy day. Man, it was scary as heck to step out on that tarp flapping in the wind. I knew there was a roof underneath, but part of me wasn’t convinced. Heck, a lot of me wasn’t convinced.

To check and see if the roof was square, I made a 12’ x 16’ carpenter’s square. Boy, was that heavy! Trying to slide it around was quite a chore. We were using this so we could have a pretty metal roof that looked square. After a while, we decided asphalt shingles were really nice. We used those instead.

After we finished, I wasn’t quite sure if it was worth it all. Now when I see the cedar shingles through the old roof decking, the ambience just sweeps me away. I wouldn’t want it any other way. You’ll just have to come and see if that works for you too!