Cupola Design

[CTsap]

Hi Folks - I'm in the middle of a 16x20 sugar house and my plans call for a 4x8 cupola. Does this seem to big? My evaporator will likely be a 2x4 mason. Not sure I need this much heads pace, maybe a 4x6 would be more appropriate.
Any suggestions on height and width?


Thanks!

[MISugarDaddy]

You shouldn't need that large of a cupola with a 2x4 unit. However, if you think there is a chance you will go bigger someday, it wouldn't hurt. We went with a 3x6 for our 2x4 unit and it was plenty big for that unit...but now 2 years later we have gone to a 2x6, which is the largest we will ever need for the number of available trees. (We had planned on the upgrade at the time we built the sugarhouse.) The big difference, we have gone to a full hood so we will be piping the steam up into the cupola so our 3x6 cupola will still be plenty large.

[bees1st]

Consider how the proportions will look once it is done . If it will look better slightly bigger ,then do it .

[CTsap]

Thanks for the responses . I'm going to stick with the plans. Modifying it will not make things easier and bigger gives me room for growth.

[maple flats]

It does seem a little over sized. I built my cupola for a 2x6 and it measures 30" x 60". Then I changed to a 3x8 evap. and the cupola remained the same. It worked fairly well. Then I put a hood on it with the steam stack terminating in the cupola. That works very well. This is with an evaporator that boils away 75-85 GPH.

[CTsap]

Im starting to frame out the cupola and realized I should probably put some flashing q
Around edges. Does anyone have some insight on this? I stopped framing the cupola because I thought it would be best to have steel roof on first. That way I can sit the cupola and flashing flush with the ridges of a corrugated steel roof.