Sugar shack roofing questions

[forgeblast]

Hi all I'm in the building stages of my 16x20 sugar shack. It's going to be a while until I can get to the roof but I want to have it planned out. Looking at a gabel roof with 2x6 construction. Just wondering what the best practice would be to build.
It will be off grid in my forest near my black birch Grove to extend my season.
Metal roof.
I am thinking a steam hood would be the way to go as one less hole in the roof for animals to try to get in. Do I need plywood under the metal roof? Any recommendations on roof pitch for North east pa? Truss or birds mouth? I guess I feel like I'm missing something, or am missing what questions I should be asking.
We just hand dug the foundation, going with a rubble foundation. Still need to slope it the right way then gravel, drain pipe and pour the foundation. Thank you for any information. 21444

[TapTapTap]

Roof trusses aren't necessary for such a short span. Do rafters with a bird's eye cut. I constructed the metal roof directly onto the 12:12 pitch rafters and then lined the underside of the rafters to reduce condensation (un-insulated metal roofs create lots of condensation). We have a cupola and no hood so I went with the steep pitch for looks and for helping with condensation. With a hood, you wouldn't need to go as steep but it looks less like like a sugarhouse. We did all rough-cut pine construction cut from our property, including board/batten siding.

For your foundation - do you mean rubble as in stone? If you're going to pour a floor then why not pour the foundation? You could do an integral pour haunched slab. The photo appears to show that you didn't strip off the organics, roots, and topsoil. You should do that that before you build your foundation.

Have you seen the UVM Extension Service sugarhouse plans? I used them as a basis for my construction. Google search for UVM sugarhouse plans.

[Ghs57]

I used metal roofing over 1 1/2" foam board which is over 1x8 shiplap pine. I don't have any condensation issues that are weather based, but can have some when boiling. My diy steam hood is about 90% efficient, so there is some steam inside. I also intend to use the space outside of the maple season, and may need to heat the building. I am expanding this year, and the new section will be roofed the same, but with a thicker roofing insulation layer and walls will be insulated. I also will be on an insulated haunched slab as Ken mentioned.

[maple flats]

Metal roof is by far the safest. I put my metal roof on directly over spaced inch board. The first year (no hood that year) I almost had to wear a raincoat when boiling. By year 2 I had a hood and the rain quit. If I was building another sugarhouse I'd have plywood (more likely OSB deck because of cost) then 1/2 or 1"" foam then the steel roof.

[TapTapTap]

The first year (no hood that year) I almost had to wear a raincoat when boiling. By year 2 I had a hood and the rain quit.

I don't have a significant condensation problem. It's not even noticeable even though i don't boil with a hood. I think it's due to-

- 12/12 pitch
- wood lining under metal roof
- 8ft long by 5ft wide cupola
- 9ft high walls provide good roof height above the evaporator

[maple flats]

My walls are 10' high, but my cupola opening is only 28" x 6' while my roof pitch is 9/12. I think the big difference is that TapTapTap had wood under the steel roofing. The first year when I had the rain I had a 2x6 arch that on my best days I only got 28-30 gph evaporation. I now have a 3x8, same cupola, with hood boiling 65-80 gph and no rain. Along with that, my 2 steam stacks are 15" diameter and they terminate in the cupola as 13" stacks, suspended in the cupola down into the 15" stacks. That enables me to raise the hood using a boat winch. I just uncouple my pre-heater and turn the winch crank.

[Wolfcreek Maple]

Our walls are 8' high with 12/12 pitch with a lean to addition on it that only has a 4/12 pitch.We have steel on roof then 1 1/2"insulation then a steel ceiling,we have a hood on evaperator,with stacks thru the roof. We have zero issues with condensation.

[johnallin]

Ours is timber framed with 4x6 hemlock rafters spaced 24" O.C., I nailed SYP 2x8's down to the rafters and then fastened metal roofing panels I had run-to-length.

Absolutely no condensation and I'd do it the same all over again. It looks awesome from inside and is strong as heck...

I too, have a ruble-trench footing, designed by local timber frame guru Scott Carlson. It's a great "olde time" design and, if you have proper slope away from the footing, will seldom heave due to frost.

[TapTapTap]

Sugarhouse design and construction are awesome topics. I could talk about it all day and i love to learn and see the work of others.

[johnallin]

a link to Scott Carlson's website...and the build of our sugar house over here on Little Mtn. Look around on his site, and you'll see Kevin's and a few more.

http://http://sweetgrassjoinery.com/little-mountain-sugarhouse/ (http://sweetgrassjoinery.com/little-mountain-sugarhouse/)

[forgeblast]

Hi folks sorry have been busy hauling stone. So with a rubble foundation, you dig you foundation, in this case its 16x20. I go down at least 2' for frost, then you slope the foundation that you have dug to daylight. Once its sloped correctly I put in landscape fabric, then 2b stone and tamp down. Then I put in 4'' corrugated pipe (black) and run enough so that it goes to the daylight spot and a bit beyond. Then I put in more 2b and tamp down. Once that is level I pour a 16'' deep by 2' wide foundation. This lets me build with stone on top of that. The middle is not cleared yet because its holding in the form. Once all the walls are done then we will clear out a bit of the ground, put in modified tamp and put pavers or blue stone in there. giving us a level floor. We (my daughter and I) have done about 16' of wall to about 4' high atm. It will take us probably until next summer to finish. Then we will do the roof.
I have done the rubble foundation on a smaller 10x10 two story garden shed that I made 10 years ago and no frost heave or damage.

[maple flats]

Wow John Allin, I had not looked at the Sweetgrass Joinery website before. If he was close enough to my location I'd have certainly looked into having him do my sugarhouse. His work looks great and he sounds like a person I'd like to deal with.
I love the look of such buildings and their strength is legendary.