Cupolas, Cupolas, Cupolas

[Gremlin]

What material is best to use when building a cupola? With all the steam generated I would think you would need a good waterproof wood??
In the past I have used MDF boards called "Miratech" or "MiraTEC". It's supposed to be super weather/waterproof. Wonder if this stuff would be good for cupolas?

[johnallin]

Maybe with the exception of Red Oak, which rots very quickly, I think any wood will work.

Ours is hemlock, as is the rest of the framing and siding on the sugar house.

Cupola "doors" are maple I had sawn up from a tree on the property.

Although lots of steam passes through, there's still lots of air movement up there.

cupola doors.jpg

[Bucket Head]

I agree and have always said a cupola sets a sugarhouse apart from every other building on the farm, or in the neighborhood! No pressure treated stuff in mine- all hemlock I believe. Yes, it's wet to the touch during and after a boil for a while but it dries out quickly.

Steve

[Russell Lampron]

Mine's built with pine and it's still solid after 19 seasons. It does have a metal roof but the studs are rough cut 2x4's and the doors and ends are rough cut 1" boards.

[Maple Hill]

What material is best to use when building a cupola? With all the steam generated I would think you would need a good waterproof wood??
In the past I have used MDF boards called "Miratech" or "MiraTEC". It's supposed to be super weather/waterproof. Wonder if this stuff would be good for cupolas?

M y cupola was built in 1957 out of hemlock and is as good as the day it was built.

[Trapper2]

Lets keep this thread going even though you already convinced me to add a Cupola.

[Sugarmaker]

Depends what type of environment you want inside when boiling? Cupola works and looks like a sugarhouse. But if you want the steam out you need hoods and steam pipes. Now they could vent into a Cupola too. I choose not to have another big hole (cupola) and went with steam pipes to vent. Very dry in our sugarhouse and visibility is good on all days.
Just another view point. I had boiled in the rain forest for years prior to building this sugarhouse. Have not regretted it!
Regards,
Chris

[Gremlin]

I guess the reason I thought the steam would rot the wood is because I have 3 cupolas on my detached garage (and one on my house garage). Cupolas on detached garage are about 5 years old. I built them myself and last year I had to replace one because the base rotted. I looked up there one day and the cupola was leaning to one side. The other 2 cupolas were fine, just that one had problems. I replaced it using pine. The treated wood I was going to use was to wet to paint so used pine and so far it's good.

About 20 years ago I replaced the one on my house garage. That one was starting to decay. But if you keep templates of the ones you build, replacing them is no problem.

[SuzukiSapper]

I built a Cuppola with 2'x7' operating windows covered with Rigid Greenhouse plastic sheeting. I also closed in a Steam Chimney with the same plastic sheeting and the Steam just rolls up and out!! Couldn't have worked better. Two boat winches and some pulleys open and close them. Sorry no photo of finished Cuppola other than the end by the Chimney. See photos sugarshack9.jpg sugarshack8.jpg sugarshack7.jpg

[SuzukiSapper]

found some Cuppola photos showing windows, crank system comfy Sappin' Chair and a View from the Cuppola!! IMG_1294.jpg IMG_1297.jpg IMG_1254.jpg IMG_1274 (1).JPG