Page:Popular Science Monthly Volume 28.djvu/666

 house possesses this feature on one or more of its sides—another row of uprights starts in a line with the outer edge of the veranda. Unless the veranda be very long, an upright at each end is sufficient to support the supplementary roof which shelters it. These uprights support a cross-beam, upon which the slight rafters of the supplementary roof rest. This cross-beam is often a straight unhewed stick of timber, from which the bark has been removed. Indeed, most of the horizontal framing-timbers, as well as the rafters, are usually unhewed—the rafters often having the bark on, or perhaps being accurately squared sticks; but, in either case, they are always visible as they project from the sides of the house, and run out to support the overhanging eaves. The larger beams and girders are but slightly hewed; and it is not unusual to see irregular-shaped beams worked into the construction of a frame, often for their quaint effects (Fig. 4), and in many cases as a matter of economy.

For a narrow house, if the roof be a gable, a central upright at each end of the building gives support to the ridge-pole from which



the rafters run to the eaves. If the building be wide, a transverse beam traverses the end of the building on a level with the eaves, supported at intervals by uprights from the ground; and upon this short uprights rest, supporting another transverse beam above, and often three or more tiers are carried nearly to the ridge. Upon these supports rest the horizontal beams which run parallel with the ridge-pole, and which are intended to give support to the rafters (Fig. 5).

In the case of a wide gable-roof there are many ways to support the frame, one of which is illustrated in the following outline (Fig. 6). Here a stout stick of timber runs from one end of the house to the other on a vertical line with the ridge-pole, and on a level with the eaves. This stick is always crowning, in order to give additional strength. A few thick uprights start from this to support the ridge-pole above; from these uprights beams run to the eaves; these are mortised into the uprights, but at different levels on either side, in