Timber Frame Tractor Home

[patrick_g]

My cupola is decorative only but if I put one on my to-be-built gazebo/tea house on a pier in a pond it will be a peak vent. Trapped rising warm air heats the "ceiling" of the gazebo which increases the radiant temp. It can make a difference in comfort. Not sure if it prevents condensation or increases it but I wold guess it decreases its accumulation and that can't hurt.

Pat

 

[EddieWalker]

I hadn't thought about traped air. I know that just being up on a ladder under roof, or on top of a roof, it's allot warmer!!!! I can see where that air can contribute to the overall warmer tempature of the gazebo, which I'd like to avoid.

I really want to put the glass blocks in the cupola, so now I'm wondering if another cupola on top of the main one with vents might be an idea. I don't have any problems with going a little overboard on this if I can get the results I'm after.

Maybe an eight sided cupola with two glass blocks on each side, then a four sided one on top of that with vents on all four sides? Then top it off with a weather vane?

I'm going to have a roof with two levels to it anyway, so what's one more feature? hahaha

Right now I'm just waiting for the ground to dry up enough to finish off building the pads so I can pour concrete. When I can get that done, I'll start a thread on the square one first. Then after that, I'll build the eight sided one. My goal is to have them done before everyone gets here in October for the get together we're hosting here.

Eddie

 

[rox]

I hadn't thought about traped air. I know that just being up on a ladder under roof, or on top of a roof, it's allot warmer!!!! I can see where that air can contribute to the overall warmer tempature of the gazebo, which I'd like to avoid.

I really want to put the glass blocks in the cupola, so now I'm wondering if another cupola on top of the main one with vents might be an idea. I don't have any problems with going a little overboard on this if I can get the results I'm after.

Maybe an eight sided cupola with two glass blocks on each side, then a four sided one on top of that with vents on all four sides? Then top it off with a weather vane?

I'm going to have a roof with two levels to it anyway, so what's one more feature? hahaha

Right now I'm just waiting for the ground to dry up enough to finish off building the pads so I can pour concrete. When I can get that done, I'll start a thread on the square one first. Then after that, I'll build the eight sided one. My goal is to have them done before everyone gets here in October for the get together we're hosting here.

Eddie

Eddie I had to laugh at your thoughts of having them ready for Octoberfest. Your comments cut close tot he bone. When my hubby sold his restaurant he wanted to invite 5 other top chefs/restaurant owners over to our house and make them authntic boullibase. It was really hard to have much of a social life being a estaurant owner. he knew these guys for years and had always wnated to ahve them over but never did. So we called everybody and they all accepted. Who knew that a simple Sunday luncheon would generate so many new purchases. Yikes, i would need to utilize some chairs from our dinette set to augment the dining room chairs and the dinette chairs had been needing recovering for years. A round of shopping to buy new fabric and sending out to the re-upholsters followed. Then the dishes. We had a very nice stoneware set but never a "good" china set, so off to the store for that. Followed by some really beautiful napkin rings etc. I figure that one Sunday luncheon cost us about 2+ grand. The luncheon was a huge huge hit, we all enjoyed each other's company and dining in our homes instead of our restaurants. Then and there we decided to take turns and each couple hosted the group.

Our 2 grand turned out to be nothing compared to what the other couples ended up spending. Each in turn when it was their turn to host looked around their homes and decided improvements were needed. one couple ended up with all new windows and drapes and refinished floor.s The chef that came in second place was the chef who completely remolded his kitchen for $20,000. It is not that any of us were "showing off" far from it, everyone in our group of 6 couples were very successful and we were not outdooing each other at all. Mainly we all jsut worked hard and didn't take time to do things in our homes that were "decorative" until we had people coming over. There were two who spent the most on a luncheon, they bought new homes! We all had ideas of what we wanted to do/buy but it wasn't until we had serius motivation that we took the time to implement the ideas we had been formulating for years. Having a party is real motivation!

 

[patrick_g]

I hadn't thought about traped air. I know that just being up on a ladder under roof, or on top of a roof, it's allot warmer!!!! I can see where that air can contribute to the overall warmer tempature of the gazebo, which I'd like to avoid.

Eddie

Eddie, If you build with materials with a considerable thermal mass, once heated (in sun all day) they will release that heat for quite a while at night and elevate the radiant environment. If you are in a desert area where evenings chill too fast then that is a good things and makes for comfort but if you are in an area where evening cooling is not as effective then setting up for convective air flow to keep material temps lower will make evening occupancy more pleasant.

In areas where the relative humidity is typically below 50% in the evening (not here! and maybe not there either) a system to dispense a very fine fog like mist at ceiling level in a gazebo or shade ramada is a good thing. Texas being big like a whole other country I'm not sure what your climate is like.

Maybe ventilation and a light colored reflective roof are some of the only "tricks" appropriate to your area. The multi layer roof, because it has more height will give a better chimney effect and help convect stronger air currents up and out the top.

Pat

 

[khd]

I hadn't thought about traped air. I know that just being up on a ladder under roof, or on top of a roof, it's allot warmer!!!! I can see where that air can contribute to the overall warmer tempature of the gazebo, which I'd like to avoid.

I really want to put the glass blocks in the cupola, so now I'm wondering if another cupola on top of the main one with vents might be an idea. I don't have any problems with going a little overboard on this if I can get the results I'm after.

Maybe an eight sided cupola with two glass blocks on each side, then a four sided one on top of that with vents on all four sides? Then top it off with a weather vane?

I'm going to have a roof with two levels to it anyway, so what's one more feature? hahaha

Right now I'm just waiting for the ground to dry up enough to finish off building the pads so I can pour concrete. When I can get that done, I'll start a thread on the square one first. Then after that, I'll build the eight sided one. My goal is to have them done before everyone gets here in October for the get together we're hosting here.

Eddie

Eddie:

You can easily get away with a row of block then a couple of louvers then the cupola roof. Or I have seen various glass block opening windows and vents that could be incorporated also. I don't know how a square on top of an octagon would look.

Kevin

 

[khd]

Well my fingers are all sliced up but after another 8 hours the cupola is now complete. The roof is now completely clad in galv. steel and the copper ball is soldered in place. My only concern is I decided not to incorporate the ball in the lightning protection so if it ever gets hit I hope it doesn't start a fire. I guess there is such a slim chance that I'll be okay.

Here are three pictures of the finished cupola.

 

[rox]

KHD,
AWSOME, simply Awome!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!1

 

[khd]

Time for another update. Took a new job and I am commuting between MI and AZ so progress is even slower. I am finally done with the roof and am ever so glad to not be hanging from a ladder anymore. Siding started today and I got the windward side done. I was really afraid that the oak had dried out so much that I would never be able to drive siding nails. Well, the Gods must be shining on me cause the new nail gun and the stainless ring shanks drove right in making the first side done in only a few hours.

The attached pics. show the completed roof and the sided wall. The vertical siding really makes it look tall.

Regards,
Kevin

 

[curly]

Wow, what a great looking barn...lucky tractor

 

[wroughtn_harv]

Wow, what a great looking barn...lucky tractor

Loved tractor, LOL

He has done an awesome job.