Roofs need a water resistant layer that can take the water off a building instead of soaking inside. Sustainable options are stone slates, straw thatch, fired ceramic tiles and timber shakes and shingles.
Shingles are made by sawing the wood. When you saw the wood you can cut the fibres which let water soak into the shingle. You can also split the wood, which splits the wood along the fibres and reduces the fibres that are cut. But shakes can take a little more time to make than shingles… as you can see.
You need to:
1. You grab your unseasoned log
2. Tie it up, to keep the wood together when you split it
3. Split it with a froe and mallet
4. Peel the layers apart
5. Trim off the sap wood
6. Shave it to shape
This was part of a summer building week I ran with the amazing Sam Turner as part of our Wood Land Assembly collaboration at Hazel Hill Wood, along with some wonderful volunteers.
We’d love to invite people to the wood to learn, so get in touch if you’re curious.
We’d love to invite people to the wood to learn, so get in touch if you’re curious.
