The Barn Had A Coupla On Its Roof

I know it sounds counter intuitive and it was.

The barn had a coupla on its roof.

A cupola is a small tower or dome like feature projecting from the top of a barn roof. In the days before roof vents a cupola was an effective way to ventilate. I needed more ventilation in my barn since i only had two small gable end vents. In their particular case it was because their builder had installed the cupola and its flashing first directly on top of the roof purlins.

In the days before roof and ridge vents a cupola was the most effective way to ventilate a stable barn or even a house and with new rot resistant materials they still work well. Most carpenters would be happy to help you out. Many of todays cupolas are just for decorative purposes. One of my readers recently wrote to tell me the cupola on the roof of his cleary building leaks every time it rains and he was looking for a fix.

The size of the base is determined by the slope or pitch of the barn roof. The builder had then butted the steel roofing and the ridge cap up against the cupola. Most of the time the law of gravity says water runs down hill. A circular silo in the middle of the barn often extended all the way to the roof topped by a cupola.

I built this simple cupola with reclaimed materials. The silo in the center provided support for a cone shaped roof although some were built with other roof styles. Construction sights are a great place to find wood scraps that would otherwise be thrown in the dumpster. Ranging from large and ornate to small and simple cupolas typically have three parts.

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