Roofing Materials

[philhendry]

I'm just finishing off my version of 4Ground's 'Rogan' Bar' for Dead Man's Hand; this is the 'unadulterated' version from 4Ground's site:



My versions get the 'burnt' edges touched up with paint and various other little 'touches' - like improving the roofs. I am considering what material might have been used for 'almost flat' roofs in the old west - such as this building.  I guess tar paper is one option, but am not sure whether, for instance, shingles might be used or not on such a flat roof?

Thanks,
Phil

[northtroll]

Plates of tin tacked down to boards, might have been used on flat roofs. It would have been loud as hell when it rained....

[Cory]

Flat pretty much means rolled tar paper, wood plank, or sod.

Wood shingles were usually considered to need a 4 - 12 pitch or better. Likewise tin needs some slope though it can be awfully gradual.

If you're looking at breaking up the monotony of black then chimneys should be up there, whether brick or metal pipe. Likewise skylights were more common then than now.

One other roof option is sand - a little bit of the roof material would show on the edges but flat roofs were sometimes covered with sand to reduce fire risk, especially in town centers where buildings were often built with no separation. This would look much like a sod roof but with only periodic clumps of bunch grass or cactus as compared to the field look sod got after a couple of years.

[Black Burt]

I also like to vary the roofs on my buildings and was considering a small amount of windblown sand I didn't realise that sand fire proofing would be an option.
A tin roof is another option that I hadn't considered.
Thanks for the ideas.

[philhendry]

Thanks - some good ideas there. The sand-covered roof, with a few scattered grass 'tufts', sounds attractive - and definitely different.

[philhendry]

Here's the bar, as it stands at present:



Just needs the roof dealing with and it'll be finished. The windows have plain 'glass' in them - makes quite a difference to the appearance, because of the reflections. I might go back and retro-fit glass in the earlier buildings - it'd be easy to glue a bit of clear Plastikard behind the frames. It'd also not be beyond the wit of man to have the odd pane missing (and boarded over), or the odd cracked one - quite easy to score some cracks in!

[FifteensAway]

One trick with roofing is to add detail bits, discarded wood, an old mop, a blanket for secret rendezvous.  Anything to add a little interest to what is often just a bland expanse.

[philhendry]

Thanks for that - good idea!

I'm going with corrugated iron (cardboard!) for this one - somewhat the worse for wear, with large rusty patches. And I might well add some 'clutter' like the odd piece of timber, to break up the monotony still more.

[natpisk]

Wow! Really good work man. I like it!

[philhendry]

Thanks!  It's almost finished now…



I've been hard at work on it for days. I didn't use the windows that came with the kit, but made my own from some clear plasticard (and like them so much I shall fit windows to all my buildings - should be easy to do the odd broken, cracked or missing pane too!). I'm quite pleased with the way the roof looks - suitably battered and rusty!

I still need to add more weathering, some posters and various items of 'clutter'.

Cheers,
Phil

[Mason]

Looking good, Phil!
 

Corrugated iron gives a very nice alternative option, and after seeing your sand Constable Bertie's I am certainly considering it.
 

[Constable Bertrand]

YIEW! PATINA!!

Love the rust. Gives it a well lived in look and feel. Some cow towns weren't so ladie-da to get brand new materials. The 1800's saw lots of recycling and careful use of basic materials. They recycled before Captain Planet made it cool.

Cheers
Matt

[Elbows]

Phil,

This pic made the 4Ground news feed on Facebook (well they linked to a small journal entry they made).  Well done.

[Lowtardog]

Fantatic and cracking ideas I have 4 flat rooved buildings and was looking at ways of creating some texture to them, these are fantastic