Page 229

THE PROBLEM OF THE ROOF
THE PROBLEM OF THE ROOF
AS A PRACTICAL, BEAUTIFUL
FEATURE OF HOUSE BUILD-
ING
T     HE first house ever constructed by
       man was no doubt merely a roof-
       a rude attempt at shelter from the
       burning rays of the sun or the chill-
ing rains. As he laid the branches of the
pine tree so that the needles pointed down-
ward, allowing the water to run off his
shelter instead of inside it, and pitched it
at a stiff incline, he unknowingly set in mo-
tion a problem that man has grappled with
ever since, with the "problem" victorious
most of the time!
  For this matter of a "roof over our
heads" faces every architect. It haunts his
dreams, it leers at him through the day, and
the success or failure of his whole house
depends upon the conquering of, or the sur-
rendering to, this centuries-old roof prob-
lem.
  Primitive man had only the utility of his
roof to consider, and worried not at' all
about its aesthetic quality. He took the ma-
terial nearest his reach to construct it. If
in the open country, he bound grasses or
reeds together; if in the forest, he took
branches of the trees; if in the deserts, he
made them of the earth under his feet, or
piled stones into sheltering cairns.
  The builder of today wanders over all
lands and studies the roofs of all nations,
their pitch, angles, colors, materials. He
not only takes advantage of the material at
hand and experiments upon it in every way,
but by putting himself in touch with the
results of the experiments of all other build-
ers, he now has a pretty complete knowl-
edge of the materials best fitted to with-
stand the onslaughts of weather and time.
  The matter of the beauty of his roof is
not yet so completely under his control, but
bids fair to yield to the irresistible force
of his mind, as everything, every problem,
does in time yield to him who has been
given dominion over all things.
  The roof is the most conspicuous feature
of a house when seen from a distance and
gives decisive character to the house from
every stage of approach. When the lines
of it are well chosen, it is the picturesque
note from every angle as well as from every
distance. When the lines of it are bad, it
overshadows completely all the good points
of the house, so much so that it is almost.
impossible to tell if there are any good points
or not. Especially is this true in regard to
small houses, to the little country homes
that almost everyone is secretly or openly
desiring to build, or building.
  The roof, therefore, should receive first
attention as a note of beauty as well as of
shelter and should be carefully planned as
to line and wisely chosen as to material.
The modern roofing materials are legion-
the difficulty is merely one of choice-for
all strive to have the qualities of practical-
ity and endurance demanded by everyone.
  The prepared roofings that are now on
the market deserve especial investigation,
There are various fibers, tarred or asphalted
felts, papers treated with rubber, paint, etc.
They can be used on almost every kind of
building from little summer shacks to the
largest of up-to-date skyscrapers.  The
economy and practicality of these water-
proof and fireproof prepared roofings are be-
yond question, and they also are being made
in colors and textures of great beauty.
  These modem materials solve many of the
roof problems of the day and are so easily
applied that they will prove a boon to ama-
teur builders all over the land. Sometimes
they come in rolls with one edge straight
and the other serrated in different patterns
to give a decorative note. These fibrous
roofings withstand the severest of weather,
as well as the onslaughts of time. They
come in many beautiful colors that will har-
monize with a country environment as well
as the city's. The color is generally inherent
in the material, thus adding permanency to
it, though some are shown in neutral tints
so that any color desired can be put
on to suit the taste of the builder.
  The skyscrapers have brought about
new roof problems that these modern roof-
ings meet in satisfactory manner, for they
can be used upon flat surfaces as well as
inclines. Gravel and slag can be laid over
these materials if desired.
  The artistic side of the roof expanse of
skyscrapers is not of so great importance,
for they cannot be seen from the ground.
To make them substantial, fireproof and
waterproof is all that is required-at least
until the day aviators complain that the
highways of the air are being ruined in
beauty by flat monotonous roofs, and de-
mand civic beauty for the housetops as well
as in the subways. In those days perhaps
we will \enjoy the best part of our city
houses-the roof--and have gardens and
                                      229