primitive wants to get snow off roof of barn

[AllosaursRus]

I believe it was back in the late 70's or early '80s that the gubmint started issuing a snow load spec. Even with mobile homes, you could sell different raftered homes in different locations according to annual snow fall. The only problem is, ya get years like this where the snowfall can exceed the norm so you can get engineering failures.

Same thing with local building codes. Rafter spacing can be as close as 12" for Alaska, Idaho, Montana, North and South Dakota, Minnesota, and Michigan, and as much as 24" in southern Kalifornica, Oregon, and Washington.

[BattleHymn]

I believe it was back in the late 70's or early '80s that the gubmint started issuing a snow load spec. Even with mobile homes, you could sell different raftered homes in different locations according to annual snow fall. The only problem is, ya get years like this where the snowfall can exceed the norm so you can get engineering failures.

Same thing with local building codes. Rafter spacing can be as close as 12" for Alaska, Idaho, Montana, North and South Dakota, Minnesota, and Michigan, and as much as 24" in southern Kalifornica, Oregon, and Washington.

Allo,

Do you guys have building codes on roof pitch? 

[AllosaursRus]

Allo,

Do you guys have building codes on roof pitch?  

Nope. But the less of a pitch, the closer and heavier the rafters have to be. Rule of thumb around here is 50 lbs per square foot.

So if ya have say a 12/12 you can still get away with a 2x6, 16" on center. If ya have somethin' like a 3/12, you'll need a 2x8, 12" on center. Get the idea?

 I should mention I've seen the snow exceed the 50 lb/sq. ft designation! That's how in my younger years, I could make $60/hr shovelin' roofs!

[IassaFTots]

We don't get snow like y'all do, so high pitch is bad, just because of the heat in the summer, more space to cool.  Lots of new houses are built that way.  What I think should be outlawed is shoddy construction/insulation and the hot water heater upstairs.  This last cold "snap" had 100+ hours under freezing, and now we have an addl 48.  I know two people personally whose pipes froze and the hot water heater busted, 4 inches or more of water in the house, on the floor.  That ain't right.

[AllosaursRus]

We don't get snow like y'all do, so high pitch is bad, just because of the heat in the summer, more space to cool.  Lots of new houses are built that way.  What I think should be outlawed is shoddy construction/insulation and the hot water heater upstairs.  This last cold "snap" had 100+ hours under freezing, and now we have an addl 48.  I know two people personally whose pipes froze and the hot water heater busted, 4 inches or more of water in the house, on the floor.  That ain't right.

Another spec we have around here is plumbing cannot be on an outside wall. You can have a sink or tub on the outside wall, but the plumbing has to come up thru the floor. Usually eliminates that problem unless we lose power for an extended length of time, which does happen occasionally, so we're not immune.

[IassaFTots]

Another spec we have around here is plumbing cannot be on an outside wall. You can have a sink or tub on the outside wall, but the plumbing has to come up thru the floor. Usually eliminates that problem unless we lose power for an extended length of time, which does happen occasionally, so we're not immune.

Hence the reason why we have to drip our faucets at the hint of below freezing weather.  All of my sinks, two bathroom, one kitchen, and the washer are ALL on outside walls.  And the water is not buried beneath our frost line, but that wouldn't matter, since I have a pier and beam and they are all exposed anyway.  Last year I insulated the pipes, this year, it will be the attic. 

[AllosaursRus]

Hence the reason why we have to drip our faucets at the hint of below freezing weather.  All of my sinks, two bathroom, one kitchen, and the washer are ALL on outside walls.  And the water is not buried beneath our frost line, but that wouldn't matter, since I have a pier and beam and they are all exposed anyway.  Last year I insulated the pipes, this year, it will be the attic.  

Where the hell do ya live, the Banana Belt? I didn't think they did that kinda stuff except south of the Mason Dixon line!

ETA:

Most of my water lines are runnin' right along side my forced air heater ducts! Even when it gets way below zero, the only thing that freezes occasionally is the pee trap in "Toot's" bathroom tub.

[IassaFTots]

Where the hell do ya live, the Banana Belt? I didn't think they did that kinda stuff except south of the Mason Dixon line!

Texas dude.  Texas.   

[AllosaursRus]

Texas dude.  Texas.   

Ah, no wonder. It freezes cold enough to freeze pipes in Texas about once every 12 years! I spent some time in Ft Worth around '96. When the roads froze, I stayed in my apartment and laughed my ass off watchin' the morons tryin' to drive on the stuff!