The best type of goat shed is the three-sided shed, which allows free circulation of fresh air and maximizes your goats' health while not exposing them to inclement weather. Building a goat shed roof for a three-sided shed can be done in one afternoon, provided you have gathered all your supplies ahead of time.
Things You'll Need
- 2-inch x 6-inch rafters
- 1-inch x 6-inch board (the length of the lower end of the goat shed wall)
- 3/8 inch sheathing grade exterior plywood
- Circular saw
- Tape measure
- Carpenter's level
- Hammer
- 1 1/2-inch galvanized roofing nails
Instructions
Calculate the size of your shed roof line in order to buy enough lumber. When measuring, include enough extra material for the overhang eaves along the lower edge of your roof, which should be about 4 to 6 extra inches. These eaves lie along the lower beam end of the roof and allow water to run off the slanted roof instead of collecting on it.
Purchase your lumber for your goat shed roof. For cost-efficient roofing material, use 3/8-inch sheathing grade exterior plywood as your base layer. This plywood is typically available in a 4-foot x 8-foot size. Precut your rafters, which provide the strength of your roof, at the lumberyard from 2-inch x 6-inch boards. You will also need roofing tin, which you will layer over the plywood to lengthen the life span of the goat shed roof.
Install the rafters at 2-foot intervals along the top plate of your goat shed. The top plate is the horizontal board that runs along the vertical partitions of the goat shed sides. Use your carpenter's level to calculate the angle the bottom portion of the rafters needs to have in order to be flush with the top plate. Mark your rafters with a pencil and cut out that section of each rafter with your circular saw.
Nail a 1-inch x 6-inch board across the exposed bottoms of your rafters. This board is called a face board and it helps give your barn a finished look, as well as eliminates any chances of drafts on your goats.
Nail the plywood across the rafters using your galvanized roofing nails. Layer the roofing tin over the plywood using galvanized roofing nails. Roofing nails are especially important, since they have a circle of rubber around the top that keeps water from leaking around the seal of the nail in the roofing material. Not only does this keep the goats from getting wet, but it also helps your roof last longer since it keeps the wood from getting wet and rotting.
Lap the horizontal and vertical joints of the tin pieces 3 inches to prevent water leakage under the tin. In order to ensure that the roofing tin on the lower section of the roof is lapped under the roofing tin on the top section of the roof, install the lower section of the goat shed roof first.
Visually check your work for any gaps in the roofing or between the roof and the sides of your goat shed. Also inspect your work on a windy, rainy day in order to ensure that your roof doesn't have any unexpected drafts or leaks that might cause your goats to get sick.