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how many shingles

20657 | Posted in Construction Techniques on August 1, 2003 04:03am

I  have a difference of opinion on the number of shingles are in a sq. .I have my own answer but wanted input from you guys. Shingles will be 24″ with 8″ exposer and will be random width from 6″-3″. what say you all. I know that random width means that the number  is dependant on the widths  but all I need is approximate #.  Thanks Bill D.

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  1. User avater
    jonblakemore | Aug 01, 2003 07:49pm | #1

    With a random width of 3-6", the mean is 4.5".  4.5*8 gives an coverage of 36 sq. in. per shingle.  You will need 400 of these to cover a square.

     

    Jon Blakemore

  2. User avater
    dieselpig | Aug 01, 2003 09:09pm | #2

    Yup...400 per sq by my count.  Each shingle, on average, cover 1/4 sq ft.  So four shingles per sq ft or 400 per sq.

  3. Piffin | Aug 02, 2003 04:23am | #3

    Not to be picky, but at 24" long, are you talking shingles or shakes? It took me a minute to get over my confusion since most shingles expose at four to six inches.

    Next question, now that you curiosity has been satisfyed...Why?

    .

    Excellence is its own reward!

    1. FrankB89 | Aug 02, 2003 08:15am | #4

      I'm with you. Lots of Red Cedar and Port Orford Cedar shingles cut in my neighborhood and are typically 16" to 18" long.

      I do see 8" exposures on occasion but they don't have much curb appeal (to put it politely). 

      Wide exposures also tend to be more prone to cupping and are susceptable to the hardship of weather and, eventually, look cheap and shoddy. 

    2. 20657 | Aug 02, 2003 02:46pm | #5

      no big reason for the question other than I might be making some for a job and the client was telling me he was SURE that the answer was 350/sq. And before I go back and tell him he is wrong I guess I needed some back-up, so at 84 sq he can tell his boss that  the order will be for 33,600 instead of 29,400 ( obvious diff. of 4,200 ) . I almost let him make the error and come up short and take the hit from his boss at about $8.00/shake (sorry for the confusion), but I will set him straight so he will have enough for the job. And no he hasn't given me a waste factor yet ( I figure 20%). The shakes will be of cypress sinkers at a cost of 3,000/ton which 250shakes/ton would also affect the budget., not to mention the extra mo. it would take to make the shakes. Anyway thanks for the back-up. I figure at the kinda $ the project is going spend he would look real bad asking for another $ 200,000 or so.  Thanks again Bill D. (the woodchip guy)

      1. Piffin | Aug 02, 2003 03:56pm | #6

        You will be making these out of board feet of lumber and that is a direct relation to how he will be using them. I thought maybe you were just curious.

        Saying 3" to 6" widths is not any kind of accurate wat to get an objective measurment on this for pricing in that neighborhood. What if you are wrong. It makes you look very unprofessional having wasted a lot of his money. You should be able to figure a weay to calculate this based on the # of bd ft of lumber you work down more accurately.

        I don't know how the bigger mills figure it but I buy it for coverage and not by number of pieces. If your estimate of average size is off only slightly, somebody ends up looking bad. that is not a good business relationship, unless you only want a one time deal - which would suck.

        Excellence is its own reward!

        1. 20657 | Aug 02, 2003 04:27pm | #7

          I am not sure what you mean  when you say working them out of board ft of lumber . I would be purchasing sinker logs which are very hard to figure in bd/ft quantities some of these (most all ) are missing the heart (hollow) due to the early growth in the heart which rots away with the sap wood so what is left is the solid wood which would have the more cypress oil and more dense growth ( sometimes 30-40 groth rings /inch ) He wants them made the old way mallet & froe finished with a draw knife. tryiny to give a bd/ft to these logs would be a guess-ta-ment at best.I thought like the earier post to figure the mean and come up with a # of shakes that way. 'coures I could be haveing a senior moment and jus' not understanding what you are trying to say( I'm old enough to get my happy meal at the disount rate)   And no I don't want a one time deal -that WOULD suk. I'm in the biz over 20 yrs with no ads jus' word of mouth and a good rep.

          Edited 8/2/2003 9:31:14 AM ET by 20657

          1. Piffin | Aug 02, 2003 04:52pm | #8

            Wow.

            Lot's more of variables in a custom hand froed (or is it froen) job.

            Maybe you can estimate board feet based on outer measure of log minus inner missing diomension, less fifteen percent waste.

            Or maybe make up a rick for stacking and bundling like the regular sawn bundles, knowing that once you have stacked in ___# of layers, you have _______x sq ft of coverage.

            Maybe by comparing results from a couple different methods will give better feel of accuracy. I know from my past life roofing that coverage can vary even with standard split/resawn shakes depending on who lays them because of the gap between pierces. Some crowd to 1/4" and others stretch to 3/4". Some will cull out very few pieces and others are more discriminating about what they nail to a roof.

            My hat is off to you with all respect for doing this work.

            I have loved cutting hay with a scythe and pulling on a two man saw. Before I die, I will build a stone structure and froe out some shakes yet.

            Work like this is meditative. Thanks for reminding us that it is still done. Good luck.

            Excellence is its own reward!

          2. 20657 | Aug 02, 2003 05:56pm | #9

            I think I'll use the mean method to determine the amount it's simple (the KISS approach) And yea it is meditative but labor intensive. In my prime I could saw,froe,knife & finish around 150+/- a day. Now, as I'm older that's dropped down to about 80-100/day. But I still get to keep very nice cypress shavings for kindling for the old wood stove. Some day soon I'd like to retire *sigh* and start up the Old Time School and teach the youngsters how to do it. Hopefully in the future there will still be some people doing this! I keep on doing this with the help of theraputic honey bee stings to my elbows and back to releave the inflamation and pain, but by far the most fun is making hand-riven oak clapboard 'cause I get to use black powder to blow the logs apart. Anyhow, thanks for your help, and I'll let you know how the project goes.

            Billy D, The Wood Chip Guy

          3. Piffin | Aug 02, 2003 07:39pm | #10

            As you do it, get someone to put some stuff on video. We don't want the old ways to be lost..

            Excellence is its own reward!

          4. User avater
            bobl | Aug 04, 2003 03:26pm | #11

            "get someone to put some stuff on video"

            dear mr engle

            sounds like a nice video for breaktimr.bobl          Volo Non Voleo

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