How to make a japanese roof do it yourself - design and

Oriental themes in the interior and architecture has remained popular for over two centuries. Interest in the aesthetics of the east is explained by the exotic, original forms and technological solutions used for construction. The Japanese roof, actively used for decoration of arbors, terraces, themed cafes and restaurants, has become the business card of this design direction.

The potential of such a roofing technology in private housing has not yet been disclosed, so our article will tell you how to design and build a roof in the Japanese style with your own hands.

Design features

Visually, the Japanese-style roof resembles half-timbered or so-called Dutch, but some find echoes of traditional Russian architecture in them. Although in Russia, oriental roofing structures with slightly bent up edges consisting of several tiers became popular primarily because of the exotic, original appearance, in Japan they are a very practical, functional solution. They were designed taking into account the humid climate of this country and high seismic activity. The Japanese roof device has the following features:

• The lack of a traditional truss system. Since in Japan earthquakes occur quite often, so the classic roof system, which rests on the bearing walls of the house, is not suitable for this area. Instead, an independent frame is used, the racks of which are installed directly into the ground, due to which tremors do not destroy it.
• Little weight. Due to the fact that the time of earthquakes, the roof may collapse, the Japanese had to use lightweight construction and roofing materials to avoid injury. Most often houses were blocked with straw, reed, reed or wood.
• Multi-tier. Traditional Japanese roofing consists of several tiers, this design helps to cope with the large amount of precipitation characteristic of this area during the rainy season.

Note! Most of the roofs in the Japanese style, which are built in her country, are imitations. That is, they have the usual truss frame and are covered with modern roofing materials.

Varieties

The design of the Japanese roof has 3 main features: upward-curved edges, several tiers and a specific structure of the truss frame. Another feature of the Japanese style in architecture is the predominant use of natural material. Wood, straw and reeds are natural, plant-based raw materials that do not adversely affect human health and the environment. The following types of Japanese roofs are distinguished:

1. Pointed double-slope, covered with shingles or wooden tiles.
2. Chetyrehskatnye, covered with straw or reed.
3. Roofs with several gables, a complex shape and a roof covering from plant materials.

Note that often Japanese roofs have a two-layer coating. Because of the gusting wind, the straw used for the overlap can scatter, so ceramic tiles with an s-shaped profile are laid over it. Sometimes even the tiles were laid on the mortar, which reliably interlocks the layers of the roofing pie.

Differences from the Chinese roof

Often, people confuse Chinese and Japanese roofs due to visual similarities, but there are significant differences in their design. Buddhism, which came from China to Japan, had a significant impact on traditional architecture. However, it is still possible to distinguish them by the following features:

• Most often, Japanese roofs are covered with light straw, which has a high insulating capacity. Chinese roofing traditionally has a tile roof with a sigmoid profile.
• In contrast to the Chinese roof, the Japanese is devoid of rich decoration. She looks very simple, discreet. The roof in the Chinese style opposite is very bright, decorated with decorative figures, due to which it becomes heavier. The heavy weight of the structure creates a danger to people during earthquakes.
• The Japanese roof is usually straight slopes without curved edges, unlike the Chinese.

Interesting! The traditional Japanese roof has straight slopes, and the upturned edges are a consequence of Chinese influence, which came to the land of the rising sun along with Buddhism. However, even in appearance, you can easily distinguish the roof in the Japanese style, since it is much more concise and simpler.

DIY building

Before you make a Japanese roof with your own hands, you need to think and decide whether it will be an exact copy of the traditional design, made in compliance with all the requirements of the technology, or just an imitation, just copying its appearance. It should immediately be said that the imitation, made with the help of modern technologies and materials, is much cheaper, in addition, it is simpler in terms of self-assembly. Typically, the construction of the roof in the Japanese style consists of several stages:

1. Project development. At this stage, it is important to decide how many skates, gables and tiers the roof will have, decide on the slope and roofing material. After all the calculations have been made, it is necessary to create a sketch or project reflecting the basic parameters of the structure.
2. Design truss frame. The frame of the Japanese roof is a pyramid consisting of truss quadrilaterals mounted on each other.
3. Assembling truss frame. The roof truss system is assembled from lightweight but durable wood. Usually, boards with a section of 150x30 mm are used, the crate is made solid, using plywood with a thickness of 10 mm.
4. Laying roofing material. After assembling the frame and mounting the batten, you need to lay the roof covering. Best of all, soft, resilient rolled materials that easily take the shape of its curved ramps are suitable for Japanese roofing.

The Japanese-style roof is an aesthetic architectural solution that, with a single stroke, will give the aesthetics of the east to the appearance of the building. Particularly relevant are gazebos, terraces and tea houses with such a roof, which can serve as a place of rest and relaxation.

Video instruction