Opening mechanism gable ends on shed

RatLabGuy

RatLabGuy

You look like a monkey and smell like one too
Joined
May 18, 2005
Location
Churchville, MD
Been building a 10x18 shed as I have time. 4/12 pitch roof so it has a pretty good size triangular gable end.
I have the panels on the wall, and sheathing on the roof but the triangular gable ends are still open. It has a big 6' door opening both on one 10' wall and adjacent to that on the long wall.
One of the worst things about sheds is air flow. some of it iit will be storage, but I hope to use part of it for a small shop space. I've noticed that even on warm days, the breeze flowing through it right now with the gable ends wide open is really nice.
Its got me thinking about instead of just walling them off, building in some kind of mechanism so the whole thing can be opened. At least the end opposite the door if not both.
Was thinking something like a casement window crank mounted to the stud in the center, so that the two triangles crank open to meet in the center. That way it could be metered a little and even if forgotten not let much rain in. Or, much easier, put a hinge on the bottom and a rope at the top of the gable triangle, so it could tilt down like a drawbridge...

Anybody done anything like this, or seen kits to make it easy?
 
No but this is pretty much the idea my old boss had about building homes, why trap the heat in the attic. I'll ask him.
Is there enough eves to protect the gables from rain, if left open?
 
No fries said:
No but this is pretty much the idea my old boss had about building homes, why trap the heat in the attic. I'll ask him.
Is there enough eves to protect the gables from rain, if left open?
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The roof overhangs 16" in the front and 8" in the back.If it was wide open and a real rain... no. Well it would depend where the opening is. The peak is about 2' above the wall.
I'm just looking for something to open up if I'm working in there to cool it down, or help with dust movement.

83oldyoda4x4 said:
Something like this at one end and a normal vent at the other? Amazon product ASIN B087WXY41K
The problem with something like this, I have heard with attics is they draw in moisture down here in the south.
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yeah people use things like that in sheds all the time. And its not a bad easy solution. Just not quite as cool or a massive amount of air space.

The she does already have opebn eaves that will be vented, and a ridge vent running the whole length. The notion is that cool air naturally runs up the eaves preventing condensation collection. But I don't expect it to be anything like the cross breeze created by a big opening on both ends that is more comfy for a human.
 
Are you wanting to be able to open it up all the way, or just partially?

I was thinking to hinge it near the peak, and have a crank that pushes the bottom out. That way, if it rains, it would have to be coming in sideways to get inside.

Also, I would want to put screen up behind this opening, to prevent bats or birds from taking up home in your attic. Using window screen could possible help with pollen in the spring too when the gable is open.
 
paradisePWoffrd said:
Are you wanting to be able to open it up all the way, or just partially?

I was thinking to hinge it near the peak, and have a crank that pushes the bottom out. That way, if it rains, it would have to be coming in sideways to get inside.

Also, I would want to put screen up behind this opening, to prevent bats or birds from taking up home in your attic. Using window screen could possible help with pollen in the spring too when the gable is open.
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partially would be nice. Yeah I was just thinking if the hinge were at the top, along the hypotenuse, hen it would flip up and let less in. And a fine mesh would both inhibit creatures and errant rain.
I'll need to look and see what can be found re: hand cranks. Another option may be to have a pulley on the gable eave with a rope going to the inside, and pull it open and hold with a cleat like from a boat.
Or worst case... a stick to prop it up :D
 
We use solar powered fans in solar kilns. They are cheap from Amazon.

You could probably be much more effective and spend much less time and frustration by just having a powered fan to circulate air versus making something up and spending a crap ton of time building it.
 
rockcity said:
You could probably be much more effective and spend much less time and frustration by just having a powered fan to circulate air versus making something up and spending a crap ton of time building it.
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Do you even know what the forum is about?
Get outa here with that sensible BS.
 
RatLabGuy said:
Do you even know what the forum is about?
Get outa here with that sensible BS.
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As I get older I’m finding out how dumb I was when I was younger by wasting time on senseless ideas that already had much easier solutions and require much less time investment.

* says the guy spending entirely too much time making a PTO post hole digger from a toyota IFS axle that can be bought for $600. 🙄
 
rockcity said:
As I get older I’m finding out how dumb I was when I was younger by wasting time on senseless ideas that already had much easier solutions and require much less time investment.
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Now you're just talking gibberish!
why buy a wheel when I can reinvent one
 
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