A jufferkap is a simple, light roof structure built preferably from juffers: thin, straight round pine poles with the bark and sapwood partly removed. Often there is no roof boarding, and tiles or thatch rest directly on battens. It is a thrifty roof made from relatively cheap, barely worked timber.
Features
- Round poles instead of sawn timber — juffers are whole thin tree trunks, not sawn into beams, which saves sawing and material
- Light and simple — the structure is relatively light and quick to raise, suited to modest spans
- Often without boarding — the covering rests on battens, leaving the structure visible from inside
Application
The jufferkap was traditionally common in farmhouses, barns and stables, where the aim was a functional, affordable roof. You still meet the construction in historic rural buildings.
Points to note
- In restoration the original round-pole build-up should be kept or restored in the same spirit
- The very use of juffers is what makes this roof type recognisable
Related terms
- Roof structure
- Roof frame
- Bent (gebint)
- Rafter
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