With the wet season only 2 months away and thatch being an impermanent material, I needed to make more roof tiles for a new hut that will withstand the next deluge. The only existing hut I have that weathers the rain well is my brick and tiled hut.
source.image: Primitive Technology
Previously I put most of my effort into brick making, but decided that roof tiles are more valuable in the short term as they can be used on a mud walled structure and will last as long as the mud and timber stay intact. But to make roof tiles I needed a large shelter to protect them while being made and drying.
Previous workshops I built to house brick and tile production were large thatched huts on posts. These huts took a long time to build ranging from 3 to 5 weeks and requiring more timber. This time I built an A-frame hut for the same task. It only took 10 days to build and covered a large floor space, 4 x 4 m.
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If the job of the shelter is to only house materials then tall side walls are not necessary, only a large floor space. The shelter worked well, keeping the rain off the tiles. A kiln was also made with previously fired bricks and 42 of the 132 roof tiles were fired successfully. In conclusion, A-framed shelters make excellent work spaces for primitive projects while also being quick and easy to build.
