What is the use/purpose of diamond shaped wood on shed roof ends?

sujsuj

I am in the final stages of bitumen shed roof and cladding project. I noticed previously there was  diamond shaped wood pieces at both ends of roof top. I googled to find the purpose this wood, but couldn't see any convincing answer.

Can anyone here could help me..?  Showing some photos as well. I am not sure if I got the shape correct or I placed in the right way..? Thanks

[Deleted User]

Hi,

think it's just to cover up the joint, a wee bit of finishing.

YBR

Might be intended to reduce how much "weather" gets in to the end-grain of the two pieces below.

ThisIsWeird

Surely 87% decorative, and 12% functional to cover the butt joint?

(And one in a hundred will decide it serves neither.)

grumbler

I'd say 100% decorative as the joint is still exposed at the top.

My shed is plastic with aluminium frame - nothing to protect. And it still has it -

stuart45

I do where the barge boards meet at the top of the gable end to cover up my mitre cuts being so far out.

Section62

sujsuj said:

I am in the final stages of bitumen shed roof and cladding project. I noticed previously there was  diamond shaped wood pieces at both ends of roof top. I googled to find the purpose this wood, but couldn't see any convincing answer.

Can anyone here could help me..?  Showing some photos as well. I am not sure if I got the shape correct or I placed in the right way..? Thanks

"finial"

Decorative/traditional, not functional* (other than as stuart45 says to hide cutting errors ).

Traditionally the sharper 'point' of a finial goes upwards, so if kite-shaped, the more pointy end should be at the top.  But no laws are broken if it goes the other way up.

(*if pointy enough might it also discourage pigeons from sitting on the apex and pooing on the bargeboards.)

TELLIT01

Predominantly decorative but it does provide some protection against rain for the end grain of the wood.

Eldi_Dos

It is to provide a mount for horseshoe to be attached too.

Which opens up the old debate should horseshoe be fixed open end up or down.

Postik

Eldi_Dos said:

It is to provide a mount for horseshoe to be attached too.

Which opens up the old debate should horseshoe be fixed open end up or down.

When I was a kid we got these necklaces from a school trip with horseshoes on, open end down.  It was debated which way around it should be, but I thought with the open end down, the luck would "run out" of the ends of the horseshoe.

CliveOfIndia

Postik said:

Eldi_Dos said:

It is to provide a mount for horseshoe to be attached too.

Which opens up the old debate should horseshoe be fixed open end up or down.

When I was a kid we got these necklaces from a school trip with horseshoes on, open end down.  It was debated which way around it should be, but I thought with the open end down, the luck would "run out" of the ends of the horseshoe.

When I was a kid it was the subject of much debate.  On the one hand, as you say, open end down means the luck runs off it.  But open end up means that witches can sit in it, negating the good luck.