With less than 4 supports a special pattern requiring specified lengths must be used.
1x6 tongue and groove roof sheathing.
Old houses with asphalt shingles usually had either tongue and groove boards or straight sided boards abutting.
In the 1950s plywood sheathing and particleboard became common and today most standard construction roofs use either half inch plywood or particleboard s big brother oriented strand board osb.
For 5 8 or thicker roof sheathing on 16 o c.
You maybe able to do a deflection calculation with the calculators in the red tool box on this site.
Tongue groove boards.
Tongue and groove commonly used as roof sheathing where a ceiling will not be installed and they will be visible from inside the house such as across beams in a vaulted ceiling.
This arrangement is applicable to 4 or more supports 3 or more spans.
All end joints occur in line on every other support figure 6.
Perfect for interior or exterior projects boards are light weight and easy to nail saw trim or cut.
Rafters it shouldn t be an issue.
4 tongue and groove roof decking.
But as it is tongue and groove the load will also be transferred over the adjacent pieces.
Tongue and groove boards were used for decades prior to the widespread adoption of plywood as a sheathing material in the 1950s and 1960s.
Tongue and groove boards have a wide range of uses from ceiling paneling to accent walls and wainscoting.
All pieces are supported on three supports.
In my experience the need for tongue and groove or edge clips is determined by the thickness of the roof sheathing and the spacing of the rafters.
But you re going to have to do some of the load math to figure out what the exact load will be on one piece of the tongue and groove.
When the roof was first nailed on of course all the nails were in solid wood.
But the lumber was not usually kiln dried.
As wood dries it shrinks.
Some use clips as convenient spacers.
The keyword here is solid it used to be standard to use shiplap 1 boards tongue groove or other boards for the roof deck.
The main reason to use tongue and groove boards these days is appearance from beneath the roof.
Choose a finish to match your look as paint stain whitewash or clear finishes can transform any wood project.
These 8 to 12 inch wide boards were nailed together tight.