site banner
PaperclipPerfector  2mo ago (text post)   2685 thread views

Friday Fun Thread for March 20, 2026

Be advised: this thread is not for serious in-depth discussion of weighty topics (we have a link for that), this thread is not for anything Culture War related. This thread is for Fun. You got jokes? Share 'em. You got silly questions? Ask 'em.

2
Top Bottom Old Controversial Comments
Jump in the discussion.

No email address required.

You seem to be implying that there are only two options:

  • Steep roofs made from non-leaky materials, such as asphalt shingles or metal panels

  • Flat roofs made from leaky materials, such as mineral rolls or built-up asphalt

This is a false dichotomy. According to the IRC:

  • Asphalt shingles can be used on roofs as flat as 2/12 (with double underlayment).

  • Metal panels can be used on roofs as flat as 0.25/12 (depending on the specific type of panel).

My personal experience with the (IIRC) 4/12 asphalt-shingle roof of my (mother's) current house is that the attic, filled with blown insulation and big ducts that make maintenance difficult, is nothing but an annoyance. I look forward to experiencing my custom house's 1/12 (flat enough to walk on casually) metal-panel roof, with batt insulation, ductless heating/cooling, and a drop ceiling making maintenance easy.

I'm less worried about leaks than full blown collapse. I had my elementary school cafeteria roof collapse when I was a child due to four feet of snow piled up on it. It was not an experience I'd ever care to repeat.

Wait, were you…in it?

I was. It was not a good time

That's just negligent design. Codes do require the designer to account for snow load (1 2).

What is this place?

This website is a place for people who want to move past shady thinking and test their ideas in a court of people who don't all share the same biases. Our goal is to optimize for light, not heat; this is a group effort, and all commentators are asked to do their part.

The weekly Culture War threads host the most controversial topics and are the most visible aspect of The Motte. However, many other topics are appropriate here. We encourage people to post anything related to science, politics, or philosophy; if in doubt, post!

Check out The Vault for an archive of old quality posts. You are encouraged to crosspost these elsewhere.


Why are you called The Motte?

A motte is a stone keep on a raised earthwork common in early medieval fortifications. More pertinently, it's an element in a rhetorical move called a "Motte-and-Bailey", originally identified by philosopher Nicholas Shackel. It describes the tendency in discourse for people to move from a controversial but high value claim to a defensible but less exciting one upon any resistance to the former. He likens this to the medieval fortification, where a desirable land (the bailey) is abandoned when in danger for the more easily defended motte. In Shackel's words, "The Motte represents the defensible but undesired propositions to which one retreats when hard pressed."

On The Motte, always attempt to remain inside your defensible territory, even if you are not being pressed.


New post guidelines

If you're posting something that isn't related to the culture war, we encourage you to post a thread for it. A submission statement is highly appreciated, but isn't necessary for text posts or links to largely-text posts such as blogs or news articles; if we're unsure of the value of your post, we might remove it until you add a submission statement. A submission statement is required for non-text sources (videos, podcasts, images).

Culture war posts go in the culture war thread; all links must either include a submission statement or significant commentary. Bare links without those will be removed.

If in doubt, please post it!


Rules


Recommended Posts And Communities

Recommended Realtime Chats