Is a cardboard fort better with a flat roof or a peaked roof? My Tuesday experiment went sideways

So I spent last Tuesday building a fort with my nephew and we had a big argument about the roof. I wanted to do a flat roof using a single big box like a fridge box so it's easier to stack stuff on top. But he kept saying peaked roofs look way cooler and feel more like a real house. We compromised halfway through and I tried both on two smaller forts side by side. The flat one held up a pillow fort on top no problem but the peaked one had way more headroom inside. By the end of the day we had tape everywhere and the peaked roof collapsed because I didn't brace the center enough. The flat roof was still standing strong after my dog bumped into it. Now I'm wondering if there's a best type of roof for different uses like if you want to sleep in it versus just hang out. Has anyone else tested this out and seen which one lasts longer?

2 comments

2 Comments

pat_hart1mo ago

Tbh, you're overthinking this whole thing. I've built maybe 20+ forts in my life and peaked roofs are the only way to go if you actually want to enjoy being inside. That flat roof might hold up pillows but it makes the interior feel like a coffin. My cousin built a flat roof fort last summer and we could barely sit up straight in there. Plus, peaked roofs shed tape and debris way better when stuff gets dropped on them. You just need to brace the center with a real support beam, like a broom handle or a piece of wood. The fact yours collapsed means you didn't put in the effort to make it solid. Flat roofs are lazy fort building in my book.

williamd701mo ago

I see that same lazy attitude everywhere people half-ass stuff indoors too now that you mention it.