Repairs needed for a garden shed roof which is leaking.
What are the options for ensuring a waterproof covering? Roll of felt from a DIY shed? Presumably there is some goo that can be bought to seal the overlaps?
Andrew
Do you need a handyman service? Check out our web site at
You can but I didn't bother on mine. No rain gets in and this shed takes the full SW'ly storms in an exposed position 1400' up on the North Pennines.
The felt is well nailed down though and the overlaps generous. 6 to 8" from memory both horizontally and vertically where I had to with the ridge peices. "Well nailed down" means 20mm galvanised clouts every
1.5 to 2" along *all* exposed edges, not sure what I did on the edges under an overlap memories of every 6". Stopping the stuff getting ripped off by the wind is the priority up here. B-)
I can give you a couple of ideas, one of which I've used, and the second I am about to do.
1) For a shed that I built about 10 years ago, I boarded the roof with 18mm TGV timber (although that was not so important.I then bought the heaviest felt system that I could find that didn't require a torch to apply it. I believe it was made by Marley and was several grades up from the cr*p they sell as shed felt.
I began by treating the boards with a good spirit based wood preservative - three coats. Obviously if you have a roof that is leaking, check for rot and fix.
There is then a bitumen primer, then the first layer goes on, followed by joint sealer and the second. There are detailed instructions in an application note on the web site.
There is a sealant in a gun cartridge as well which is used for sealing corners etc.
The result has been very good and ten years later it's still looking good. It does take a bit longer than simple felting but if you follow the instructions and form drip pieces correctly it is worth it.
2) For a new timber cabin type shed that I am making I wanted something a bit different than boring felt. I did think about tiles but they didn't seem right and the pitch of the roof is very low at about 20 degrees.So I looked at cedar shingles and shakes. These are commonly used in north America for roofing.
Shingles are created by taking sheets of cedar and sawing through at an angle such that they are thicker at one end than the other. They are then nailed through the thin ends to battens on the roof in courses leaving a gap from side to side between them to allow for expansion and contraction. They are overlapped on successive courses such that gaps do not align within three courses.
Shakes are similar, but generally are split by hand and so are rough on one side and smooth on the other where they are sawn the same as shingles. They go rough side up using a slightly different fitting regime and give a more rustic appearance.
The shed roof is boarded as before and treated. Then I have felted it, but only with a regular heavy grade felt with overlaps.
I have then fitted wide pressure treated battens between the eaves and the ridge using 450mm centres - i.e. perpendicular to the ridge.
On top of these are fitted pressure treated battens on 150mm centres going parallel to the ridge and perpendicular to the first battens.
The reasoning behind this is that if any water should penetrate under the shakes it will run down the felt on the roof boards.
The next step (probably tomorrow's job) is to attach the shakes by nailing them to the horizontal battens using interlay felt between layers. Silicon bronze or stainless steel nails are required, AIUI due to tannins in the cedar which will eat other nail types.
The ridge will be completed with a pair of cedar board angled appropriately and jointed.
Quite a bit of work, but I am pretty sure the end result will be worth it.
.andy
To email, substitute .nospam with .gl
Thanks for those! Looks like I've got a good starting point for doing this repair.
Andrew
Do you need a handyman service? Check out our web site at
Nice place. It's difficult to see enough detail in the photos to tell about the roofs.
Presumably you've been.
How do they manage to book use of one cottage and exclusive bay? Does this mean that the other is left empty for the period of the booking?
.andy
To email, substitute .nospam with .gl
My shed roof is supported on 7 x 3/4" rough sawn "pine" planks. They expand contract quite a lot from bang up tight next to each other to
3/8" gaps. Doesn't seem to worry the felt on top though.
Took a look at the shed this afternoon. They've decided to replace the whole shed which I reckon is the right option because it is in need of more repairs than just the roof.
Thanks for the ideas though - useful information in there.
Andrew
Do you need a handyman service? Check out our web site at
HomeOwnersHub website is not affiliated with any of the manufacturers or service providers discussed here. All logos and trade names are the property of their respective owners.