Re-Roofing a log store

[Mark Bluemel]

Next to our miniature garden shed is a log store erected by the previous owners of our house. A simple wooden frame butted up to the back of a garage supporting a simple roof sloping away from the the garage wall.

The roof appears to be some particle board (stirling) with a simple layer of roofing felt. The felt has failed and the board is approaching the consistency of wet weetabix (other breakfast cereals are available).

The framework is fine, so I hope to simply put up a new board, probably with a couple of layers of decent felt.

What board should I use? OSB? WBP ply? Something else?

[Andy Dingley]

I wouldn't board and felt it, I'd use (for simplicity) something that was inherently both strong enough and waterproof. Corrugated asbestos cement is the traditional one, or these days that probably means Onduline.

If you do want to board it, OSB is the stuff. However there are a couple of grades about and most builders merchants only sell the less water resistant of the two, so check first. OSB is quite resistant to moisture on its surface, but it does need to have the edges well protected.

[Tabby]

OSB is a popular choice, but use OSB3, not 1 or 2.

NT

[Harry Bloomfield]

Mark Bluemel pretended :

What about using some of that clear plastic corrugated roofing sheeting?

I used it for a covered area I made at the back of our summer house several years ago, built on to the wind sheltered side and its still fine. It lets light in and some winter heat from the sun, so maybe would help logs dry out.

[Andy Dingley]

Clear plastics never last as well under UV exposure as something opaque. If it's reachable, the extra brittleness in a few years can lead to broken panels.

If you want clear, I'd go with twinwall polycarb these days. If you don't need clear, I wouldn't try and use clear.

[Steve Walker]

Much better transfer speed, but still backwards compatible?

[Andrew]

Galvanised corrugated iron. Traditional and you can paint it (after a few months) if the shininess offends. What's more in 100 years time it will have rusted away to nothing whereas the clear plastic or the Onduline or whatever will be in a landfill or a hedge somewhere.

[Martin Bonner]

If you paint it with tar varnish every three years, in a 100 years time it will still be on top of the shed.

[Mark Bluemel]

From my reading of technical data online, the roof of the store is of such a low pitch that I doubt I'd get away with Onduline without putting a decking layer under it - the current framework was built for board and felt, so only supports the edges, basically.

I think I'll have to go with OSB and felt.

Thanks for the pointers.

[Skipweasel]

Getting felt laid down on the roof? I detect the hand of Samantha.

[PeterC]

My roof is about 8 deg. so it had to have a full deck. The dimensions are such that there's >0.5m overlap vertically, so no chance of water getting back up that. The adjoining roof of the same pitch is asbestos cement with about 50mm overlap and, if kept clear of excessive moss, has never leaked via the overlap.

[PeterC]

Where can I get felt?

[John Williamson]

He just said. Laid down on the roof.

[Skipweasel]

Sign up here...

see when Clue is next being recorded.

[PeterC]

Yes, I recognized Samantha's er, hand - I do miss that programme but never unforget to see if it's on. Thnaks for the link.