Shed roofing advice

[BarriedaleNick]

Hi - I am building a shed out of old bits of wood but in one area, the roof, I will need to spend some cash.  I am just going to stick an 8x4 sheet of sterling board or marine ply on top.
The question is - how best to waterproof it.  Can I just use something like this or do I need to buy roofing felt etc..

Cheers

[BarriedaleNick]

[Ellen K]

I know absolutely nothing about this sort of thing ..... but one of my allotment neighbours has just built a fine shed from scratch and he has used some sort of corrugated metal sheeting for the roof.  I can't see painting a board would last very long, no matter what paint you use.  I'm still shocked at how things get weathered on the allotment compared to in the garden at home.   

LN

[goodlife]

Hi - I am building a shed out of old bits of wood but in one area, the roof, I will need to spend some cash.  I am just going to stick an 8x4 sheet of sterling board or marine ply on top.
The question is - how best to waterproof it.  Can I just use something like this or do I need to buy roofing felt etc..

Umm....hmmm...that is not very cheap stuff and I doubt it would work in long term. For that kind of money(well almost) you could buy couple of sheets of solid corrugated bitumen roofing panels that will last for yeeeeeeeears that don't need any maintenance once on...quicker to do and less mess too. http://www.wickes.co.uk/Products/Building-Materials/Roofing/Bitumen-Corrugated-Sheets+Trims/c/1000253
I've roofed all my sheds ..even new one that already had felted roof on..with those bitumen panels. All they need is some sort of support, cheap boards..don't even need to be weather board or wooden slats where you screw them on.

[ancellsfarmer]

Cheapskate option would be used* vinyl flooring held with sawn battens running down the roof. Seal the screw heads with a blob of "scrap " silicone sealant
* ask at your local carpet shop if you can visit their skip

[Wizpod.]

My allotment neighbours have erected a shed, bunged on a wooden roof and then used flattened beer cans as shingle.
It looks fantastic, appears to be waterproof. helps fill their water butts and we all had a great time drinking all the beer.
Now we look forward to how it weathers.

[BarriedaleNick]

I should drink more beer!!

I think I'll just have to buy some roof felt unless I can freecycle a few bits.  Not so bad as everything else bar a few screws has been rescued from skips..  It wont be pretty but it will withstand a nuclear attack.

[squeezyjohn]

My shed was exactly the same ... made entirely from dismantled fencing and fencing posts and other bits and bobs but I had to finish it off with something that would be properly waterproof in order to justify the amount of work of putting the rest together!!

I opted to go up to a specialist yard that did all kinds of corrugated iron (which is dreadfully expensive) and ask if they had any off-cuts going cheap - they did and it cost me about £50 but it tessellated together brilliantly and is so waterproof it will probably last far longer than the shed will!  The other bonus of corrugated iron is how easy it was to add a guttering system to get water for the water butts.  If I had bought the corrugated iron in sheets it would have cost more like £150!

[johhnyco15]

had a new roof on my shed last year the bitumen sheets warped in the sun so i boarded it and felted it cost me £80 but well worth it

[RobinOfTheHood]

My allotment neighbours have erected a shed, bunged on a wooden roof and then used flattened beer cans as shingle.
It looks fantastic, appears to be waterproof. helps fill their water butts and we all had a great time drinking all the beer.
Now we look forward to how it weathers.

Do you reckon you could get a pic of this? I've been contemplating doing the same, only problem is the roof in question is 7m x 3m and would take quite a beer session