How well do you want to safeguard the contents in your shed? Especially with all the harsh weather lately, roofing a shed correctly to your conditions is very important. We’ll be focusing on aspects on waterproofing and materials that you can use with an importance on your budget and selection of plans.
1 – Have a think about what type of roof you want and what you want it to look like. How it will be affected by local weather or the climate your living in. Do you want it to match your home and is it permanent fixture or will your shed be temporary.
An example of useful thinking is seeing sheds in climates where there is snowfall. We tend to see steeper roofs to avoid snow piling up and sometimes we see metal roofs having an advantage, where the snow tends to slide off the roof more easily.
2 – What type of materials are you looking for? There are quite a few materials to choose from and I’ll cover the most common ones. The first one is mineral felt and its one of the cheapest materials you can use. It is usually a standard with the general garden shed and is known for its weakness and low durability. Mineral roof felt can be fragile but it will prevent water leakage, unless any unseen damage has occurred. By then the material can be affected allowing water in and the shed contents exposed.
Roof Shingles Or Tiles
As you go up in quality you can start looking at these materials They have quite a few to choose from, ranging from wooden shingles or clay tiles for craftsman style roofs to cedar shakes to beautiful spanish tiles. Tiles like terra cotta are very attractive but are also heavy and not as easy to put in as shingles. This option gives you a strong and very durable solution that can be maintenance-free for a number of years.
3 – What is your budget for the shed roof? Here we look at the materials you’ve chosen to go with. If you have gone with mineral felt than your costs can be low, but it can be a short lived solution with running repairs. Sheet metal is another cheap alternative but again like mineral felt, water leakage is something you should keep an eye on over seasons. Tiles and Shingles are more expensive but are naturally a longer protection alternative for you shed roof. There is a rating system and some shingles can have a 10 year rating. Keep looking and you find ones with a 30 plus year rating! This affects your pocket as the expenses go up when purchasing shingles with a longer life rating but it can pay itself during that course. The quality is more improved as well so it does pay if you can afford it.
4 – What about weatherproofing?
The angle or pitch of your roof plays a big part in selecting the material you want and the protection your after.
Flat roofs have an angle 10 degrees or lower and are a low cost material solution. The main ones a sheet metal and mineral felt. Be careful as we mentioned earlier, they can be affected with low strength and water leakage. If you go for this option stay at 5 degrees or higher for a better drainage effect.
Low pitch roofs range of pitch lies between 10 and 20 degrees. You can use shingles or tiles but be careful with their weight issues.
We can now look at pitched roofs that angle up from 20 to higher than 35 degrees. Interlocking concrete tiles are common here but their weight and load can affect structures that don’t give enough support. Clay tiles are also used and their pitch angle is 35 degrees or above. They are definitely the strongest options and many say the prettiest as well.
5 – Where can I find Quality Plans
You can find plans in many magazines, monthly publications and books at your local home and garden centers. Have a read through them but generally they are not a set of building plans with blueprints to go by. They can often lack depth with instructions and illustrations and serve better as inspirational tips and guides. Its probably best not to use them if you want your roof done correctly.
Looking online can be a better alternative and it usually is. You can view plans online, search on where to buy them and download them. Many sites have a few to look through or some have 100′s if not 1000′s of plans to cater for every aspect of a building project. Its definitely better than a 1 page tips guide.
The same rule applies thou, look for good supported material with all information you need. Accurate blueprints, diagrams. illustrations, step by step instructions, roofing systems, flooring foundation, tools and materials listed and so on. This will help get the roof you want that’s well protected and weatherproofed correctly.
Want to learn more about planning your shed roof correctly? Visit my site at www.shedplansinfo.com for helpful tips and information on shed planning and woodworking projects. Henry Wilkerson has been helping others prepare, plan and build quality sheds for all their storage needs.