My shed roof desperately needs re felting – of course I should have done it in the summer when the weather was a lot better, but as with most things I do, it takes me months to get round to things (yes mrsunclewilco was right, but don’t tell her).

Anyway being of little DIY skills I asked the sheddies, on that fangled twitter thing. and got some good advice from the shedwitters

BuyAssociation November 5, 2009

@unclewilco Buy the stuff that has a strip of bitumen on one side underneath – heat with a blowtorch, stick down and it seals! Genius…

JULIANBRAY November 5, 2009

@unclewilco get rigid corrugated sheets of roof lining (B&Q £11 a sheet) and fixing nails much easier lasts longer

oddjones November 5, 2009

@unclewilco Yeah – prepare yourself both pysically and mentally beforehand – it’s a horrible job : http://www.onegranddesigns.com/?p=114

Christopher_R November 5, 2009

@unclewilco Wear good gloves. That cold tar stuff is horrible.

GardenBuildings November 5, 2009

@unclewilco measure the felt twice and cut the felt once. always a good one. Don’t scrimp on the tacks either or high wind will get you

If you have any more tips to help me in my task then please reply on this tweet or comment below.

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John over at Secrets of shedbuilding has kindly written a post about a leaking roof, in response to my problems with my shed roof, which know I think is the side wall letting in water, after the roof initially leaked!

Does your existing shed roof leak?

Want to decide which is the best roofing material for your new or existing shed roof? The traditional option for covering a shed roof in the UK is roofing felt. Another option has become more popular in the past few years, had you considered using felt shingles?

Traditional felt

Felt is a polyester reinforced bitumen coated sheet which normally has a protective fine green mineral finish. The traditional roll of roofing felt has a lot going for it as it is cheap it is quite easy to install. The main down side is its longevity. Even the suppliers say that standard shed felt is only good for 5 years. A roll of the thicker garage felt might last a bit longer say 10 years. The felt is also a single ply so if it gets broken or damaged it will start to leak. As soon as water starts to make its way into the shed it causes damage to the roof deck, it can cause mildew and allows the contents to become wet or damp.

Roof shingles

An alternative to shed felt is felt shingles. These come in packs that cover about 3m² and are nailed down to the shed roof giving an appearance of roof tiles. The shingles come in a strip of three which makes it easier to get them all lined up properly. The shingles are designed to be pretty durable and with manufacturers claiming a life span of between 20 and 40 years, you shouldn’t have to replace them too often.

These three tab shingles are nailed down to the roof and overlap each other, so that you have a fish scale sort of effect and the roof is covered by at least two layers at any point. The shingles come in a variety of colours, most commonly green, brown, red and blue. Shingles also come in a variety of shapes, but these are normally to special order.

Cost Comparison

Shed felt comes in a roll and costs about £1 per square metre. Shingles come in packs that normally cover 3 m² and work out about £7/m². On material price per m² then shed felt is the cheapest by far.

However if you look further and consider the cost/m² per year then the difference is a lot less. With a life span of 5 years shed felt costs 20p/m²/year, felt shingles with a 25 year life span come in a lot closer at £0.28/m²/year.

When you price in your time for re-felting and repairing the roof every 5 years, the benefit of improved appearance with shingles and the reduced risk of water damage to the contents of your shed the shingles start to look a lot more attractive.

Installing roof shingles is quite straight forward, as you can see from the link.

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Our friends over at Marley waterproofing asked me for a quote about sheds, so they could add it when they wossname this survey.

A new YouGov poll, has revealed that over half (57%) of the people living in Scotland use (or would use) a shed to store garden equipment and tools, while others are opting to use them for additional living space.

The survey carried out by Marley Waterproofing revealed that one in seven (14%) people from Scotland use (or would use) a shed for storage of non garden items (rather than standard garden equipment). One in 16 (6%) Scottish respondents questioned said they use (or would use) their sheds as a workshop or as a creative area.

Founder of Readersheds.co.uk, uncle wilco comments; “Using a shed for things other than storing garden equipment is becoming increasingly popular. Utilising your garden shed as an extension of your home provides that all important living space which people crave, especially where the possibilities to extend are limited. Over the years I have seen some very creative ideas for the garden shed including a music room, a Dr Who tardis and this year’s Shed of the Year – a fully operational pub shed complete with fittings!”

The poll also found that despite Scots valuing their “shed-space”, there were a range of answers given when they were asked what puts them off maintaining or repairing their shed. These included not having enough time (22%), unsure how to repair it (10%) and simply can’t be bothered (10%).

But does this research indicate that shed maintenance is really a low priority or that it is viewed as a job too difficult for the amateur DIY enthusiast to attempt? Charles Farmer, Retail Director at Marley Waterproofing says; “It’s surprising really, considering how security conscious we are as a nation and the lengths we go to protect our personal belongings. You wouldn’t leave a lap top in a damp, leaky and unsecured shed, so why leave expensive garden equipment in the same conditions.

“The findings suggest that a proportion of Scots are unsure how to go about repairing their sheds. This kind of research helps us to develop products that fit the needs of amateur DIY-ers. Our waterproofing products are easy to select and even include simple step-by-step instructions to make almost any DIY roofing project simple and straight forward.”

For further information about Marley Waterproofing’s retail range, please visit the dedicated website

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I assume the weather the last week has been terrible where you are (if you are a UK sheddie) and hope you have not been flooded.

It has been very heavy here at the Shed HQ, nestled in the welsh valleys, thankfully we are on a hill.

But the sheds(Shed HQ,Mr’s UW Shed) are leaking , with old greeny the worse for wear.

I will have to get out sometime and re-felt the roof, but as you know from my past experience with anything hands on, it will be a long and thumb hitting task.

So my sheddies what tips do you have for me and the rest of the readers

Whats the best way

1) To Stop the rain getting in
2) Repair any leaks and stop it leaking again what to use?
3) anything else you can think of.

any help appreciated.

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