sandspider Posted February 4, 2021 Report Share Posted February 4, 2021 Hi all I've got an oldish summerhouse with a 4 sided roof (not the normal 2 side / apex roof) which could do with a new roof. It's currently got fake tiles made from roofing felt which haven't lasted too well and tend to leak, tear and blow off. What can I replace them with that is cheap and easy DIY? (Rest of the summerhouse isn't in a great state so don't think it's worth spending lots of money on). EPDM rubber? Roofing felt? Tile effect metal roof sheets? I'm not quite sure on the best way to make the joins neat and water tight on each corner where the 4 sides of the roof join... (Much easier to felt a 2 side apex roof!) I imagine that whatever I put on top it's worth patching up the wood underneath, and painting it with some waterproof compound before putting a new roof on? Thanks. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hicky Posted February 4, 2021 Report Share Posted February 4, 2021 GRP, depending on the shape of the roof lines, simple and much easier to repair than EPDM. Or felt. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Yellow Bear Posted February 4, 2021 Report Share Posted February 4, 2021 2 hours ago, Hicky said: GRP, depending on the shape of the roof lines, simple and much easier to repair than EPDM This Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sandspider Posted February 4, 2021 Author Report Share Posted February 4, 2021 Fair enough! Just lay up to the edge of each roof segment, then fit some sort of cover over the joins? Thanks Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Walker570 Posted February 4, 2021 Report Share Posted February 4, 2021 From your description I would be tempted to cover it in felt and give the roof a good blathering in tar paint beforehand. You can buy nice greenish coloured felt these days and done tidy like it would a) look ok and b) keep the roof dry for a good many years. Not expensive to do either. I have three cabins in my wood with felted rooves and they are as good as new 7-8yrs later. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Yellow Bear Posted February 4, 2021 Report Share Posted February 4, 2021 26 minutes ago, sandspider said: Fair enough! Just lay up to the edge of each roof segment, then fit some sort of cover over the joins? Thanks Personally I would put on a gel coat then lap about 100mm over the joins as you lay up each face with mat (1 thickness of mat should suffice) and this would give more bunt to the corners. Then a simple coloured top coat. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sandspider Posted February 5, 2021 Author Report Share Posted February 5, 2021 Thanks, but a gel coat and a top coat of what?! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Yellow Bear Posted February 5, 2021 Report Share Posted February 5, 2021 1 hour ago, sandspider said: Thanks, but a gel coat and a top coat of what?! GRP -- Glass reinforced plastic -- the mat is the glass and the gel/topcoat the plasic Have a look at grp roofing materials and boat building. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sandspider Posted February 5, 2021 Author Report Share Posted February 5, 2021 Ahh, understood - I thought you were all referring to GRP roofing sheets, pre-made, not make your own. This makes more sense. Not cheap, mind. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
deny essex Posted February 5, 2021 Report Share Posted February 5, 2021 I have made much in GRP over 40 years in the GRP moulding trade and many roof coverings ,never have I had to call back on any , way to go if applied properly and safely. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
eddoakley Posted February 5, 2021 Report Share Posted February 5, 2021 To make it easy to do yourself I would suggest rubber. Start flush with one edge of a panel, stick with contact adhesive at that edge and trim it up leaving (eg) 100mm over the opposite. Then move back and do the same so that the side you are trimming over the 1st one is about 100mm on top of the 1st sheet. Contact adhesive onto the 2st sheet. Move around each panel bonding the sheet to the previous. Easier to do than explain. Cheap and easy to do. (I'm supposed to be doing 250m2 on the weekend) Edd Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sandspider Posted February 5, 2021 Author Report Share Posted February 5, 2021 Thanks Edd, that does sound more within my skill level. think 250m2 would still take me a while! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NoBodyImportant Posted February 6, 2021 Report Share Posted February 6, 2021 I put the rubber roof on my beach place. I mopped it own and then did a second coat. It stopped the leaks but looks like ****. It the white stuff you see in the Caribbean on all the houses. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
eddoakley Posted February 6, 2021 Report Share Posted February 6, 2021 7 hours ago, NoBodyImportant said: I put the rubber roof on my beach place. I mopped it own and then did a second coat. It stopped the leaks but looks like ****. It the white stuff you see in the Caribbean on all the houses. Not the same thing as I was suggesting. We use a rubber sheet. Its bonded at the edges with contact adhesive and everywhere else with different adhesive. It's easy to cut, easy to form around obstacles and there are various trims for finishes. Once it's bond3d together it's never coming apart so repairs are easy. Can get a bit messy with the adhesive if you're not careful but for diy jobs it's a good option. Edd Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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