Which roof for new (DIY) stables?

Cazzah

Cazzah

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And by DIY I literally mean that little old me has done ALL the work so far myself :D Girl power!! :D ;)

I have the uprights all in and sides just about clad now and just need to order materials for the roof. I have the wood already for joists (think that's what they are called) and the beams so just need to decide what sits on top. The roof is a simple sloping one with about 10" drop off at the back. It will have approx 2 foot overhang at the front. The stables are 20 x 10.

So, I'm thinking my options are ply and roofing felt or corrugated sheet. I am trying to do things on a budget but don't want to just buy the cheapest for the sake of it if its going to be useless. So, previous experiences and recommendations welcome!!

Fish fingers and peas on offer (2 year old about to have supper :D )
 
Onduline, every time. Fairly cheap, comes in a variety of colours, light to lift up and install, and will probably last 20 years. We are in the Cairngorms and it has stood up well to fierce gales, heavy snow and driving rain.

http://www.onduline.co.uk/products/onduline/

Ideally line underneath with OS board but not essential.

You can get tiles made of it too if you need it to look more trad.
http://www.onduline.co.uk/products/

The light weight means the roof doesnt need to be as massive a structure as the weight it is supporting is a lot less than eg concrete tiles.

As with any timber stable structure, if you want fireproofing it is best to underline with board and use fireproof paint or similar

Theres a useful guide to installation here. It isnt tricky stuff but it is important it is followed accurately
http://www.onduline.co.uk/PDF/Onduline Leaflet.pdf
 
second the onduline had ours on for 10years and still as good as new

withstood rain, gales, snow and still going strong and not as noisy as corrugated sheeting when the rain and hail pelt down
 
If you use Onduline you MUST put in plenty of beams or whatever they are called to support it otherwise it will sag!

It is easy to work with but baggy that is its downside. If it gets wet it will sag.
I have a well supported Chart stable and even though its well built it was in the days when onduline was all the rage it has started to get very absorbant. I wouldnt recommend it highly. If we lived in a dry country then it would be superb. I wonder about the claims for 15 years etc that I see it advertised as.

I have an old Tin roof barn and if I had to re - roof would go for that every time. However it is probably very expensive.
 
My personal preferance would be fibre cement, but it is heavy and not so cheap. Bottom of my list would be box-profile/ tin, as it is so noisy in the rain.
 
I will never use Onduline again either! I think box section is probably cheaper than corrugated iron. I used box section on a base of 12mm ply with underfelt for the stable roof. I got the box section bit cheaper because it was a rejected order and odd lengths, so shop around.

I used corrugated iron, without the ply or felt, on a field shelter as I wanted a good cheap job. The only trouble was it dripped like mad in misty weather. I've cured that by fixing a polythene sheet (builders' Damp Proof Membrane) underneath held in place with 50mm x 12mm battens nailed onto the purlins. Works a treat!

Felt/Onduline will also rot in time and tear if the wind gets under it. But I'm in the Highlands so our conditions are a bit extreme. Do it right, do it once!
 
Dry Rot said:
I will never use Onduline again either! I think box section is probably cheaper than corrugated iron. I used box section on a base of 12mm ply with underfelt for the stable roof. I got the box section bit cheaper because it was a rejected order and odd lengths, so shop around.

I used corrugated iron, without the ply or felt, on a field shelter as I wanted a good cheap job. The only trouble was it dripped like mad in misty weather. I've cured that by fixing a polythene sheet (builders' Damp Proof Membrane) underneath held in place with 50mm x 12mm battens nailed onto the purlins. Works a treat!

Felt/Onduline will also rot in time and tear if the wind gets under it. But I'm in the Highlands so our conditions are a bit extreme. Do it right, do it once!
Click to expand...

I am East Anglia and the onduline I had some spare and built a chicken shelter that just fell apart and ripped. It reminds me of thick cardboard that just absorbs. I think the 15/20 years guarantee is fine if you live in the sahara. You could see if you could get some tin from reclamation etc And how about a picture of your new abode!!! Good luck
 
10 years for my onduline and it leaks and sags even though it was professionally installed. Also the horses love to chew it where it sits close enough to the ground on a field shelter.
Avoid!
 
Aaaargh! Don't know what to go with now - thought we were onto a winner with the onduline recommendations to start with but now not so sure?!?!

I will try to get some pics of my handywork tomorrow - just come in from working on it now. I'm really chuffed with the progress so far - it's not that pretty but it is very solid :D
 
I have onduline sheets on the field shlter and on 2 stables, the shelter has osb boards underneath to support it and has never had a problem or a leak in the 4 yrs it has been up, however the stable roofs only has joist supports and a 10" drop on a pitch roof and on the 2nd winter the heavy snow bowed the joists and the roof has leaked badly since.
Just recently spent 3 full days taking to roof off, lifting the pitch of the roof to 15 inches and boarding out before replacing the old onduline and now not a leak in sight :O)
Onduline is fine but i would board it, tape the seams on the boards then add the sheets on top.

My other 2 stables have metal roofs that are great as they do not leak and have lasted at least 15yrs but the noise is frightening in heavy rain and hail !!

Hope this all helps :O)
Teresa
 
The stables I rent have been up about 10 years or so, and the onduline is ready for replacing. I have small holes appearing big enough to see daylight through and the rain does get in. Not an urgent job yet, but it is definitely on its way out. It is also a bit "bulgy" as described above, it is set on the bearer type beam things, like you would with a tin roof, not on boards as recommended above. (That would explain it :( )

I would think tin (corrugated metal) would be a good alternative to price up and see if it is feasible ...
 
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