Shed Roof Leaking

Swans1912 · 9 December 2008 at 2:04PM

I bought a shed from a local seller in the summer which we put together ourselves. I did a good job of putting it together and spent a very long time making sure everything went well... today however I have noticed the roof in the center of our shed is damp.

Not sure what the best course of action is?

latecomer · 9 December 2008 at 2:12PM

find where the leak is coming from first. If its due to a fault with the shed then the offending part should be replaced. If its from the way its been put together.....

savemoney · 9 December 2008 at 3:07PM

Is this a metal shed by chance. As metal sheds sweat and you get condensation

If it isnt you need to find out the source of the hole and fix it either with re-felting which is cheap or patch it up with some bitumen mastic again very cheap to do

Errata · 9 December 2008 at 4:27PM

I'm so glad someone else has posted, 'cos my shed roof leaks as well ! It's a wood shed with roofing felt stuff covering the roof and it's leaking where nails - big flat headed ones - have been banged in.
Will bitumen mastic around the nails stop my leaks ? If so, where would I buy it and do I have to use one of those scary gun things with it.

savemoney · 9 December 2008 at 4:34PM

I am no expert when I re-felted my wooden shed, twice I always left a over lap in the joints to allow for nails

I tub of bitumen mastic (blackspurs) last time I bought it a couple of years back was about £5 for a 1 litre tub it lasts from local handyman store not the diy chains

I use it my my garage felt just to patch up it lasted almost 2 years now. Think its really only temporary job though your better off with new felt it isnt that hard just get some short galvanised nails and some felt and make sure you have a over lap that runs over the previous run so water doesn't seep in and tuck under the roof incline and nail

You can also paint on isoflex rubber type paint too but I think it only lasts a few years before needed doing again, B&Q sell it

OddjobKIA · 9 December 2008 at 4:37PM

It is normally due to seepage under the join in the felt type roof thing that causes most leaks in a shed roof...

The last tine I re-roofed one I put two strips on each side and then one over the ridge....I alos used a staple gun to fix it to the roof rather than nails...

to fix you leak PROPERLY...remove the felting and start again

Inactive · 9 December 2008 at 5:06PM

Or use some of this;

http://www.toolstation.com/shop/Construction/Roof+Compound+Admixtures/Emergency+Roof+Repair+1+Kg/d210/sd2809/p80073

This will fix any leak, even in the wet.

27col · 9 December 2008 at 7:43PM

I am having trouble with this. How can someone who is capable of erecting a shed and in their own words " making a good job of it". Then not be able to felt the roof so that it does not leak.
The secret is to have large overlaps and felt nails spaced at no more than 50mm intervals. For belt and braces you can paint between the overlap with roofing felt adhesive which is available from the big sheds. This seals the joint and the nails will be surrounded with waterproof sealant. It is probably a false economy to use the very cheapest felt. I have always found that the green or grey mineral faced stuff is stronger and less likely to tear whilst being applied. In the past I have unrolled the piece of felt that I was using and let it settle overnight. This lets it stretch a bit and it is thus, less likely, to ripple.
have look here:http://shedthread.blogspot.com/2008/11/felting-roof-of-apex-shed.html. There are many other sites that give information on the subject.

Errata · 9 December 2008 at 7:58PM

Thanks for all your help chaps, especially the info about stuff that doesn't need a gun. I'm a girl so summat I can paint on will be the easiest solution for me. Watch out for the headlines screaming "Pensioner falls off shed roof - no small insects killed !".

Shed Roof Leaking

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