# Cheap roofing??



## hogstar (Dec 19, 2013)

For the past few months I have been trying to come up with a way to build a farrowing house for as little $$ as possible. I have gotten phone poles and a source of cheap reject boards but now the big problem is finding a way to put a roof on my structure. It looks like I can get a used billboard tarp fairly cheap delivered but I would like something a little more permanent and not as expensive as steel. I am going to use a outdoor farrowing plan off of the ag extension website and modify it a bit. The structure will be 20x60 with a sloped roof and outdoor lots.


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## Kev_Hilderbrand (Mar 8, 2011)

I remember reading about paint and fabric, you might Google it


Kevin


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## Harry Chickpea (Dec 19, 2008)

I have some six mil construction plastic that I use to cover our cistern. It has been exposed to sun and elements for six years and still hasn't cracked. I've been very surprised at the longevity.

A also agree, cheap fabric and a LOT of discarded paint can make a watertight seal. I'm not sure it would last more than three or four years without recoating though.

Roll roofing isn't terribly expensive.


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## hogstar (Dec 19, 2013)

I would think paint and fabric would take 100 gallons of paint to cover the surface area I'm wanting to cover, I thought about roll roofing but that really needs plywood under it. The paint and fabric idea would work great on a small area but not for something large like I'm doing.


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## Lilith (Dec 29, 2012)

Check your local construction store for rejected metal or shingles also for open bundles of shingles. When a customer rejects a product usually it is based on color. The store can't send them back, so they sell them for way cheap. A bundle here or there can really add up.


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## hogstar (Dec 19, 2013)

Shingles still need plywood and it would take nearly a pallet... I have a source of cheap reject steel roofing but it will still cost $6-800 to cover everything. The billboard tarp I have been eying is only about $250 delivered.


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## 1shotwade (Jul 9, 2013)

Ever hear of oil cloth? We used to us it. It's a thick canvas cloth soaked in oil.Repels water sounds like it would work. Just a thought.

Wade


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## wy_white_wolf (Oct 14, 2004)

Grandpa picked up some used 2' x 4' metal signs years ago. He roofed about evey outbuilding on the ranch with them. I've had a few collectors show and want to buy them now. Keep telling them it will cost more for the new roof then what they're willing to pay.

WWW


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## TnAndy (Sep 15, 2005)

White oak will last 100 years.


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## haypoint (Oct 4, 2006)

Trade off. It is always trade offs. A blue plastic tarp is cheap, but doesn't last. Galvanized will last decades, but is costly. There is no magic solution. If there was a cheap long lasting roofing material, everyone would be using it. 
Perhaps you can find used metal roofing and tar over the old nail holes. I know, that's a long shot.


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## Fire-Man (Apr 30, 2005)

hogstar said:


> Shingles still need plywood and it would take nearly a pallet... I have a source of cheap reject steel roofing but it will still cost $6-800 to cover everything. The billboard tarp I have been eying is only about $250 delivered.


 
Think about labor----that sign tarp will have to be replaced, many times compaired to a tin roof. I might skimp on the building but never on the roof----I do find the best deal on the roofing material. I can get 12ft tin for almost $11 less per sheet at a budget building place compaired to Lowes/Home Depot, They say it is the same gauge but I know the one at the Budget place is a few 1000's thinner, but still plenty strong.


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## highlands (Jul 18, 2004)

Billboard tarps last a long time if they are properly battened down to prevent flapping in the wind. The oldest one I have is seven years old and still in perfect condition.

Metal roofing is very good but more expensive. I have read it should last 40 years. I have some that old that is rusty but still servicing. Our old farm house has metal roofing that might be 60 years old, maybe more. Gasket the screws and use screws not nails. If you use nails use good roofing nails that have the ribs. The down side is it is dark under a metal roof.

Glazing such as polycarbonate or fiberglass is far better in our climate because it lets in the sun. Our pigs love the sunlight coming into their sheds. Glazing is more expensive than metal roofing and does not last as long. Install it very well and it will last well. Provide plenty of support below it. The down side in a souther climate might be too much heat - not a problem here. Here's the first very simple structure we built like that and it's still going strong:

http://sugarmtnfarm.com/house-end-shed/
http://sugarmtnfarm.com/winter-animal-shelter/

Ferro-cement makes an awesome long lasting roof. That is what we did our cottage with and a number of other structures. We built our entire cottage for $7K. I am not sure how much the roof portion of it cost. See:

http://SugarMtnFarm.com/cottage

Poured concrete is the primo roof. This is what we did our butcher shop with. It should survive almost anything and last thousands of years. It is less expensive than you might think and it lasts. I also don't have to worry about snow load, helicopter landings, etc.  See:

http://SugarMtnFarm.com/butchershop


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## hogstar (Dec 19, 2013)

I have LOVED reading about your farm and I thought of the ferro cement but would it be any simpler and or cheaper on a large structure to simply shotcrete it?


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## gobug (Dec 10, 2003)

Simply shotcrete is not so simple. There are small concrete sprayers that can be used by DIY's without the big expense and crew required for a shotcrete application. 

The shotcrete would shorten time for completion, but it would eliminate flexibility in design modifications and expense would be higher.

If you are interested in thin shell, or ferrocement, check out ferrocement.net. That is where I learned a lot about cement (not just ferrocement). That is where I found a mortarsprayer (a DIY type of shotcrete gun), and learned enough to use it to make a yard mountain, sinks, tables, garden boxes, sculptures and a thin shell cement roof without rafters.

Gary


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## highlands (Jul 18, 2004)

Yes, people do shotcrete for this sort of thing. There are very small mortar sprayers, I have one, but to do anything large one would want a a large one or it would just take too long and the crete would dry out rather than curing properly. We find it better to parge on, plaster on or use a pump truck for the big stuff.

Check out: http://ferrocement.net/


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