# Inexpensive shed roofing?



## lisarichards

We've been using those dark green metal panels from Home Depot to make shed roofing over the years. I bought quite a few of them a few years ago, and we finally used the last ones last week, and I went to buy more. Yowsa! I spent $15 each back then, and now they are $30 each. One shed takes four panels, and I just can't afford that right now when I need four more sheds before snow flies.



I need to be able to move them around -- we have them on skids, but I find a logging chain actually works better. We always change where we overwinter the animals every year, and we are clearing a lot of land, so will put the pigs or sheep into a newly cleared spot for rooting or brush clearing.

Any ideas on a cheaper roofing material? We log and run the wood through our sawmill, so wood is basically free. I can't spend $120 for each shed, you know? I just don't have that kind of money right now with the cost of hay this year.

I was wondering about an earthen roof, but I don't know that it would be moveable. It might be too heavy.

Help!


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## PyroDon

If you have a saw mill whats wrong with wood shingles ? 
you can always put linseed oil on them . 
or you could basically lap side the roof and give it a heavy coat of paint .


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## farminghandyman

roll roofing, basically a heavy tar paper with the shingle granules on one side, of it roll it out like tar paper, or use 30lb felt for cheap roofing, lots of nails on the seams, to keep wind form getting under it, 

I have seen people use (go to a printer) and get the aluminum plates that were etched for off set printing, and use like shingles, and you can still read the new, that way.


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## PyroDon

For those thinking of using tar paper allow me to suggest an alternative .
Dupont roof liner is a synthetic tar paper replacement that wont tear or degrade as tar paper does . currently its pricing is actually less per square than tar paper . a 10 square roll should retail for around $130 where as a roll of 30# tar paper is 2 square and runs around $28. The roof liner will last about ten times longer than tar paper .


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## beowoulf90

You may want to check with the roofing companies in your area... When they tear old metal roofing off of buildings they just trash it. You may be able to salvage pieces big enough for your sheds... Just a thought...


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## raymilosh

i would advocate that you make the money to get good metal roofing. it is easy to install and will last for several generations before needing any work. the next best thing (and what I do) is find used tin, even tin that is wearing thin with rust) put it on and then coat it with the stuff from the hardware stores that comes in 5 gallon buckets. it is basically tar and oil full of aluminum powder. Called aluminum roof coating or some such. It is thick and silvery adn will also last a generation before you will need to mess with the roof again. Seals pin holes, too.


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## blufford

Maybe plastic tarps will get you through the winter until you can buy metal panels.


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## Boss Cooker

Are there any sign companies near by? The new style bill boards have a flex face fabric. When the boards are changed for new advertisers the old face is tossed into the trash. I built a green house that had flex face for a roof fifteen years ago. The roof is still there. 
The bill boards are usually 16 feet by 40 feet. Thats a lot material. And it is usually free.


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## Jolly

Good wood shingles will last for many years, and it seems the price is right...


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## Blu3duk

years ago back before the widespread use of metal roofing, people with sawmills used board and bat, and while it is only good for a few years, I remember the sheds that were built on my dads farm were built in the 1930's and the roofs still were decent up into the 1980's though a few boards needed replaced most were still sound and they did not shed snow very well but we shoveled it when it got over 2 feet deep. As short of runs as your sheds look like you probably could that from the ground anyway if needed. and when you get inexpensive metal one day it can be screwed down over the top of the wood roofing anyway if you desire.

William
North Central Idaho


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## fishhead

I bought some 20 year pond liner for about $.40 a square foot. Guaranteed not to leak! It's like heavy truck tire inner tube. My 30' x 100' liner weighed 900 pounds.


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## brewswain

ferro-cement is probably the cheapest

its definitely the most durable.

Its so durable that ferrocement boats built before 1855 are still in use

http://www.ferroboats.com/


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## michiganfarmer

PyroDon said:


> If you have a saw mill whats wrong with wood shingles ?
> you can always put linseed oil on them .
> or you could basically lap side the roof and give it a heavy coat of paint .


Lap side is what I was thinking. Its gonna be dry most of the time anyway. It will last for enough years to save for better permenent roofing.


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## lisarichards

Well, here is our experiment!



This is Aaron's third shed that he's built so far this fall. (farm intern -- slave labor!) We still need three more before snow flies. We haven't tried to move it yet and I sure hope the tractor can get it done.


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## Blu3duk

It looks good, I personally would have used a wider bat.... I guess i should have stated that in m original post, the roofs that were the make up of my dads sheds were 1x10 with 1x4 bats, the wider bats keep the nails from splitting, and they should have as little wane on them as possible as they are exposed to the weather, and are in a constant state of flux.

depending upon the size of the tractor, and support design on the skids, you should not have much of a problem moving the sheds..... if you need to you can always use a handyman jack [alaska jack, hi-lift jack same thing] and place a roller log under the end you are gonna pull from. add another one as the first gets to the center and a third as the first one comes out the end and rotate them along..... it helps if the skids are angle cut too.

William
Idaho


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