I used to be able to get 1/8-inch hardwood sheets to use for the underlayment for roofing.
I have run out and all I can buy is the 1.8-inch junk that doesn’t hold up in outdoor weather.
Any suggestions?
Doug, if you haven’t already, try Lowes. I recently purchased some 1/8 inch hardwood ply from them here in NM. I’ve also used the famous “reality signs” for sub roofs as well. Although they may need alittle support if the roof has a large expanse. I’ve also used lujan 1/8" ply as well, but heavily painted it first. Seems to be holding up well. My problem is I can’t keep scale cedar shingles
On any roof. Even waterproofed, they absorb moisture and pop off. Any suggestions?
just nail them. keeps you busy for a while.
i would use the soft shoemaker nails for that.
Thanks Korm. Like I have time! I’ll look into the nails. Maybe nail and glue them. Problem is the sealers don’t hold up long, and the the shakes absorb moisture and separate. GuessI could paint them, but then they wouldn’t grey…unless I painted the grey…!
Since we are so much drier we probably get away with it but I use Titebond III and haven’t had any shingles come loose.
Most of my roofs stay dry because I use metal for most roofs and glue those down with E6000.
Coroplast works pretty good for roofs, although you may have to use some braces underneath so the don’t warp or blow away. It’s pretty light weight stuff.
On roofs I have tried thin plywood and luan that delaminated sheet by sheet, hardboard that despite how I have tried to seal it water still finds a way in to swell it. I have also tried foam board used for posters but it is now curling. I should have supported it a bit better.
The one thing that does last in my area is hardibacker board used for tile floors. It is not water proof so any ground contact will destroy it in a few seasons but on a roof the water flows off. I simply paint the pieces either black or brown depending on the building.
After painting I have tried spraying a textured paint but the results were so so since details disappear 5-10 feet away.
The major problem with the hardibacker board is in cutting it. It is hard stuff that creates a lot of dust that you don’t want to breathe if you cut it with a electric saw but it can be scored and snapped then the rough edge can be hand sanded.
I think the best glue for outdoors and different materials is E6000.
I second Todd’s recommendation of Hardie-Backer cement board for roof material. In fact, I sometimes use it for structure walls and floors as well. Here is the link to a post I did a while back about using using 1/4" thick cement board for a structure roof.
http://largescalecentral.com/forums/topic/23319/general-store-update-making-the-roof
Bob
If you have a plastic supply place nearby, check with them for scraps. I go to Industrial Plastic Supply and pay $3.00/pound for their plastic “trimmings” from cut sheets. Many of these can be as large as 1 or 2’ x 3’ and >1/4" thick. These include all of the materials they cut and you can get great deals on the what would be some really expensive stuff.
Last week I picked up 10.65 pounds of their trimmings (to go with an order) and the guy only charged me $18. (I have a commercial account with a resale number and don’t pay tax on this stuff and I guess they like me there. (http://largescalecentral.com/externals/tinymce/plugins/emoticons/img/smiley-wink.gif))
I found that ABS works great for roofs and has a really nice texture on one side.
I have Ariosto’s plastic barn, with the plastic roof that warped after a day in the sun. I finally got tired of looking at it, so I removed the plastic roof, exposing the Styrofoam underneath. I used Titebond III to secure cedar shakes to the Styrofoam. After six years, the roof is still weathertight. I pull all my buildings in during the winter to avoid the snow/rain/freeze/thaw/rince/repeat of our winters here in beautiful Deer Park.