Best deal on g scale cedar roof shingles. Am I correct in looking for what is denoted as 1/2 scale cedar shingles?
I have bought from Smith Pond Junction.
I got my last load from Ozarks.
Nice shingles, but maybe a tad large for your application.
http://www.ozarkminiatures.com/scripts/prodView.asp?idproduct=20
I need some advice. I need a guru.
John, I noticed you were discussing cedar shingles about 14 years ago, so I thought this might be a good place to reopen the roofing topic and hear from you and other folk who may have actually had success with cedar shingle roofs outdoors long-term. I’d really like to hear from anyone whose roofs have actually survived outdoors for 5–10+ years, rather than just looked good initially.
I have a small number of large scale buildings with cedar shingle roofs that have progressively failed outside in the weather. The shingles themselves generally start out OK, but shrinkage and adhesion failure have been the ongoing problems.
So far I’ve tried:
- Liquid Nails
- PVA glue
- Titebond III
- Paint/sealer combinations (including Thompson’s WaterSeal)
- Silicone
…and I’ve had troubles with most.
Oddly enough, the only thing that seems to survive for me is silicone gutter repair caulk, but it’s slow, messy, and not exactly enjoyable applying one row at a time. Plus that roof has only been outside 2 years.
For context, in South Australia we suffer from pretty harsh UV and dry heat waves, plus occasional light frost lasts less than a morning. In the Autumn & winter we get rain.
A few questions:
- Can thin cedar shingle roofs realistically survive outdoors long-term?
- Is the main issue UV, shrinkage, moisture, expansion/contraction, or glue breakdown?
- Has anyone successfully replaced an old shingled roof with new shingles? If so, how did you prep the surface for reapplication?
- Are there adhesives or sealers that genuinely work long-term outdoors?
I’m also starting to wonder whether I should abandon shingles entirely and move to tin/corrugated roofing for outdoor structures… or simply become a dollhouser and only carry the buildings outside when visitors arrive. I’m even finding good rustoleum brand paint peeling after 2 years
If you switched from shingles to corrugated roofing:
- What material did you use?
- How has it lasted outdoors?
- Any recommended suppliers?
Interested in hearing real-world long-term experiences, both good and bad.
what do you expect from a thread, that has 666 views?
(i would ask, if i were oldfashioned)
but seriously, what do you expect from your models.
take your real 1:1 house: how many months do you have each year without any (minor) repairs?
set that into relation with your models - they have about twenty times less strength than the 1:1 house. - so i would expect, that the models age about twenty times faster.
seems (to me), that your real problem will be, that on the glorious day, when the first train can make a full roundy-round on your layout - all your buildings look like Detroit…
Nothing holds up forever with factors such as heat/cold, high winds, critters jumping on the roofs, etc.
I use titebond III and a small staple for each shingle.
Then I paint a coat of TB III all over the roof to act as a sealer. It dries clear and flat. (as in no shine).
That is how I get my wood tenders to hold the wood pile together as well.
I’ll see if I can find some pics of the roof installation and post them.