Tarpaulin

[L Harding]

Hi all

This may seem like an odd question, but here i go anyway...

Are there differnt grades of tarpaulin? Im no builder but i have definately used some that are better than otheres in the past. Some are made in a kind of weave of fibres and can only really be discribed as 'splash' proof. Where im sure ve seen others that are made out of quite nice thick rubber?

Is there some sort of grading system? Or is one or other of these not actually techniqually a tarp?

I ask becuase the workshop roof has developed a couple of leaks over the last few weeks - i think it was the snow and ice attacking some of the joins. Its a flat (slight pitch to one side) felted roof, problem is where the water has got in its degraded some of the chipboard the felt is on so at points it sags slightly between joists. This means puddles sit on top making the whole situation 10X worse.

SO i plan to rip all the felt of, replace boards where needed and re-felt. But i dont really want to be doing this until the summer for obvious reasons. I therefore had the idea of putting a good quality tarp over it fr the rest of the winter, battened round the sides. But this would defiantly need to be 100% water proof, which i know a cheap horrible one i have isnt.

Only other problem is the workshop is 5m x 7m approx, can you get tarps that big?

Hope that all makes sense, sorry to of rambled, cheers

Luke

 

[matt]

If it's just a couple of places then I'd be tempted to patch with roofing felt. You can usually "weld" it with some heat.

 

[would not]

The cheap ones (woven) blue plastic normally won't keep water out if it's sat on it in puddles and are best used for covering skips.
I normally replace the felt roofs with fibreglass (in summer) and rubber if fitted in winter.
The rubber is good stuff esp if you don't walk on it, you can order one piece if you don't have welding equipment, as long as it's dry you can do it in winter.
Tarps always end up leaking or ripping and being blown away.

 

[Shultzy]

Luke, you can get 1200 gauge TUFFREEL® Virgin grade polythene sheeting in black, which is a dpm, and is 4m wide.

www.alligata.co.uk/gbu0-catshow/polythene-sheeting.html

 

[StevieB]

Yup, damp proof membrane is the way to go here, available from all DIY sheds and builders merchants. Guaranteed waterproof. Just make sure you batten round every edge and ideally down the middle as well (with the obvious caveat that screwing battens down will hole the DPM, so be careful where you are doing it). You want to prevent the wind getting under an edge and ripping it off. Should be good as a temp repair until Spring/Summer, but obviously not a permanent solution!

Steve

 

[L Harding]

Thanks guys

Thats really helpful, ive doe a little searching round the internet and here is my current plan...

Buy some of this http://www.allplaz.com/acatalog/Black_W ... thene.html polythene sheeting to cover the roof with held on by battening and lots of nails!! to the facia baords until the summer.

When will then take all the felt of (matt, ive gone down the patching route already and its worked a little, but the whole roof is on the way out and im fed up with sleepless nights every time i hear hard rain outside!) replace the saging boards and either re-felt or re-something.

'would-not' you said about fiberglass and rubber as an alternative to felt? I know next to nothing about roofs, could you elaborate a little? do you mean removing the wood/felt roof all toether and replacing with the corigated fiberglass stuff?

Again, thanks for the help guys, fountain of knowledge as ever

Luke

 

[Shultzy]

Luke, check my workshop build. I used "easy-seal" from Wickes and it has a 20 year life expectancy.

 

[pren]

Yup, damp proof membrane is the way to go here, available from all DIY sheds and builders merchants.

This is what i've done with my workshop. It's a crappy plastic and aluminium jobbie that was there when we bought the house. Roof leaks like a pipper. It's going to be replaced in the summer but I covered it with DPM from B&Q back in November. It's held up just fine so far.

 

[would not]

Ply or floor grade chip board and then lay fibreglass (chopped strand matt and resin) on top, various companies sell all the stuff you need including preformed edges. There is also a rubber sheet version again with pre formed edges.
Fibreglass on a flat roof will last for years and makes felt look like a bodge job. People only do felt because it's easy and quick but isn't much cheaper.
You can walk, run and jump on a fibreglass roof if it's done properly and it won't bother it.