Our garden sheds are often left largely forgotten and somewhat neglected in the corner of the garden, exposed to all weather conditions. Over time, the shed roof will deteriorate which can lead to water and damp getting in and damaging tools and equipment. Felting a shed roof is relatively straightforward, however, if you follow these simple steps.
What materials do I need to fit new shed felt?
Roofing felt
Clout nails
Hammer
Tape measure
A sharp knife like a Stanley knife
Screwdriver
Ladder
A helper
Remove existing fascia boards and finials
Fascia boards and finials will be secured in place by nails or screws and can be removed by unscrewing or removing the nails with a claw hammer. If removing nails, take care to avoid damaging the roof. Put boards and finials to one side for later – if they are damaged, replace them with new pieces of timber.
Remove the old felt
Carefully prise out the old tacks holding the felt in place. This can be done with a claw hammer or a flat head screwdriver. Check the roof thoroughly for any debris and remove; any tacks or protruding nails can be prised out or hammered flat. The old felt must be disposed of responsibly and wherever possible should be taken to your local tip.
Measure the shed roof and cut the felt to size
The shed felt should cover the entire roof area with an extra 10cm allowance for overlaps at the gable ends and eaves. For apex sheds, you will need three pieces of felt: one for each side of the roof and a third that will cover the join of the other two pieces. The third piece should overlap the two sides panels by 30cm on each side and run along the length of the roof.
Attach the new felt
Place the felt over the roof, smoothing it out as you go to remove any bumps or creases. Once you are happy that the felt is as smooth as possible, pull it tight and nail it into place at 15cm intervals. With apex sheds, the third piece of felt can be glued to the ridge of the shed with a strong, felt adhesive and tacked along each lower edge. Any overhanging roof felt should be folded down and nailed into place and any excess removed with a sharp knife.
Re-attach fascia boards and finials
Screw or nail the boards and finials in place. If you have replaced these, remember to treat them with wood preserver before attaching them.
Inspect the roof regularly
Once you have replaced the felt on your shed roof, it will pay to inspect it on a regular basis to check for rips and tears, as well as weather damage.
At Witham Timber, we stock fibreglass shed felt available in 10m x 1m rolls which can be secured with our extra large head clout nails. These are galvanized for effective rust protection, measure approx. 13mm x 3.0mm and are supplied in convenient 1kg bags.
If you want to replace your shed felt and need any help or advice, our experienced staff will be happy to help via telephone on 01205 359188 or email at sales@withamtimber.co.uk