When you are building a shed, one of the biggest questions you will face is what shed roofing materials are available – and which are right for your shed? To help you figure out the best solution for your situation, we have written this short guide to help.
Corrugated Sheets
Corrugated sheets are a great option to consider when you are looking for shed roofing materials. Well known for their galvanised steel versions, these roofing sheets now come in various materials including PVC and Coroline & Onduline Bitumen.
The corrugation of the panels creates channels that encourage water, from rainfall or snow, to flow off the roof.
The various materials available mean you can mix and match whatever panels you feel would suit your project. From steel finishes to various colours of Coroline & Onduline sheeting as well as transparent PVC, you can pick clear and coloured panels to let light in from certain areas, or have a single material alone – you can be as flexible as you like with your shed.
The main benefits of corrugated shed roofing materials are:
- Easy to install
- Encourage water flow off the roof
- Multiple material options
- Affordable
- Mixing and matching panels will allow you more options with your shed
Wooden Shingles
Wooden shingles are a stunning roofing option, giving your shed a more natural look, and, with treatment, these can last a very long time – even in British weather. As you can imagine, they will not last quite as long as their synthetic counterparts, simply because wood is an organic material, but, taken care of properly, they can provide an attractive roofing option for the lifetime of your shed.
It is important to note that if you are hoping to install wooden shingles, you need to have the wood treated, or buy it pre-treated, to ensure the wood will last for many years to come.
You may also want to consider the grade of wood you would like – you will notice that there are usually both blue and red label options. Blue label is the premium option, offering wood with no defects and usually a slightly more clean line finish. The Red label is still a fantastic product but may feature minor aesthetic imperfections in the wood, such as knots. Both are great options for outdoor roofing, and the choice often comes down to budget and the design you are hoping to achieve.
The benefits of wooden shingle shed roofing materials are:
- High quality, impressive looking finish
- Low carbon footprint material
- High degree of thermal insulation
Polycarbonate Sheets
Polycarbonate sheets are a great option for any shed that requires natural light; especially if you are looking for your shed to function as a greenhouse in any way. Polycarbonate is a transparent roofing material that usually comes in sheets with multiple layers. This thermoplastic has many benefits as a roofing material.
It offers thermal insulation, to help keep your shed an ambient temperature while allowing natural light in. Many options offer UV protection and infrared heat block to help prevent plants being affected by harsh sun rays overheating the internal environment of your shed.
They also commonly come with condensation control to lower the chance of condensation within your shed – a great feature that can help wooden floors, walls or features last longer.
They come in various sizes and shapes, and can even be cut to size by ourselves if you have an unusual roof size/shape, meaning you can combine them with corrugated roofing and flat roofing alike – as well as creating a roof entirely from polycarbonate if you wish.
The benefits of polycarbonate shed roofing materials are:
- Cut to size options
- Very affordable
- Thermal insulation
- UV protection
- Infrared heat block – light in but not heat
- Condensation control reduces condensation
Coroline & Onduline Bitumen Roofing
Coroline & Onduline bitumen roofing materials are an excellent option for your shed, especially if you think you need something relatively affordable, but that still withstands the elements well. Bitumen roofing panels, no matter how they are fixed, are usually melted to each other at the seams. This gives your roof the huge benefit of being incredibly well guarded against leaks, as the roofing material is melted to become one single piece with no seams, and therefore water will find it hard to get through any sections. You can buy corrugated bitumen roofing, which can encourage water to run off more quickly from your roof.
Because you can also get transparent matching PVC sheets, it can even make a good option if you are looking to add window panelling to your shed’s roof.
Coroline and Onduline versions are the very best of bitumen roofing. Some old bitumen roofing was known to overheat in the hot sun, making your shed very hot, so look out in particular for U.V. protection and think about choosing a colour other than black (black will always absorb heat more than lighter colours).
Maintained properly, bitumen roofing should last for decades to come and is rust and rot proof.
The benefits of bitumen shed roofing materials are:
- Very affordable
- Easy to install
- Lasts well
- Extremely weatherproof
- Does not rust, rot or become brittle
Roofing Felts
The benefits of a felt roof are numerous – not only is it a low maintenance, very affordable roofing material for your shed, it is also extremely weatherproof and easy to install yourself. Not just that, but if you are a bit put off by the traditional single piece felt roof covering style, you can now buy felt ‘shingles’ that not only hold the same great qualities of normal felt but make for a very attractive looking shed roof.
The most traditional green felt is incredibly affordable, but it is worth looking out for the slightly more appealing upgrade to Coroshingles if you want your shed to be the envy of your neighbours.
Out of all of the shed roofing options, roofing felts are generally the simplest to install, so if you are looking for the easiest option – this is it!
The benefits of roofing felts are:
- Incredibly easy to install
- Very weatherproof
- Extremely low maintenance
- Very affordable
- Comes in shingles and single pieces to suit your shed
Before you buy your shed roofing materials from just anywhere online, you might be interested to know that here at eRoofs you can expect:+
Super fast FREE delivery on orders over £100*
48 Hour delivery on many products
Instant FREE credit for Schools, Colleges & More
Handy FREE installation guides (and even instructional videos!)
Incredible prices on all of our roofing products
*Free delivery applies to most of the UK, but some areas may incur a charge, unfortunately – please check the eRoofs website for more details.
Hi,
I read your blog, it is very informative. Thanks for sharing such a useful information with us about roofing system. It is very helpful to choose the best material for roofs. Actually, i am looking for blogs about skylight roofing. Do you have any content about this?