A Beginners Guide to Shed Roofing

Shed roofing is a hot topic in the DIY world and whether you’re adding a new shed or you’re looking for a solution to persistent leaking, we’re here to help with our comprehensive beginners’ guide.

The right shed roofing material protects not only the roof from the elements, but also the goods stored inside. As sheds become increasingly used for more than just garden tools, the time has come to put an end to leaks and repairs for good. Among all the options available, rubber roofing stands out as the ideal choice for sheds, especially for beginners and we’ll walk you through everything you need to know – let’s get started!

Why choose rubber for shed roofing?

Historically, shed roofing has had a poor reputation. Typically felt-derived and unreliable, repeated repairs and periodic replacements have become a part of the  regular garden maintenance routine for many UK homeowners. If you’re new to shed roof coverings, you’ve probably already looked at and priced up the felt to replace yours.

What you might not have considered, however, are the maintenance, repair and replacement cost for this type of material over time. Repairs to felt and tar paper aren’t always straightforward, as they often involve flames or hot bitumen, which means bringing in an expert to do it for you.

EPDM rubber roofing offers another way to seal and protect sheds and goods – for good. Bringing a range of benefits compared to felt, EPDM is:

• Long lasting with a service life expectance of over 50 years
• A low to no maintenance option
• Durable and flexible over the exceptional lifespan
• Fitted in a single sheet to avoid joins
• Hard to damage and easy to repair
• UV and Ozone resistant, which means it won’t degrade like other membranes
• Perfect for DIY, being fast, safe and easy to install
• Fully recyclable, so won’t go to landfill
• Available in a complete shed roofing kit with a lifetime guarantee

In short, using a modern rubber membrane instead of felt for shed roofing is the perfect way to provide a long-term, reliable protection against the elements. Find out more about shed roofing here.

The simplest way to buy shed roof materials

The easiest way to buy EPDM shed roofing materials is in a complete kit. This simplifies the buying process by removing the need for quantifying and eliminates the risk of waste or overbuying. Our online store stocks five standard sized shed roof kits in one listing to make this even easier:

• 6 ft x 4 ft (2m x 1.7m)
• 7 ft x 5 ft (2.4m x 2m)
• 8 ft x 6 ft (2.7m x 2.3m)
• 10 ft x 6 ft (3.3m x 2.3m)
• 10 ft x 8 ft (3.4m x 3m)

Each shed roofing kit contains a single sheet of RubberCover EPDM membrane, cut to size and including extra for overhang, which you’ll trim off towards the end of the install process. We calculate how much adhesive and sealant you’ll need and include that too, so you don’t have to even think about it.

If your shed roofing falls outside of the scope of a standard sized shed, relax because we can custom cut membrane to any size and stock other roof kits that include edge and gutter trim too. All you need to do is measure up carefully and enter your own sizes (in metres) on the product listing – we’ll do the rest. Head on over and take a look at our full range of roof kits here.

How to install EPDM shed roofing

Waterproofing your shed roofing with an EPDM kit is well within the scope of a DIY project and should only take a handful of hours if you’re all prepared and ready to go. You’ll need a few tools, but nothing you may not have already:

• Paint scraper to remove any residual old covering (for the best results, strip it all off down to the bare timber deck)
• Large, sharp scissors to trim the membrane once it is adhered
• Household broom (soft to medium bristle) to smooth out any air bubbles
• Small claw hammer to remove the battens and to fix them back on (you could conserve the old battens or buy new ones in advance to replace them).
• Scrap cloth to wipe excess sealant

Quick step-by-step guide

1. Pick a nice day for installation with no rain expected. It isn’t ideal if you have to leave your project halfway through. Start early and give yourself plenty of time and make your first job a quick check of the roofing kit to make sure everything is there.
2. Prepare the roof surface by removing any old covering and ensuring it is clean, dry and free from dust and grease. If there are any old fixings or potential puncture hazards, make sure you remove them.
3. Lay out the membrane over the shed roof to settle for 30 minutes. This allows any packing creases to drop out and is a good opportunity for a cup of tea after all that preparation work.
4. Fold back the membrane and expose one half of the shed roof all the way up to the apex. Fold it over the other side, but make sure that the membrane is flat, because the next step is to apply the adhesive to both roof and membrane. Keep the can upright and spray evenly across the surfaces. Then wait a few minutes for the adhesive to become tacky.
5. Once the adhesive is ready, roll the membrane back over the glued, exposed side of the shed roofing and use the household broom to smooth it over, pressing out any obvious air bubbles as you go.
6. Repeat on the other side and then trim off the excess membrane to about 50mm all round.
7. Apply a bead of the sealant to the back of the battens and fold the membrane underneath them as you reattach them.

Full instructions are included in all our shed roofing kits, and you can find guides and video demonstrations in our resource library here.

Let us help you with your shed roofing project

At PermaRoof UK, we provide innovative products and a packed resource library to support both DIY and trade roofing projects of all sizes. Shed roofing really can be fast and easy with the latest materials and last for longer than ever before. We’re so confident you can do it that we’ll give you a lifetime membrane guarantee for your shed roof – come and try the PermaRoof way – you won’t look back.

PermaGroup has established links with some of the biggest names in our industry thanks to our reputation of excellence. Read more about becoming a supplier or stockist here.