# Outdoor roofing materials?



## Cap'nBill (Dec 27, 2008)

I just began building an engine shed so that I can park an engine under cover during winter snow, as well as Spring rain. Wondering what sort of roof and roofing material holds up the best. It would seem corrugated metal would be the best, but haven't figured out how to make it. Next, I considered dollhouse 'shakes'.....don't know how that holds up. Looking to replicate a '30's/40's era wood sided shed.


----------



## blueregal (Jan 3, 2008)

I think some have used those fiberglass roof wavy panels on theirs, might check on PiMan J.C.'s, think he build an outdoor shed, and maybe Marty Cozad too!!! Check out the archives here I believe several have done outdoor ones, remember on that looked somewhat like a coffin, with a clear bubble top on it. That was prolly way too fancy for most, cost wize anyway's so check out the archives Jim Carter is PiMan J.C. Regal


----------



## Biblegrove RR (Jan 4, 2008)

Are you wanting prototypical stuff or something to scale? If to scale Yogi's site can show you how to make corrugated roofing from soda cans etc. 
http://users.stratuswave.net/~wd8jik/


----------



## Naptowneng (Jun 14, 2010)

Well here is what NOT to use. I used gaffers tape on the roof of a wood barn over thin wood top. Looked great, just like roll roofing. I weathered it with dry brushed paint and rust, cool. Overcoated with dull clear UV resistant finish. Began to peel up in selected places after a few months which I glued down. Then other places peeled....rinse and repeat sigh.

Still would like to find something to simulate roll roofing as opposed to metal. Hope you find something good,

Jerry


----------



## Paulus (May 31, 2008)

My buildings are outdoor the whole year round. 
I have some good experience with concrete on a plywood base. I used this on my engine shed.You can apply the concrete (about a 5 mm layer) and form it as you want. While drying you can 'seal' the concrete wit a layer of water resistant whiteglue. Make sure the plywood is thick enough to carry the weight and keeps flat (about 7 mm is the minimum!).

This winter this method proofed to be very weatherproof (rain, snow and frost). No cracks in the concrete, no brittle or things like that.I only have to do a repaint this spring because I noticed the paint has worn of on some places (what says more about the paint). 

































An other method is glueing tiles made out of plastic sheet on the roof (like those wooden dollhouse tiles).You can use whatever you can find of plastic sheet; I used cheap placemats for the station roof: 





















This station is out now for several years, and the only maintenance were some tiles falling off, but those were easy to fix. It has had it share of rain and snow... The picture above is from last summer, picture below was last month 











Hope it give you some ideas...

Paul


----------



## Mike Reilley (Jan 2, 2008)

You might consider Precision Board. It's strong and impervious to weather. Rainbow Ridge shingles


----------



## JackM (Jul 29, 2008)

I will always be in awe of the quality of work some people, Paul, in this case, can do.


Jerry thanks for letting us know about your gaffer tape experience. I had gaffer tape at the top of my list for a coming project. I think I'll rethink it.


　









　
Cap'n Bill - if it would fit your timeframe/style you might want to try a tin roof like what I did here, only you could do it nicer, by applying horizontal strips of thin brass or tin from the hobby shop, bottom to top with a small overlap and held down with...rubber cement, maybe? Epoxy? Then coat it with thinned down roofing cement ($10/gallon for enough to last numerous lifetimes).

My mill arrived seriously damaged so I filled the gaps with J-B Weld, then covered with pieces of paperthin brass because the store was out of tin. Then I took a small glop of roofing cement and mixed with some paint thinner and spread it on as best I could. The problem is that the roofing cement didn't mix easily with the paint thinner, just by stirring it a bunch. I think that if I'd had time to find a way to really mix it up into a 1:29 roofing cement, it would look appropriate and possibly be a long-lasting cover. This idea has risen higher on my list of possible roofing methods now that gaffer tape is out of the running.

Here's a link to a short but boring avi file showing the roof with the patched areas painted black. Wonder how it'll look after months being buried under a foot or three of snow. watermill.avi[/b]
The wheel was manufactured by the George Jetson "Jane, how do you slow down this crazy thing?" manufacturing company.



JackM


----------



## JackM (Jul 29, 2008)

That link isn't working. So much to learn, so little wanna.


----------



## JackM (Jul 29, 2008)

The link doesn't work but you can copy&paste the URL into a new browser window - and wait two minutes for the 19M file to load. 

I might have to look into FaceTube, or LinkTwit, or whatever, some day.


----------



## paintjockey (Jan 3, 2008)

I'm gonna start using ice guard for rolled roofing and rubber roof materials. it also works well for asphalt roads on the layout too!. I have had a strip down for 4 years now for a road and it is still in great shape and pliable when checked. For roofing, if you are not familiar with the product, iceguard is a building code standard in ohio and i would assume for most nothern states that get snow/freezing temps. it self adheres to the wooden deck of your house's roof along the edge preventing leaks when the ice builds up on the gutters and works back under the shingles. Many roofers also use it in the valleys too. i did an "emergency" repair 5 years ago with some on my roof and actually forgot about it until this past fall when the house got a new roof. When the roofer threw it down it was still pliable and wasn't faded a bit. The material is like a rubber type and is thinner than shingles, about 1/8" or so and has an adhesive on the back, if it were me I would probly glue/attach it down somehow though. The drawback is around here the rolls are 3 x 50 and cost about $50.


----------



## bob7094 (Jan 3, 2008)

I used doll house shingles on a couple of small buildings that lasted a little over five years in snow, rain, sun, high humidity etc. before they looked pretty disreputable. Ozark Miniatures has a line of plastic roofing & siding sheets that you can put over a plywood or plexiglas or whatever base. 

-- Bob Mills


----------



## denray (Jan 5, 2008)

I have used pickup bed liner you can buy at an automotive store like ORielly's, comes in quart cans, goes on with a paint brush. I apply over steel that has been primed. It will stick to most any kind of substate. 
You can also buy automotive undercoating in aresol cans. It sticks to most any substrate and will protect for years. Looks like a tar roof. Use masking tape you can tape off where you don't want it, peel off 
within a few minutes after you spray, before it sets up. The undercoating is a rubber coating so it will will last for years. 
Dennis


----------



## White Deer RR (May 15, 2009)

A lot of people have suggested using 3M tread tape to simulate rolled roofing, so here's a little report.

I tried it on my first little playful (childlike, even) attempt at scratch building a small western "general store" using craft sticks, and it held up outside for about a year and a half in Pacific Northwest (west of Cascades.--ie rainy, rainy rainy winters.)

When I finally got around to moving buildings indoors in December 2010, the tread tape was still in okay condition, but the adhesive had almost completely given way. I still had another roll of the stuff, and my little teeny building didn't require that much, so I just "re-roofed." Should be good for the 2011 season anyhow. The structure itself has actually benefitted from some careful application of duct tape, ostensibly to hold LED lights up but if you happen to just patch something up while you're at it, that's not cheating or anything. I love craftsmanship.

So my personal opinion of using 3m tread tape is that it's incredibly easy, but it might not last as long as one might wish, although if the adhesive could be augmented somehow it might last a little bit longer. Perhaps a mix of Titebond II, black powder, maple syrup and some of whatever the heck that is the kids spilled in the back seat last summer in Montana?

I rarely have any good information for folks, so just doin' what I can. ;-) As the years go by I'm sure I'll get to experience all the various glue, drainage, ballast and sun damage issues that ya'll warn about. ;-) About a year from now I'll be reporting on how "outdoor" carpenter's glue didn't hold my teeny two foot bridge together, and moaning about why I didn't buy that brad gun the other day. ;-)

As always, thanks to all for the information here!


----------



## Paulus (May 31, 2008)

Posted By JackM on 27 Jan 2011 03:37 PM 
The link doesn't work but you can copy&paste the URL into a new browser window - and wait two minutes for the 19M file to load. 

I might have to look into FaceTube, or LinkTwit, or whatever, some day. 

This would be the working link: Watermill.avi 



Paul 

EDIT: did not worked either but _*now* _it is really working 

Very nice watermill!!!


----------



## JackM (Jul 29, 2008)

I was unsuccessful in searching for info on how to uplink the video. What should I have done, or where should I have gone to find out? 

JackM


----------



## Paulus (May 31, 2008)

Posted By JackM on 28 Jan 2011 06:05 AM 
I was unsuccessful in searching for info on how to uplink the video. What should I have done, or where should I have gone to find out? 

JackM 



Jack, 

For some reason the link you posted was automatically 'lengthened" with extra text beginning with http://mylargescale....etc etc. Perhaps this happened because your link (myplace.frontier.com/~ccrr/watermill.avi) did not have the text "http://" in front of it. 
The MyLargeScale site than automatically thinks it's an internal link and paste it's own codes in front of it.
(At least, I think this is what happened... I'm not an expert on this also...).

I copied the link, deleted all text before the original URL (starting with: myplace) and putted http:// in front of it.So, the complete link has now become: http://myplace.frontier.com/~ccrr/watermill.avi
Than I used the "Insert Hyperlink" option in the reply field and pasted in this link.
Et voila! It seemed to work (took me two times to get it work actually...) 

I noticed the link you placed is working now also (thanks to the moderators! They work in silence but are most appreciated!) 

Paul


----------



## JackM (Jul 29, 2008)

I put the address into the hyperlink box. I think I entered it without the http:// because it wasn't necessary when testing it on my browser (wasn't he lead singer in some doo *** group?). Good to know that I wasn't tooooo far away from actually getting it. Thanks! 

JackM


----------



## bvdrr (Jan 3, 2008)

I have had very good luck with the ice shield on my engine house,but it is a large structure. For smalll buildings I like the 3M tread tape but the secret is it will stick fine to flat plastic but for wood structures you need to apply a coat of contact cement first and let it dry,then apply the tread tape over it.


----------



## White Deer RR (May 15, 2009)

Good to know, thanks!


----------



## Naptowneng (Jun 14, 2010)

Here is another material you might like to try for roofing. It is a thin aluminum flashing with a black adhesive backing, for flashing around windows and doors, etc. Don't know if the thickness of the adhesive would be too out of scale, but WTH.

It is called Quick Roof and my local Home Depot carries it. 

http://www.homedepot.com/webapp/wcs...ogId=10053

I have not used this product, but I intent to try it to replace the failed gaffers tape I was using for roll roofing on my barn. Worth a try and not too expensive.

Jerry


----------



## Cap'nBill (Dec 27, 2008)

A lot more possibilities than I had considered! I'll have to take a trip to my local Lowe's and check some of these items. Some of the stuff you guys have mentioned, I've never heard of! Thanks for the suggestions. Bill


----------



## Belg (Sep 17, 2013)

Is there any chance anyone knows how to view this link?? Thanks Pat
http://users.stratuswave.net/~wd8jik/ 
It is Yogi's how to make roofing from soda cans


----------



## JackM (Jul 29, 2008)

Since this thread got revived with Belg's post, let me pass along a thought I had yesterday, while attempting to seal a small but persistent roof leak in my garage. I bought this stuff at my neighborhood Lowe's - I think it's the stuff advertised on TV to seal a leak in your boat, etc. Leak Stopper "Rubber Flexx sealant". Easy to use rattle can, dries flat black. A light spray should seal most any scale material. You might be able to overspray with, say, a brown paint to give a different color to your roof. 

It occurs to me that it might be good to use for model streets and roads. 

JackM 

It remains to be seen whether it cures that $&%* garage leak.


----------

