Replacing your shed roofing felt is essential if you want to keep your shed (and the belongings inside it) safe and dry! Shed roofs are going to face all the elements the UK weather want to send their way, which means that every few years they are going to need replacing! Failing to replace your shed roofing felt when it begins to become worn or damaged can lead to the wooden panels on the shed becoming damp and rotten, which can be costly and time consuming to replace. Why put yourself through all that stress when quickly and easily replacing your shed roofing felt can extend the life of your shed and protect your tools/bikes/gardening equipment too!
The key to replacing your shed roof felt easily and to make it last is by purchasing the right product! Do this, and you can be sure that your shed roofing felt will last for decades – literally. Here are some of our favourites…
Best Pick – Rose Roofing Green Heavy Duty Felt
- Each roll is 1m x 10m and includes a Tube of adhesive and nails.
- Available in 2 attractive colours, Black or Green.
- Life expectancy of up to 25 Years
- Our selection of shed felt is the perfect way to both protect your garden building as well as adding an attractive finish to the roof.
- Suitable for a range of projects from sheds, kennels, hutches and summerhouses.
Last update on 2024-04-18 / Images from Amazon Product Advertising API / As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases
How Does Shed Roofing Felt Work?
The first thing you need to know about is what shed roofing felt actually consists of. Without knowing this you are going to struggle to understand the different elements that you need to consider before purchasing. All in one shed roofing felt (which we go into more detail on below), is usually made up of two or three layers that combine together to provide full waterproofing for your shed.
The cloth or card fibre makes up the base of the shed roofing felt and this is what essentially holds everything together. Without this you wouldn’t have a roofing felt that was durable but also flexible enough to mould over your roof.
Then comes the bitumen, which soaks the cloth or matted card fibre to make the actual material waterproof – which is pretty important!
The other side of your roofing felt is usually covered in a mineral finish which has the all important job of preventing the sun from melting the bitumen during those rare british summer days!
Who knew there was so much science that went into something as simple as shed roofing felt?
In a Hurry?
For those of you with water already dripping in through your shed, or maybe the outer layer of the shed roof is in need of replacing and you are making the sensible choice to do both at the same time. Whatever the reason, if you are in a hurry to find the best shed roofing felt then this is the part of the article you need to read. We have looked at some of the main features you need to consider before buying your shed roofing felt.
All In One or Layered?
The main thing that you need to consider is the style of roof felt that you are going to go for. Traditionally roof felt was always the middle or under layer for shed roofs with an additional waterproof layer put on top. However, times have changed and there are now more manufacturers that are producing shed roofing felt that does it all! These will have one layer of felt which gives the material both its strength but also its flexibility, and then the next layer makes the felt waterproof which is obviously what protects your shed from the elements!
For the sake of this article, we will largely consider the all in one felts that offer that overarching protection, but it is worth being aware that there are other types out there. These could be much more suitable for anyone with a larger shed, that is wanting to tile their shed roof for ultimate protection!
Material
Most sheds are going to be made out of similar materials – there are only so many ways you can make a shed watertight. However, there are significant differences that will affect whether you need to replace your shed roof once every 5 years or once every 15 years – and I know which I would rather be doing!
All mineral types used are going to be waterproof – so you don’t need to worry as much about quality linked to this. However, it links more to the weather conditions that your shed can withstand! Shed roofing felt, unfortunately, is not perfect and it is prone to tearing and wear after a few years of living with the unrelenting British weather. By looking out for polyester reinforced felt, you will find that your roof felt will be much longer lasting – up to 15 years – which is going to save you a considerable amount of hassle.
There is also heavy duty shed roofing felt which is thicker and more tear-resistant. So if you know that your shed is in quite an exposed area, or just want your shed roofing felt to last as long as possible then this may be worth opting for!
TOP TIP: If you are really concerned about the lifespan of your shed roof, or possibly using your shed as an additional workspace etc. then it may be worth considering using heavy duty felt (also known as garage felt) to cover your shed roof. This material will be twice as thick (so twice as heavy!) but was designed to be used on garage flat roofs so is incredibly durable!
Size and Amount Needed
There will be many people wondering exactly how much shed roofing felt they are going to need to cover their shed. Obviously this is massively going to depend on the size of shed that you have but it is relatively easy to work out how much roofing felt you are going to need for your shed.
Most roofing felt will come in rolls around 1m in width, so you can work out how much you need by simply measuring from the top of the pitch of the shed and along to see how many strips of the 1 metre you are going to need! As a rough guide, a standard 6×4’ garden shed is going to need around an 8m by 1m roll.
TOP TIP: It is important to make sure that you have some overhang and extra roofing felt available for when you are working! This will allow you to make extra sure that there is no space for any water to get through but also allows some leeway for any mistakes!
Colour
The colour of your shed roofing felt really depends on the aesthetics of the garden, the shed itself and also your home. If your shed is hidden away then maybe you don’t need to worry too much about this but otherwise it is going to be important!
The main colours that you will find for shed roofing felt are a dark red/brown, a green and a black. This is linked to the mineral choices that are available to use and compatible with the bitumen. All of these colours are very natural, so will blend in well with your garden and keep the area looking presentable, so it is really down to personal preference as to which you think is going to be right for you.
Style
Most shed roofing felt is going to come in rolls. This makes them nice and easy to move around and simply roll out onto your shed roof. If you are planning on fitting your shed roofing felt yourself for the first time then this is definitely the option that we would recommend going for. Another benefit of the rolls of shed roofing felt is that because you are laying large strips, there are less gaps and nooks for the rainwater to find its way through!
However, if your shed is going to be on show and you are particularly bothered about the way that it looks in your garden then don’t panic! There is now shed roofing felt that has been cut into “tiles”. These are the perfect compromise between forking out to get your shed tiled and the standard rolled on roofing felt. These tiles are simply the roofing felt cut into smaller pieces, but they can then be laid as you would roof tiles, which adds a much more homely and natural aesthetic to your garden shed. They also tend to come in a wider variety of colours – but remember that they will be more expensive and take longer to fit!
Best Budget – BillyOh Green mineral shed roofing felt
- Durable, Tear-Resistant and Weatherproof Roof Cover
- Premium Shed Roofing Felt
- Quick and Easy to Install with Felt Tacks Included
- Low-Maintenance Roof Cover Protection
- Ideal for Garden Sheds, Summerhouses, Log Cabins and other Outbuildings
Last update on 2024-04-18 / Images from Amazon Product Advertising API / As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases
The Best Shed Roofing Felts All Have….
Here are some of those extra features that we would recommend looking out for when you are buying your shed roofing felt. If you haven’t realised by now – your shed roofing felt is going to be a key factor to both what you can use your shed for and its life expectancy, so it is important you get the best for your budget.
- Nails included – Some of the best shed roofing felts will come with the nails and other fastenings included. This is great as it saves you the time and hassle of having to get suitable nails but also means that you know you have the most compatible fastenings for the felt that you opt for. Shed felt has bitumen in the material which means that the material should seal back around the nails after they have been fitted but using manufacturer provided nails ensures this!
- Underlay Included – It is well recommended to fit an underlay layer before you use your shed roofing felt. This will help it to be longer lasting and prevent any unnecessary tears in your roofing felt. However, some of the best shed roofing felts actually come with an underlayer attached to them! This saves you the hassle of having to fit twice, and means you can get the job done quicker. Plus, you will probably save yourself some money in the long run!
- Lightweight materials – It is so important to opt for lightweight materials as this is going to make it much easier to actually fit your shed felt. Obviously you don’t want to compromise on quality (which can be the case when opting for lighter shed roofing felts), so go for high-quality materials that can be thinner and lighter without affecting the quality.
- Tear-resistant – Some roofing felt has special properties mixed into the product to allow it to be tear-resistant, which is going to be one of the main issues you face with your shed felt, so is well worth looking out for.
Best of the Rest
Last update on 2024-04-18 / Images from Amazon Product Advertising API / As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases
- Premium Roofing Felt
- Colour: Green Mineral
- Provides Roof Protection & Durability
- Standard Grade Felt, which can last up to 5 years!
- Felt Tacks Included
Last update on 2024-04-18 / Images from Amazon Product Advertising API / As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases
- Traditional style roofing felt
- Waterproofs and protects from the elements
- Quick and easy to install
Last update on 2024-04-18 / Images from Amazon Product Advertising API / As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases
How To Fit Shed Roofing Felt
Chances are you may never have fitted shed roofing felt before…it isn’t a job that you do every day and if you purchase the right shed roofing felt it’s not a job that you will have to do regularly either! There are two main stages involved in fitting the felt to your shed roof – the preparation and the actual fitting.
Preparing your shed roof before fitting the new felt is essential. Not only do you need to remove the old felt fully – but you need to be sure that the wooden panels on the roof have not suffered any damage, are flat and free from nails or staples etc. All of this, and much more, is essential if you are wanting your new roofing felt to be long lasting and durable. This video provides great guidance on how to prepare your shed roof.
When actually fitting the roofing felt, it is essential that you consider the direction of the felt and make sure that you have all the necessary tools with you to get the job done. You aren’t going to need many tools for this part – a hammer, some tacks and a sharp knife are the key purchases – but this video explains in a little more detail.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I use glue to secure my shed roofing felt?
We would never recommend using glue to secure your shed roofing felt – unless this is specialist glue that is provided by the manufacturer of your felt! This is really important as using glue will dramatically reduce the life expectancy of your roofing felt. This is because the heat through the summer months will affect the consistency of the glue, which will then also affect the felt itself. You can use specific roofing felt adhesive for securing pieces of felt together though if needed.
How long will shed roofing felt last?
You will normally find that shed roofing felt needs replacing around every 5 years. This is the best way to ensure that you don’t come across a leak at a really inconvenient time! However, there are polyester based roofing felts that will be more hard wearing and last up to 15 years.
Can I repair my shed roofing felt?
There are kits that you can buy that will allow you to repair your shed roofing felt with a patch if you are unfortunate enough to find a leak! However, it’s important to remember that this is never going to be a long term fix as the spot will be weakened so it is always worth replacing your shed roofing felt if you can.
Is it easy to replace shed roofing felt?
It is relatively easy to replace shed roofing felt yourself and you need relatively few tools to get the job done. We would recommend doing the job with two people but you could possibly do it on your own if the shed isn’t too large!
My shed roof is leaking – help!
If your shed roof is leaking then chances are there is a problem with your shed roofing felt. The first thing to do is to find where the water is getting in and then ideally remove the roofing felt from this area. We would recommend covering the roof with a waterproof material, like tarp, whilst the wooden panels underneath dry out so that you can see if there is any lasting damage. Once any damage has been repaired you can replace the roofing felt.
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