Why Do Some Sheds Come With Felt Roofs & Others Come With Steel Roofs?
Some sheds are built with felt roofs as it is a more affordable option than steel. It also requires less skill to work than steel. Felt roofs can be applied at home by someone with little to no experience. All someone has to do is cut the felt into strips. Clean the roof and remove any nails. Then apply an adhesive, such as paint. Once this is all done, lay the strips and secure them using a hammer and nails.
Steel roofs on the other hand require more skill to work and should be built by professionals. Steel is also a more expensive material for roofing compared to felt. For this reason, some suppliers of sheds opt to use felt as it is a quicker and cheaper option than steel. At MCD Garden Sheds however, we believe in using only premium materials to ensure we supply high quality sheds. That is why all of our sheds come with steel roofs as standard.
Are Felt Roofs Or Steel Roofs Better? If So, Why?
There is not a clear answer to this question. Both felt and steel have their pros and cons. Felt roofs are cheaper and easy to install, but they’re less durable than steel. Felt can last up to 30 years, its the effectiveness is called into question when we consider extreme weather conditions, such as snow. As snow falls and gathers on a felt roof it begins to apply pressure and weight to the shed’s roof. This can place undue stress on the structural integrity of the shed, particularly on the roof. After prolonged periods of this weight and pressure, you may need to repair or replace the roof of your shed. A felt roof can also crack or puncture. This then exposes your roof to the elements, accelerating wood rot.
Steel, although harder to work with and a more expensive material does offer more robust protection than felt. In our sheds, the roofs are all equipped with steel and built at a slant. In the event of snow, it will slide clean off the roof, reducing the stress on your shed roof and protecting its structural integrity.
Of course budget is a factor when purchasing a shed. MCD Garden Sheds we choose to supply all of our sheds with steel roofs as standard as it offers more protection than felt.
Is One Easier To Maintain Than The Other?
A steel roof is much easier to maintain than a felt roof. Once your shed has been assembled and the steel roof attached you have little to worry about for the following 40-70 years. With a felt roof however, the roof has to be cleaned, nails removed and adhesive applied before the felt is laid. Felt roofing lasts at most for 30 years but as previously stated it can be damaged by extreme weather conditions and cracking. If the felt is damaged it then has to be removed and replaced, which involves doing the above-mentioned process. If you fail to maintain a felt roof it can lead to damage to your shed, in particular your roof. Cracks in the roof can also lead to moisture inside the shed, causing mould to form inside.
What Do We Recommend?
As you can probably assume, here at MCD Garden Sheds we recommend using a steel roof for your shed. We believe that the higher price of steel is a fair trade off for the benefits it offers over felt. In fact, at MCD Garden Sheds we believe so much in steel that we offer it as standard roofing for all our garden sheds.
If you’re in the market for a new shed or garden building, take a look at some of our popular products below. You can also contact a member of our sales team by clicking here. They’ll be able to answer any and all queries you may have. All of our sheds are made to order and built by our team of experienced carpenters at our site in Naul, County Dublin. We use steel roofs and pressure treated timber as standard. MCD Garden Sheds, built to last.
