My new workshop/shed brickwork will soon be complete. Once the excellent brickie returns from sunning himself in foreign parts (he's on here so I have to say that :D)

Next step will be the roof but can't decide what type to go for or if I should/could do it myself. The shed is 7m wide and 2.5m deep with a 3 course roof slope front to back.

Seems I have 3 options - tiles, board/felt type or corrugated sheeting (Onduline or similar). Don't think I would attempt the first 2 options but not sure of the feasability of the corrugated sheet option.

I'm sure those who have done it before will say it's easy but I realise that I don't even know how to even start! Joists at the correct centres to fix the sheeting to but how are the joists actually fixed to the brickwork? Looking at a similar building it seems that there are timbers set in mortar across the width and the joists are fixed to this - or should there be fixings of some sort set into the brickwork?

Any online sites that might help cure my ignorance?

Any advice welcome - or should I just leave it to the professionals. I've not had any quotes so if anyone has a ballpark figure for a roof of this size that would help.

What David is saying is, depending on which type of roof you want will determine which way the joists will lay, ie front to back or side to side.

Discuss with your builder.

David

Reading my original post again I realise that there does appear to be a lack of planning. It was originally all going to be built (with tile roof) by a professional builder a few months ago with me doing nothing more strenuous than writing a cheque. For various reasons this fell through and we had to at least start the brickwork.

Getting quotes for the roof alone has been difficult, so far two companies have failed to turn up but a third is supposed to be coming this weekend. Hence my toying with the idea of doing a corrugated sheeting roof myself.

Sheeting is the easiest, you need the joists side to side for that one. Depends what you are goingto use the shed for, because sheeting can be noisy if it rains.

Felt is poor IMO and should only be done as a last resort (cheap)

Tiles is the best IMO, you need the joists front to back for this, then felt, then lat side to side, then tile.

All 3 are fairly easy (i know you said someone would say this), but i think the easiest is the corrugated sheeting.

If you go corrrugated, make sure you get some that has a plastic/laminate covering as it lasts longer IMO and is quiter. You can then insulate between the joist under the sheets.

I put a new roof on the garage a few years ago, I used a corugated type metal sheeting, trouble is, I now get more condensation on the rrof than I had leaks before, if you can afford/get it, use a sheet material with insulation already fixed to it, comes in regular size sheets, fixes together easily, and would need minimum rafters as it's quite strong in it's own right, it might only be a shed, but believe me, it's most annoying having and old car, (as mine are) and going out in the morning and finding them all wet, I've had to resort to puting plastic over the cars, not ideal, but I'm moving shortly to a new house I've built, thats already got a nice garage/workshop.
Lucky me!
Ron.

A quick thought for you... 3 course of bricks (215/225mm) over a 2.5m span will not really give a suitable fall to use tiles.

It works out at approx 5 degrees fall. If you are building a house, extension, etc, building control insist on at least 20 degrees fall (and insist you use very smooth finish tiles). 30 degree pitch is more usual for a tiled roof.

I'd recommend the corrugated sheet option. As P20SPD suggested, get the plastic coated stuff and put insulation between the joists.

HTH.

John.

Id discuss it with your bricklayer, as they will need to work around what you are doing...

Edited to add, shouldnt you have thought about the roof before you built it?

David

[Edited by David_Wallis - 1/2/2003 11:53:46 AM]