"Slainte" wrote in message
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"Bill" wrote in message
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In message , newshound
writes
Isn't the basic problem going to be movement of the wood with temperature
and humidity? OK it *looks* very nice, but I don't think I would try to
make a roof like that. Cedar shingles as used in North America work
because they have a big overlap, like slates.

Yes, that's exactly why there is a problem. That and the fact that there
are occasional tiny little gaps where you can see daylight through. But
most of the water comes through down the joint between the roof pieces
rather than through the tongue and groove joints.

Also, it does look nice and women are involved in the approvals process.
It's also quite mature and came with the house, and we have many problems
on many fronts. (The mower is now fine except for the front roller, which
I've brought home here to attack with a bigger hammer, and we haven't
even started on the Billy Goat hoovery thing)

My gut feeling was to try to mould covering pieces to follow the
decorative joints using fibreglass and some resin, and then perhaps some
sort of tiles over the tongue and groove areas, but this would require
skill to do well and to end up looking good. Plus a lot of time. Which is
why son and I ended up hoping that some sort of flexible when dry, gloopy
paint might do the trick.


That's sort of the theory of bitumen coatings for old guttering and flat
roofs. But it's going to look awful and often doesn't last very long. I
suppose the "anti burglar" paint which stays wet and slippery might be an
option, but I don't know if it comes in suitable colours.


--
Bill

I'd be tempted to investigate the possibility of removing the entire roof,
laying a false t&g roof and felting it. Then reconstruct the original
roof over the top. I have constructed similar summerhouses/gazebos and I
don' think it would be too dificult. I think applying anything on top of
the existing roof would be in danger of ruining the entire appearance of
the summerhouse.

Neil


I'm with Neil, but you can bet it was designed for ease of putting up, not
for ease of taking down. Is there access from underneath? I can think of
various ways you might try to seal that side, but then you are eventually
going to get rot in the tongues and grooves and other places where water
collects.