[Martin]

Hi,

I'm looking for a garden shed and was intending to get one with a roof
made from T&G planks as I am concerned that when the inevitable failure
of the roof felt happens a roof made of processed wood will fail in the
wet and I will be faced with the task of replacing the roof boards as
well as the roof felt whereas with real wood planks it would just be a
case of drying out any water and replacing the felt.

However the local shed place is trying to convince me that sterling
board is as good as T&G planks and even makes the felt last longer
because as T&G planks dry out they shift and cause the felt to wrinkle
and eventually tear. He also claims that sterling board is waterproof
and doesn't go soggy when wet like chipboard. He even showed me a
display shed with a sterling board roof which they hadn't bothered to
put felt on (but of course I don't know how long it has been there - he
might have put it up yesterday).

What is the consensus here? Is sterling board a good option for a shed
roof or is it just a cheap low quality option.

Thanks,
Martin.

[Steve Walker]

Martin wrote:

What is the consensus here? Is sterling board a good option for a shed
roof or is it just a cheap low quality option.

It's good for that sort of purpose, I'd say.

[The Medway Handyman]

Martin wrote:
Hi,

I'm looking for a garden shed and was intending to get one with a roof
made from T&G planks as I am concerned that when the inevitable
failure of the roof felt happens a roof made of processed wood will
fail in the wet and I will be faced with the task of replacing the
roof boards as well as the roof felt whereas with real wood planks it
would just be a case of drying out any water and replacing the felt.

However the local shed place is trying to convince me that sterling
board is as good as T&G planks and even makes the felt last longer
because as T&G planks dry out they shift and cause the felt to wrinkle
and eventually tear. He also claims that sterling board is waterproof
and doesn't go soggy when wet like chipboard. He even showed me a
display shed with a sterling board roof which they hadn't bothered to
put felt on (but of course I don't know how long it has been there -
he might have put it up yesterday).

What is the consensus here? Is sterling board a good option for a shed
roof or is it just a cheap low quality option.

Sterling board or OSB is NOT waterproof. Some grades are 'moisture
resistant', but not waterproof. The resin used to bond it together is
waterproof, but not the finished product.

Wickes used to sell waterproof OSB - it was black & seemed to be coated with
some kinda tar. They apparently stopped selling it because the black stuff
contaminated everything that touched it.


--
Dave - The Medway Handyman
www.medwayhandyman.co.uk

[Phil L]

Martin wrote:
Hi,

I'm looking for a garden shed and was intending to get one with a roof
made from T&G planks as I am concerned that when the inevitable
failure of the roof felt happens a roof made of processed wood will
fail in the wet and I will be faced with the task of replacing the
roof boards as well as the roof felt whereas with real wood planks it
would just be a case of drying out any water and replacing the felt.

However the local shed place is trying to convince me that sterling
board is as good as T&G planks and even makes the felt last longer
because as T&G planks dry out they shift and cause the felt to wrinkle
and eventually tear. He also claims that sterling board is waterproof
and doesn't go soggy when wet like chipboard. He even showed me a
display shed with a sterling board roof which they hadn't bothered to
put felt on (but of course I don't know how long it has been there -
he might have put it up yesterday).

What is the consensus here? Is sterling board a good option for a shed
roof or is it just a cheap low quality option.

Thanks,
Martin.

OSB (sterling board) is as good as T&G, it's thicker and isn't as prone to
rot as T&G.
Obviously you'll be felting it?

--
Phil L
RSRL Tipster Of The Year 2008

[Steve Firth]

Steve Walker wrote:

Martin wrote:

What is the consensus here? Is sterling board a good option for a shed
roof or is it just a cheap low quality option.

It's good for that sort of purpose, I'd say.

I'd say there's an advantage to not having T&G and I'm more or less in
sympathy with the shed makers statement, since felt over T&G does seem
to break along the seams. I was going to whine about Sterling board as a
low quality, cheap solution but my own shed has a Sterling board roof
with a double felt layer, and it has stood up to the elements for
sixteen years. So I can't see a problem with it.

[Pete Verdon]

Martin wrote:

He also claims that sterling board is waterproof and doesn't go soggy
when wet like chipboard.

I'm not sure I'd claim total impermeability, but it doesn't instantly
turn to Weetabix. Unable to find some paddles when testing a mate's
borrowed boat, I quickly knocked up some "temporary" ones out of 2x2 and
some OSB offcut. We never got round to replacing them and so they've
been dunked in seawater for hours most weekends for the past couple of
months. No obvious signs of deterioration.

Pete

[RubberBiker]

I made up some temporary exterior doors from OSB - which actually
ended up staying for 18 months. No additional protection, quite
exposed to wind/rain/sun. A little water damage was starting at the
bottom, but by no means was it falling apart.

Another alternative is exterior grade spruce ply - about the same
price as OSB - or an even better grade of ply if you're ok with the
cost.

[Andrew Mawson]

"Martin" wrote in message
...
Hi,

I'm looking for a garden shed and was intending to get one with a
roof
made from T&G planks as I am concerned that when the inevitable
failure
of the roof felt happens a roof made of processed wood will fail in
the
wet and I will be faced with the task of replacing the roof boards
as
well as the roof felt whereas with real wood planks it would just be
a
case of drying out any water and replacing the felt.

However the local shed place is trying to convince me that sterling
board is as good as T&G planks and even makes the felt last longer
because as T&G planks dry out they shift and cause the felt to
wrinkle
and eventually tear. He also claims that sterling board is
waterproof
and doesn't go soggy when wet like chipboard. He even showed me a
display shed with a sterling board roof which they hadn't bothered
to
put felt on (but of course I don't know how long it has been there -
he
might have put it up yesterday).

What is the consensus here? Is sterling board a good option for a
shed
roof or is it just a cheap low quality option.

Thanks,
Martin.

Use OSB3 which is waterproof - do not use OSB1 or OSB2

AWEM

[Mark Spice[_2_]]

"Pete Verdon" d wrote in
message ...
Martin wrote:

He also claims that sterling board is waterproof and doesn't go soggy
when wet like chipboard.

I'm not sure I'd claim total impermeability, but it doesn't instantly turn
to Weetabix. Unable to find some paddles when testing a mate's borrowed
boat, I quickly knocked up some "temporary" ones out of 2x2 and some OSB
offcut. We never got round to replacing them and so they've been dunked in
seawater for hours most weekends for the past couple of months. No obvious
signs of deterioration.

Pete

To reinforce this I made my kids' fortress with an OSB skin that has just
had normal B&Q fence paint on it - it seems to be standing up to the weather
so far... (2 years later)

http://www.freewebs.com/fortmiddlewood/index.htm


Cheers

Mark

(Hopefully this won't post multiple times but I had problems getting it to
send at all)

[PeterC]

On Sat, 27 Jun 2009 20:39:02 +0100, Andrew Mawson wrote:

Use OSB3 which is waterproof - do not use OSB1 or OSB2

This must be what I got. Some boarding had been taken off the windows next
door (council house) and dumped in the garden, so I 'liberated' it.
Used some for a cover on a water butt, so it's nearly horizontal and, of
course, doesn't dry out underneath. It's abit soft on the surface
underneath but still OK after about 15 years.
--
Peter.
The head of a pin will hold more angels if
it's been flattened with an angel-grinder.

[Martin Wiseman]

Hi,

Thanks everyone, that's put my mind at rest.

Martin.