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Discussion Forum

Plastic roofing material

Jeff | Posted in Construction Techniques on March 30, 2005 08:41am

Hi all

A Follow up to an earlier problem.

A week or 2 ago the ice fell off the roof and destroyed tthe dog run roof.

The roof was a typical rafter framing along the whole rear of the house with a clear plastic material for a roof.

I plan to rebuild it in month or so when things dry out here.

I originally built it with that wavy fiberglass plastic for a roof.

This summer, I replaced the plastic with a clearer flimsy wavy type plastic for more light. That’s all there was local.

When I rebuild it, I’ll put up stronger rafters and additional bracing.

I was planning to sheath it with plywood and shingle it, but my wife likes the openness of the plastic.

Does anyone know of a strong plastc material for the roof?

Can I still get the fiberglass re-inforced wavy plastic?

Can I double it up for strength?

I didn’t find the plastic locally this past summer, that’s why I used this flimsy stuff.

I’m fishing here a bit, after all, I want to keep the wife happy.

jeff

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Replies

  1. VaTom | Mar 31, 2005 01:37am | #1

    If she's buying, 1/2" or thicker plex.

    PAHS Designer/Builder- Bury it!

    1. Jeff | Mar 31, 2005 01:56am | #2

      Tom

      Did I mention I had to lift this stuff.

      I'm also not sure the the all attachment would hold that.

      Jeff

       

      1. VaTom | Mar 31, 2005 06:16am | #4

        That suntuf sounds interesting.  I actually used separated (leaky) panels from sliding glass doors for a roof outside my shop.  Tempered glass is amazingly strong.  Set rafters 17" OC so the 34" (x76") lites had extra support.  Also used EPDM weatherstripping under the lites as a cushion.

        10 yrs later neither hail nor tree branches has managed to break even one of the eight.  We have lots of trees, including a 60' maple that's directly overhead.  Big chunks of ice falling a long distance would be something else.

        Using the same sliding door lite panels on my solar lumber kiln.  Price is right- free.  Just make certain the glass is tempered if you try it.  I thought it all was until I dragged home some ancient 4' lites that weren't.  Surprised me.

        By the way, this glass is not approved for overhead.  PAHS Designer/Builder- Bury it!

        1. rez | Mar 31, 2005 06:52am | #5

          Speaking of panels...

          how you doing on that project?

          I'd hate to think them things are still sitting there.

          be a heh heh

           

          1. VaTom | Mar 31, 2005 05:30pm | #8

            It's been winter, even here.  I'm not Sphere, out in all elements roofing.  And never having been one to shy away from hijacks (with apologies)....

            You know anything about soft tissue damage, as in tendons/ligaments?  I screwed up my dominant wrist trimming a copper standing seam.  Adjusted my method, but wrist's still swollen.  Appears that it's gonna take more than a couple of days to heal. 

            Copper surrounding the translucent panels is 60%.  Turns out not to be the best time of year to roof... snow, rain, wind.   Guy I borrowed the seamers from has them for a small job this week, will get them back next week.  Finally found the screws I wanted to hold the panel battens to my oak rafters.  And the copper pop rivets that'll attach the copper to the panel edges.  I think I'm all set.

            Portion of the remainder go on the back of my shop, where I have the just-milled 6x10 oak beams sitting.  Gotta borrow a 3pt posthole auger and get a load of washed stone.  Strips of copper will cover the facias and attach the edges of the panels.  Turns out I bought an extra 1100 lbs of copper.  Fortunately, the roofer showed me a great method for handling those 500# rolls, solo, to cut the pans. 

            You coming down for the raising?  Or finish the copper pans for that matter.  How you do up 30', hanging off a chicken ladder?  It's a good ladder, but I go slow.

            Gotta go now, get some bread rising.  A Finn's coming for lunch that we haven't seen for 12 yrs and has never been here.  I know, I know, kneading's not the best thing for a sprained wrist.  But I have a reputation to maintain:  http://innerlodge.com/Recipes/Breads/TomsBread.htmPAHS Designer/Builder- Bury it!

          2. rez | Mar 31, 2005 07:33pm | #13

            Sounds like you're not that far from calling it a done deal. Congrats.

            Maybe if you didn't enjoy the work so much and could quit throwing yourself into your projects heart, mind and soul, you might be able to stop the abuse of the body as the sacrificial tool to 'git 'er done'. :o)

            Don't ask me how I know this.

            But you went all the way to swelling this time aye?And the wrist, not just the fingers. Getting serious here now. 

            Are we saying sprain which means awhile to heal up. Get much more technical than that and you start to lose me. I do believe that there are bones in there tho'.

            I was stretching off a fully extended 28fter last summer and told myself I was going to quit doing that stuff.

            OK, at least tie it off.

             

            be if you see the knead, fill it

             

             

          3. VaTom | Apr 01, 2005 05:20am | #19

            But you went all the way to swelling this time aye?And the wrist, not just the fingers. Getting serious here now.

            It's also a nice shade of purple, fading fortunately.  Case of: I'm strong enough to hurt myself.  I'm a stretcher from way back, bad back that I once thought would prevent me from ever doing anything like this again.  Then I learned how to live with it- and prevent throwing the back out.  Yup, lot of years of abuse.  The roofer went out 4' off the eave on the chicken ladder to trim the seams.  Wasn't gonna happen for me, so I was extending along the eave line and trying to trim at full arms' length.  Didn't work very well, too many layers of "hard" copper for the lack of leverage.

            Something I learned a long time ago, if you keep plugging away, after awhile it looks like you did something.  And still learning.  For instance, it'll be a very long time before I forget how stupid it was, for me, to build a building this tall.  Looked great on paper...  Even the roofer is still complaining about his having risked his neck getting me started.  Guess he's not going to inspect my work very carefully.

            Everybody up today did admire the building.  Very nice- especially as it's for drying and storing lumber.  Gotta have fun.  Right?PAHS Designer/Builder- Bury it!

          4. rez | Apr 01, 2005 05:28am | #20

            What?!? No pictures?

            Bad back? Dollar says it's the lower.

             

          5. VaTom | Apr 01, 2005 06:10am | #21

            Pic of my wrist?  In a plastic roof thread?

            Always is lower.  Disc or two there that aren't quite what they used to be.  Never bothered with an xray.  I'll go see a doc when they have a cure.  In the meantime I quite carrying those Caterpillar counterweights by myself.  Shoot, even those oak beams get balanced on a loader bucket now.  Missing all sorts of fun.

            But here's a pic of the building that's going to get a partial plastic roof (I'm on the other side with the copper now) and one of the pool house where the plastic I was getting razzed about came from:PAHS Designer/Builder- Bury it!

          6. rez | Apr 01, 2005 06:31am | #22

            Man, what a nice location.

             

          7. VaTom | Apr 01, 2005 02:56pm | #23

            Yup, thank you.  Not an accident that we live here.PAHS Designer/Builder- Bury it!

          8. rez | Apr 01, 2005 03:05pm | #24

            How come all that glass in a lumber shed?

            You planning a passive kiln to air dry lumber in there or was there a good buy on windows somewhere?

             

          9. VaTom | Apr 01, 2005 08:26pm | #25

            But I thought you liked the view...  <g>

            Those oversized windows came 3 for $2 at auction, cheaper than siding.  Originally installed at a heavy truck dealership, 2 were the doors to get trucks in and out.  I figured they would work better fixed.  Apparently nobody else wanted to haul them off.  Maybe due to their being single glazed.  The top 2 floors of the building aren't heated, other than the kiln. 

            The smaller hole in the adjoining wall gets an operable redwood casement, salvaged from a job where I made new windows.  I promised the guys who pay me for hunting privileges that I'd have an opening window for them.  A few feet to the right of where I was standing is the solar kiln.  Glazing will be recycled sliding door lites with an (auction) insulated industrial garage door for easy loading.

            I'm always looking around for interesting opportunities, like when I got the translucent panels.  Usually have to store the material for a bit before it gets used.  Stuff that doesn't seem likely to get used here gets sent to a new home, if I can find one.  One guy hauled off all the windows from the local church, double-hungs without the frames.  Panels were 4'x4' with incredibly ugly yellow bumpy glass. 

            You looking for anything?  Still have a surplus wood-fired boiler that takes 4' logs.  Turned out to be too large for anything I'll ever build.  HEY, now we're talkin'.  You could stick it in that outbuilding on your farm and easily heat that leaky old house.  Original use was back-up heat for a solar system for 7 apartments.  I'm keeping the solar system, 480 sq ft of copper collectors.

            If you missed it, here's the foundation for my little lumber shed:    PAHS Designer/Builder- Bury it!

  2. User avater
    coonass | Mar 31, 2005 02:07am | #3

    Jeff,
    I used polycarbonate on my greenhouse. Easy to work with, very clear and almost unbreakable. About $100 a square.
    Suntuf is the brand I used, available at some Home Despots.
    http://www.suntuf.com/

    KK

    1. Notchman | Mar 31, 2005 07:48am | #6

      I'll vouch for the Suntuf.  Polycarbonate (Lexon) and i've actually walked on a patio roof with it attached on 16" centers, which is amazing considering that it's about 1/16" thick!

      UV resistant (install correct side up per instructions), doesn't yellow or crack or get brittle like F/G or plexiglass.

      Very light weight and easy to handle.

      I even used part of a panel to build a play area for one of our parrots who can chew up nearly anything and she hasn't put a single mar in the stuff in 2 years.

    2. Jeff | Mar 31, 2005 03:18pm | #7

      That sounds like what I need.

      Which of the panals did you get, they have 3 types?

      I'm always afraid of glass in situations like this, if it breaks, I may end up with cut up dogs.  Plastic doesn't do that.

      I'm not sure my Home Depot carries or can get the stuff, but I can contact the Mfg to find someone up here in VT.

      You said about $100 a square, I hope you ment 10'x10' not 1'x1'.

      Jeff

       

      1. User avater
        BillHartmann | Mar 31, 2005 06:34pm | #9

        Do a check for Greenhouse supplies or equipment.There are other brands. GE is one I think.

        1. chillywilly | Mar 31, 2005 06:53pm | #10

          Call these guys.  They have what you need.  I bought a product from them to build 4 skylites on a flat roof.  Cant remember the name of the product but it looked like corrugated plastic.  They have it in thicknesses up to 1 inch.  It is designed to carry live loads. 

          Talk to Raul.  http://www.modernplastics.com

          1. Jeff | Mar 31, 2005 07:01pm | #11

            Thanks Ron, Bill , Tom.I'll check these out.I have a few months to find and get that material.It'll take that long for things to dry out and me to get back on my feet.Tom,Best thing for ligaments and tendons is alot of Ibuprophine (800mg) for reducing swelling and pain.Hot and cold packs.Rest, then carefull stretching and exercise to strengthen.If you don't give it a chance to heal, it will plague you all summer.Jeff

          2. VaTom | Apr 01, 2005 05:00am | #18

            Best thing for ligaments and tendons is alot of Ibuprophine (800mg) for reducing swelling and pain.

            Hot and cold packs.

            Rest, then carefull stretching and exercise to strengthen.

            If you don't give it a chance to heal, it will plague you all summer.

            Thanks.  Pretty much what I've been doing.  Along with compression.  Roofer is into homeopathic treatment and got me to try ruta graveolens.  I can't tell it's doing anything, but I'll finish the bottle.  At least I'm not getting worse.  Clearly your last part is going to be the most difficult for me.  The last pan I did I knew I ought to have quit, but it was started and I couldn't see risking it blowing off while I healed.  Just wish I had a better idea how long it'll take.  Next week I'm tractor driving so that'll be a rest, I hope.PAHS Designer/Builder- Bury it!

      2. BillBrennen | Mar 31, 2005 07:29pm | #12

        Jeff,Regarding the "cut up dogs." If you can get 3/16" tempered glass for cheap or free, you could apply film to the underside before mounting the glass. As a plus, the dogs get solar control if they need it. (Untinted film is also available.)However, if the glass is tempered, your dogs are pretty safe from laceration already, because the panel will dice when it breaks. When I lived in Colorado, we had a hailstorm in Arvada that was tennis ball sized. It shredded 5/8" CDX roof decks that had composition roofs on them, but did not break the 3/16" tempered glass on the solar collectors mounted to those same roofs. I was impressed. When I built my home in the mountains, the 200 pound glazier walked over the middle of the 46 x 76 roof glass like it was a floor. I asked about it, so he jumped up and down in the center of the panel. I still have the photo I took of this. He is carefully holding his hammer in its loop, since that could break the panel if it got loose. Would have been an awkward phone call to the boss if that happened.Your dogs are fortunate to have a caring owner like yourself.The polycarbonate is also good, but the glass will last far longer in the weather.Bill

      3. User avater
        coonass | Mar 31, 2005 08:12pm | #14

        Jeff,
        I used the corrugated Suntuf in clear on my greenhouse and the ridge of my shop (coonass skylight). I used the solar, smoke color, Suntuf on a clients geenhouse. Put it on with roofing screws.
        I ddin't have balls enough to walk it like Wormdrive but I did bounce a brick off of it. It's tough.KK

        1. Jeff | Apr 01, 2005 12:27am | #15

          Sounds like good stuff.I checked the website and didn't find any prices.Any rough idea as to price?I need to cover an 8'x 24' roof section that was destroyed.jeff

          1. User avater
            coonass | Apr 01, 2005 01:07am | #16

            I think I paid about one $ per square foot. So yours should cost around $200. Have to add in some screws ect.Had to turn on the AC today, muggy on the bayou.KK

          2. Jeff | Apr 01, 2005 02:28am | #17

            That's a pretty good price, so I'm not too far out.

            It's still pretty cool here, only made 60 today.

            Get's to freezing at night.

            Great for the people who sugar.

            Our house has great solar gain, so we're not heating at all.

            Actually, it's kind of nice.

            Jeff

             

          3. JohnSprung | Apr 01, 2005 10:26pm | #26

            What's the slope of that dog run roof?  Steeper should be better for surviving falling ice.  You might want to test samples of various materials at various slopes, perhaps by dropping bricks....

             

            -- J.S.

             

          4. Jeff | Apr 02, 2005 12:52am | #27

            John

            The pitch is 7 on 12.

            I would have to throw a brick real hard to compare to the falling ice.

            Maybe a sledge hammer?

            Jeff

             

          5. JohnSprung | Apr 02, 2005 01:56am | #28

            ... Or just drop the brick from the same height as the ice.  Weight is weight.  That should be a pretty accurate simulation of the actual conditions.  (Freeze the test specimines, too, in case they get brittle when cold.)  Do you have room to go to 12 in 12 or 18 in 12?  That may deflect the ice/brick instead of breaking.

             

            -- J.S.

          6. Jeff | Apr 02, 2005 04:07am | #29

            John

            I'm kind of stuck with this angle.

            The roof can't go higher due to windows or lower due to view from the windows under.

            Plus I'd have to rebuild all the supports and everything.

            So I guess it's out of the picture.

            Jeff

             

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