Bead-board for a roof, would it work? Opinions please!!!!

[chuckzoo]

I have altering the roof of my coop and have some bead-board left over from our covered porch project.

Would it work on my coop as roofing?

 

[La Mike]

It should as long as you seal it up good and support it correctly.

 

[mcjessen]

I would be concerned that it wasn't strong enough to hold a snow load. I'm not sure where you are located. If you use it you might want to weather proof it also.

Oops, didn't see you were in Alabama. You probably don't get too much snow there. LOL! Just weather proof it.

 

[chuckzoo]

I was thinking of staining it as the rest of my coop is stained. Do you think it will hold up to the weather?

 

[chuckzoo]

Quote:
Yup, snow is not too much of a concern here. We do get awfully excited when it's going to snow and go and buy up everything in sight in the grocery stores in case we should starve in a snow storm

My greatest concern is heat and himidity, although the coop is in the shade all summer since we have it under a huge oak tree.

 

[patandchickens]

Depends what you mean beadboard.

If you mean plywood (actual plywood, not pvc or mdf) with grooves in it to look like panelling, then if you would use only ONE piece of material on each side of the peak, ie. no seams except the ridge (if your roof even has a ridge), then <shrug> you can do it as long as you recognize it won't last especially well over time.

If there will have to be seams, they will leak, in time (later for sure, quite likely sooner as well). Really they will, no matter how well or repeatedly you caulk/seal/cover/curse/magic them. So it is really not worth it unless it is merely a temporary emergency measure.

This also pertains to if you mean the kind of beadboard that is real wood, strips maybe 4-6" wide with tongue and groove edges that go together. All those joints will make the roof leaky. You would have to shingle it or cover it with something else (waste of good beadboard in that case)

If you mean the mdf or pvc panels that are textured to look like panelling, you cannot use either of them out in the weather, mdf because it will turn to mush very very quickly even if painted/sealed, and pvc because the stuff meant for indoor use is not UV stable so it will quickly get crumbly and brittle and break out there in the sun and weather.

Good luck, have fun,

Pat

 

[chuckzoo]

Pat

Thanks. Yes, it is the sheets. There about 3 layers laminated together. The top layer being the grooved layer. It is relatively thick 1/2 to 3/4" thick. I would love to use it because it so attractive and I thought it would really make a nice roof.

Are you familiar with the type I am speaking about? If so, would it work?

This is what it looks like; http://www.gp.com/build/product.aspx?pid=1401

 

[Dogfish]

Use real construction materials. Try to use something for what it wasn't designed for and you will have failures. It will look cute for a few weeks and then the board will delaminate and you will be disappointed. Use the correct materials and you won't be disappointed.

Cry once, buy once.

 

[patandchickens]

Wellllllll. Yeah, I know that type stuff. What I'm saying is, you can sort of do it for a while, but it is not going to last well. It is thin and the grooves allow water entry into the inside of the plies of the plywood, and it isn't made with exterior-type glues. It will both delaminate and rot. Even if you paint it.

I am not going to place any exact bets on how long it'd last (especially since I don't have much experience with your climate, the south-est I've ever lived was NC) but I would be shocked if it were still in acceptible condition four years from now, and I would NOT be shocked if perchance it had become unusable in as little as a year or two.

So, I mean, is it worth it? Plywood -- real, exterior-grade plywood of a bit more thickness -- is not expensive nor difficult to scrounge. And beadboard can perfectly well be used for its intended purpose elsewhere, or if your house has had all of its beadboard needs already fulfilled <g> it could be traded/sold to someone whose house is still lacking

So you can use it if you really want, for a while. then you will be right back where you started. Me, I'd rather do a job ONCE than twice

but of course everyone is different.

Good luck with whatever you decide, have fun,

Pat

 

[catsmithpuddin]

Would I recommend it? No. BUUUTTTTTT.........I have seen half inch plywood used for forms for concrete last 7-8 years if you paint the edges and any cracks REALLy good with oil based outdoor paint. These were stored outside in the rain. The key is painting both sides and the edges. Also if you have a pretty good pitch so there is no chance of the rain and dew sitting for long you will be better off.