Corrugated Plastic Roof?

[Bleenie]

I was just thinking of doing a run roof with the SAME stuff!!

about how much does that stuff go for? i checked lowes.com but it doesnt give a price & the home depot site was shut down.

please let me know! i think it looks just fabulous!!!


ETA: did you have to use the little wavy boards to install it? i was thinking about skipping that if it wont mess up the roofing

anyone know if it works well in place of actual roofing on a shed?

 

[Klorinth]

I'm giving it a try for walls. I don't know that it would handle much snow load. It does crack when it gets cold that is for sure. I tried working with it last year, but it was a little too late in the season, cracked easily as I tried to cut it. I found that very gently sawing was needed at that point. In hot weather you could probably cut it like tin.

 

[Cindy in PA]

It depends on what kind of "plastic" it is, as to how long it will last. I have a greenhouse covered in Tufftex vinyl from Lowes since 1995. It lasted pretty well, except it got more qpaque and we have terrible winter winds and the movement of the panels make it eventually crack at the screw holes. We replaced some with polycarbonate, also from Lowes which is the more expensive panels. This stayed clear longer, but all of it is now trashed by an April hail storm. We had large hail & even the new polycarbonate panels got "bullet" holes in it. It has held up well with snow, but then it is insatlled on a pretty good slant.

 

[ozzie]

Other problem I find with it is that it can get unbearably hot in summer if there's no shade over the clear roof.

ozzie

 

[DragonFeathers]

Same thing as past two post, had covered greenhouse with it in 1993, worked great, used shade cloth on it in the summer, now its all covered with T-1 11 all but roof, we painted that with snow to keep chicken house cooler and it worked, this will be the first winter for it.
We also used the correguted wood started stip and washer nails, never had to replace any panels.

 

[mdbokc]

I am looking to top my run and build a coop entry porch roof with this and just finished talking to a dealer about this product this weekend. The PVC corrugated is so much stronger and long life compared to the fiberglass of years past. Life expectancy is 10 years to lifetime depending on what you buy. It is so strong that people can walk on it and not damage it when built using rafters on 2' centers. They also recommend using a 1x4 on it's side (placed on top of or across the 2x4 rafters depending on how you frame it) as the support for the sheeting rather than just attaching to the 2x4 (2x6) on edge.

 

[mdbokc]

One link among many onhow to install.
http://www.buildeazy.com/roof.html

The dealers should have a pamphlet explaining the product and installation also.

 

[patandchickens]

Attempt to answer not only o.p. but questions raised by other posters on the thread:

There are TWO DIFFERENT KINDS (at least) of corrugated plastic roof. They are not equivalent.

PVC roofing panels, such as Palruf, are inexpensive and 'reasonably ok if that's all you want'. They are brittle and will not stand up to a hailstorm, and the warranty specifically excludes hail damage. They are also not designed for very hot temperatures (do not install over plywood roof sheathing; use with caution in a greenhouse-like environment e.g. solar collector) nor very cold temperatures (they are usually warranted down to 0 F only, presumably b/c of their brittleness in the cold, though it is not like they will disintegrate instantly at -1 F). They are a bit brittle and shattery to cut even at like 50 F, IME.

Polycarbonate roofing panels, such as Suntuf, are just about exactly twice the price as PVC ones. They typically have an unlimited lifetime warranty, are much more resistant to hail damage (and it's warranteed), and are rated for use down to -40 F and up to 270F. Thus they are a much much better choice for those up north and for those going to use 'em in ways that will get 'em real hot, e.g. over an existing roof surface or in solar collector arrangements. They do not get brittle when cold and are a joy to work with.

In the brands I've seen, the PVC panels have wavy corrugations while the polycarbonate ones have 'square' corrugations. I do not know whether there are exceptions to this rule however.

It is REALLY REALLY IMPORTANT to INSTALL ACCORDING TO MFR'S INSTRUCTIONS. If your sheet didn't come with an installation pamphlet, download one from the mfr's website. Get this BEFORE you build the supporting structure (rafters, nailers) to ensure the support structure meets the specs required by the materials. Also do not try to skip the wavy foam filler strips; unlike roofing tin, which is heavy gauge enough to screw through ribs without crushing, this stuff is really flimsy and *needs* that under there. (You can't screw it through the valleys instead, because then it will leak and rot its fasteners loose, b/c the holes have to be predrilled 'too big' to allow for thermal movement of the material)

Used as designed it is great stuff IMHO.

Slapped on any ol' whichway it is likely to fail prematurely (possibly spectacularly) and be a waste of money.

I use the polycarbonate stuff for some run roofs, and would like to replace the other (ancient snaggly disintegrating fiberglass) run roofs with Suntuf when budget allows. I give it a great big "three thumbs up" for the North -- it is *fine* for snow load when correclty supported. I would NEVER use the other stuff, PVC, for a cold windy or cold snowdrifty location however; and frankly even down south in a lot of places I'd be inclined to save my pennies up to get the polycarbonate, largely because of the hail warranty.

(edited to add: but in winterizing part of the cats' outdoor enclosure, which is very sheltered by bushes etc, I'm using clear pvc, because there should never be meaningful hail or wind hitting it, and it *is* after all half the price <g>)

JMHO,

Pat

 

[mdbokc]

patandchickens is right. In my posts, I grouped what the local dealer sells into the one PCV group which was incorrect. He sells and stocks both types. A good local dealer/supplier can walk you through all the pros and cons and save a bunch of grief later. But I am definitely going build a section with it this fall.

 

[Germaine_11.20]