Whether you have just bought a new garden room or are starting to build one, understanding how to properly roof it is essential.
If you have just spent £1000’s buying a new garden room, you will be surprised to learn that 95% of garden rooms sold are supplied with inadequate roof coverings.
Why does this matter? They leak easily which causes internal rotting and damage.
Using the correct roofing sheets for your garden room is critical to maximise its lifespan.
With years of experience helping homeowners realise their garden room ideas we will share our knowledge on three essential roof considerations:
- What is the best roofing material for garden rooms?
- Does my garden room need guttering?
- Can I add a roof light to my garden room?
- Should I upgrade my garden room roof?
What is the best roofing material for garden rooms?
The best roofing material for a garden room or summerhouse is corrugated sheets as they offer superior waterproofing, a great lifespan and look smart. To properly waterproof your garden roof use solid corrugated roofing sheets, like Corrapol or Corramet, to cover your roof.
There are four types of roofing used for garden rooms including:
Roofing Felt: the most common option and cheapest but by far the lowest quality. Roofing felt only has a 5 year lifespan and its mineral service is prone to moss and mould build-up.
Corramet Roofing Sheets: the ultimate material for your garden roof, Corramet sheets have great impact resistance and robustness. What’s more, their textured look provides an aesthetically stunning finish.
Bitumen Roof Sheets: The cheaper of the corrugated options, bitumen roof sheets offer a budget option to roof your garden room.
Bitumen Shingles: A less common material, bitumen shingles have the same make-up and flaws as roofing felt but their patterns are visually nicer. On the whole, they suffer the same leakage issues and have an estimated 5 year lifespan.
Follow our installation guides and videos to learn how to build your garden room roof.
Does my garden room need guttering?
Yes, all garden room designs should include guttering, no matter the size. Installing a gutter protects the bottom fascia edge of your roof and drains away rainwater rapidly from your outbuilding.
Any water that is left to drain itself will reduce the lifespan and potential structural integrity of your building, particularly if draining down onto the foundations. Additionally, waving no gutters on your garden room will to the side going green and mouldy over time.
What is the best guttering for a garden room?
Aluminium guttering is the best type of gutter to use on a garden room as it is affordable, sustainable and quality. Plastic guttering is an option but for the small saving you will make it fades fast, goes brittle and is not kind to the environment.
Can I add a roof light to my garden room?
If you don’t already have a roof light in your garden room ideas book then now is the time to add one. Incorporating a roof light in your garden room is an easy way to take the internal design up a level.
The flood of light a skylight provides will give the internal space a premium and airy feel – something that is a must-have if you are planning to spend a lot of time there.
The easiest way to build a rooflight is by using polycarbonate sheets and glazing bars. Selecting polycarbonate sheets of 16mm, 25mm or 35mm thickness is recommended for optimum light and insulation. Then they can be simply secured in place using a gable glazing bar on each side. Aluminium glazing bars are the best choice or there are the Snapa PVC glazing bars as a lower cost alternative.
Adding a rooflight or skylight to an existing garden room requires integration into the existing roofing setup so is more challenging. That said, any reputable joiner, builder or roofer will be able to carry this task out for you with ease.
Should I upgrade my garden room roof?
If you have an existing garden room, then upgrading your roofing is highly recommended. The majority of garden rooms are supplied with only basic roofing felt which has a short lifespan, is very leak prone and rips easily in winds.
It is worth upgrading your garden room roof straight away to preserve your investment.
Thankfully, compared to the cost of repairing or buying a new garden room, fitting a new garden room roof is cost effective.
Can I over-sheet my existing roofing felt? Yes, there is the option to simply install a superior roofing sheet over the top of your existing felt. No need to remove the existing covering if you don’t wish to.
The best corrugated sheets to use for this are the Corramet corrugated sheets as they are very robust and will significantly increase your roof lifetime.
Contact our team or use our Corramet corrugated roof calculator to work out a price for your roof.
Need Help with your Garden Room Project?
If you have any further questions regarding building a garden room roof then simply Live Chat Teams – they’re super friendly and very happy to help.
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