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What roof?

 
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shadiya



Joined: 02 Feb 2008
Posts: 1285

PostPosted: Sun Oct 04, 09 6:43 pm    Post subject: What roof? Reply with quote
    

I'm constructing a little yoga studio, straw bale, done on the cheap with what we've got and can scrounge. Not sure what to do with the roof, anybody got any ideas? Something as green and as cheap as possible, anybody got any ideas? I was wondering about making rubber 'tiles' out of inner tubes, I daresay I'd lose enthusiasm for the job of making them almost immediately though and would they really work or is it recycling gone mad? I think making shingles might be a bit more my thing but am I being ridiculously romantically delusional about my life, making shingles she says?

I guess I'll be doing that in my spare time then!

RichardW



Joined: 24 Aug 2006
Posts: 8443
Location: Llyn Peninsular North Wales
PostPosted: Sun Oct 04, 09 7:06 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote
    

Inner tube shingles would work but you would need an awful lot of them (aprox 2 or 3 times the area to be covered).

Oh & do them as long shingles left to right not idy biddy ones. I guess you could cut the tube to make a cylinder & then split it once to make one big shingle from each tube.

shadiya



Joined: 02 Feb 2008
Posts: 1285

PostPosted: Mon Oct 05, 09 4:44 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote
    

The voice of reason ( that is, someone else) has suggested that given that I'm already a zillion years behind schedule and that the yoga studio isn't actually on the list of things to do , roofing felt might be the most sensible option. He pointed out I could always add shingles at a later date.... ( in my spare time )

resistance is fertile



Joined: 24 Oct 2008
Posts: 1534
Location: The heart of North Devon
PostPosted: Mon Oct 05, 09 5:45 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote
    

a sheet of EDPM or butyl pond liner would get you dry in just minutes and can then have a sedum/allium mix stuck on when you have time to sort it out.

Get scrounging at the garden centres etc.

Mutton



Joined: 09 May 2009
Posts: 1508

PostPosted: Mon Oct 05, 09 7:20 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote
    

OH having spent time splitting old tyres in two to make troughs - can tell you they are a right swine to cut even with power tools. The rubber could do with one sort of blade, the wire reinforcement embedded in the rubber a different blade.
Then you need to mind your fingers on the cut ends of the wire reinforcement, or spend ages grinding them down as we did so the sheep didn't cut their lips.

Edit - you said inner tubes, not tyres. Brain gone tonight. Anyway, old tyres would be hard work !

shadiya



Joined: 02 Feb 2008
Posts: 1285

PostPosted: Thu Oct 08, 09 1:53 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote
    

Thanks Mutton - I find brains aren't what they used to be these days!

I had thought about a living roof but was worried about extra cost of timber, I assumed ( possibly incorrectly?) it would be heavier than standard. Also, it is sited under some mature Scots Pines so I wasn't sure how well it would do though I suppose Ivy would tolerate pretty much anything. I wouldn't want a scabby looking thing on top of my yoga studio.....

Woodburner



Joined: 28 Apr 2006
Posts: 2904
Location: Essex
PostPosted: Wed Oct 28, 09 11:56 am    Post subject: Reply with quote
    

Sempervivums and many if not all sedums don't need much soil at all, but if you want to avoid using plastic/rubber liner, I think you need some depth of soil so that it doesn't get instantly saturated and drain through the gaps when it rains more than a llight shower.

A traditional way of roofing in the middle ease was to span a room with beams that were in fact whole (thinnish) tree trunks, that tapered gently from one end to the other. They were placed alternating 'top to bottom' so that along each wall it would alternate thick end, thin end, thick end. IYSWIM The thinner ends were raised so that they were roughly level with the top of the thick ends, and on top of that either masses of twiggy brush wood (not so good) or stiffish mats of reeds or possibly thinly split cane, on top of that went a layer of cobb, about 6 inches thick, and the whole thing would have a gentle slope to water spouts.
The thickness of the beams needed depends more on the span than the weight of the covering.

Unfortunately I can't find a good picture. You can just about make out the thin beams used for the short span of this balcony roof, if you look at teh top of the whitewashed wall though. In the room behind, they would be significanlty thicker and more regularly arranged. https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/fa/thumb/6/60/Lalajin-An_old_house.jpg/350px-Lalajin-An_old_house.jpg(It says old house but actually it's not; unless you call 30ish years old.

James



Joined: 11 Jan 2006
Posts: 2866
Location: York
PostPosted: Thu Oct 29, 09 10:49 am    Post subject: Reply with quote
    

A bit more on the roof that woodburner is talking about, taken from the Peace Corp publication "handbook for building homes from earth" (a very good read):




shadiya



Joined: 02 Feb 2008
Posts: 1285

PostPosted: Thu Oct 29, 09 3:20 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote
    

I'm beginning to realise that this yoga studio is just a little bit more complicated than I first anticipated....

James



Joined: 11 Jan 2006
Posts: 2866
Location: York
PostPosted: Thu Oct 29, 09 10:10 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote
    

you can get more low-tech building ideas from Tony Wrenches work on his round Welsh Roundhouses (link).
The self supporting roof is quite simply beautiful.

shadiya



Joined: 02 Feb 2008
Posts: 1285

PostPosted: Fri Oct 30, 09 11:39 am    Post subject: Reply with quote
    

Yes, I have the book and visited the house and must admit, had initially planned a reciprocal frame roof. However, I've been talked out of it on the grounds that we'd have to buy the poles in rather than use some of the wood we already have on the farm. We need to get the thing up and covered in the next three weeks so think we'll probably use roofing felt to start with. Will try and post some pictures but don't know how of course. Still, haven't done more than clear the area yet so still time to learn!

vegplot



Joined: 19 Apr 2007
Posts: 21301
Location: Bethesda, Gwynedd
PostPosted: Fri Oct 30, 09 12:11 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote
    

I'm a big fan of corrugate iron roofing. It's relatively cheap and recyclable at the end of its life. If you're going to collect rain water it needs painting but it's quick to fit and relatively light weight.

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