Are you looking for a timber workshop, but not sure where to start with your search? An important thing to think about is your roofing choice. The right roofing material will ensure water stays out of your workshop – particularly important when you’re up against the Scottish weather.
At G&M, we’ve been making timber buildings for over 35 years, so we’ve seen exactly how different roofing materials perform over time. We used to use roofing felt, but now we use steel box profile roofing for the majority of our buildings.
This is your ultimate guide to workshop roofing – you’ll be able to choose a workshop roofing material that reflects your needs and budget.
Is felt the best roofing material for a workshop?
Felt is a cheap roofing material that’s a popular choice for garden buildings like sheds, summerhouses and workshops. It’s a bitumen-coated sheet with mineral flakes on the surface. Felt can be installed in several ways – tacked, adhered or torched on.
Felt is a low-cost roofing material which usually costs between £20 – £60 for a 10m² roll, depending on quality. Most budget workshop suppliers use felt as their standard roofing material.
The quality of roofing felt is mainly determined by its weight. Light felt can be flimsy, making it easier to damage, tear or lift in the wind. When we used felt, we used SBS 180 polyester felt. This weighs 34kg for a 10m² sheet, and is at the higher end of the scale in terms of quality.
For workshops, you’ll want the felt to be at least 20kg per 10m² sheet. Ideally, 25kg – 35kg, for a larger workshop.
What are the pros of felt roofing?
The main benefits of felt roofing are that it’s cheap, easy to install (as long as it’s not torch-on), and provides a good level of waterproofing.
What are the cons of felt roofing?
A significant drawback of felt is that it doesn’t have a long lifespan and will likely need to be replaced every 10 years. Even if a roofing felt has a life expectancy of 15 years, you’ll find that it only has a manufacturer’s guarantee of 1 year.
Felt isn’t the best choice for larger workshops, where more seams are needed. Even though the felt itself is waterproof, the joins and overlaps in the material are vulnerable to leaks.
On flat or low-pitched roofs, water can pool, damaging the felt and leading to water ingress issues for your workshop. If you are buying a workshop with felt roofing, we’d recommend choosing an apex-style roof as it sheds water quickly, protecting your felt.
Further Reading: Why Gillies & Mackay don’t use roofing felt.
Are shingles the best roofing material for a workshop?
Shingles are a premium roofing option, available in materials like bitumen, cedar, metal and more. Prices vary depending on the type of shingles you choose – but generally they’re more expensive than felt or steel.
At G&M, we use Isola shingles, which are made from bitumen, for some of our Radiata Garden Room models. These offer excellent protection from wind and rain, and come with a 30-year manufacturer’s guarantee.
What are the pros of shingled roofing?
A great benefit of shingles is that they are long-lasting and very weather-resistant. They tend to come with at least a 20-year life span, and their overlapping design means they provide plenty of protection from the weather.
One major advantage is that individual shingles can be replaced if they’re accidentally damaged by wind or weather. This is a much smaller job than replacing an entire roof.
Shingles also come in plenty of shapes, colours and styles, making them the most aesthetically pleasing roofing material on this list.
What are the cons of shingled roofing?
Shingles are an expensive roofing material and take skill and time to install, increasing prices further. For example, to upgrade a 16’ x 8’ G&M Workshop, from our standard steel roofing to shingles, it would be an extra cost of around £600.
A downside of shingles is that they’re not suitable for all roof types. At G&M, we only use shingles on shaped or small apex roofs, as they have a sufficient roof pitch for water run-off.
Shingles are not suitable for workshops with flat roofs, and we wouldn’t recommend them for low-pitch pent workshops either.
Is EPDM the best roofing material for a workshop?
EPDM roofing is a synthetic rubber membrane mainly used for flat or low-pitched roofs. It’s typically installed as a single membrane that’s fully adhered to the roof. Applying the EPDM as a single-ply membrane means that there are fewer seams where water can get in.
If you’re considering this roofing, make sure your workshop is being built by a company that specialises in EPDM installation. Precise installation is crucial for EPDM to perform as expected.
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What are the pros of EPDM roofing?
EPDM is a medium-range roofing option in terms of cost, more expensive than felt, but cheaper than shingles, and comes with an impressive lifespan of 30 – 50 years. It’s highly resistant to UV exposure and offers a good level of waterproofing – making it perfect for use in Scotland.
If your sights are set on a workshop with a flat roof, EPDM is a more reliable and long-lasting option compared to felt.
What are the cons of EPDM roofing?
EPDM isn’t suitable for most apex or pent roofs. On a pitched roof, the membrane is under constant tension, which can cause it to stretch or wrinkle, resulting in water ingress.
A small tear in the EPDM can be difficult to detect, causing water to seep in and spread across the roof before you’ve noticed it. Leaks like this can damage your workshop – which is why it’s important to regularly inspect the roofing.
Further Reading:
Is EPDM the best roofing material for a workshop?
Is steel box profile the best roofing material for a workshop?
Steel box profile roofing uses sheets of steel that have distinct ridges in them and a ‘box’ shaped edge. These panels are securely fixed to the roof of a workshop, creating a strong and watertight surface.
At G&M, we use steel box profile roofing for the majority of our buildings, including our 3-Tier Workshops.
What are the pros of steel box profile roofing?
Steel is another mid-range option in terms of cost, but it is unmatched for durability, lifespan and weather resistance. The steel sheets we use at G&M are coated in polyester, offering protection against water, rust and UV.
The box profile design is ideal for effectively shedding water, and its rigidity makes it very resistant to wind uplift.
Steel box profile roofing has a life expectancy of up to 50 years, and the steel that we use here at G&M comes with a 20-year manufacturer’s guarantee.
If you need a workshop roof that can withstand the tough Scottish weather and last for decades, steel box profile roofing is a perfect solution.
What are the cons of steel box profile roofing?
The main downside of steel box profile roofing is that it can look quite industrial. It doesn’t offer as much charm and character as options like shingles, so it might not be to everyone’s taste. The look of the steel box profile can be customised in some cases with different colour choices.
What’s the best roofing material for a workshop?
Now that you know your workshop roofing options, you can choose the right Workshop for your needs and budget.
If you need a sturdy Workshop that’s guaranteed to stay watertight, our 3-Tier Workshop could be the ideal building for you.
Whether you choose to have our standard steel box profile roofing or upgrade to some pretty Isola shingles, your 3-Tier Workshop will always stay dry and, of course, comes with our 30-Year Guarantee.
To see our sturdy Workshop up close, visit our Show Area in Errol.
