A Steel Roof on a Wooden Shed

Are you weighing up the pros and cons on whether to get a steel roof on your wooden shed? You’re not alone. Steel roofs can be an expensive addition to a wooden shed, but some will claim that it’s money well spent in the long-run. You could spend hours trying to see if it’s worth it, but there’s no need. We’re here to make it that bit easier for you, as usual.

In today’s post we’ll look at whether a Steel Roof on a Wooden Shed is as good as an investment as some people claim that it is. We’ll start with the main benefit that steel roofs offer: Longevity.

 

 

Longevity

“The first thing to go in almost any wooden shed, is the felt roof”. This is something you’ll hear in any shed showroom around the country, and it’s true. Wooden Sheds (with perhaps the exception of the thin Rustic Wood) are all made to last for donkeys-years, and pressure-treated ones lasting even longer. However, the felt roof is still the most vulnerable part of any shed. It’s the part that gets hit the most with rain, snow etc., and it’s not as robust as the wooden planks that make up the body of the shed. So over a decade or two, it will invariably begin to break down, unless it’s treated and repaired before it’s beyond the point of no return.

The biggest benefit of installing a steel roof is it will last you bloody ages. The Steel Roofs that we offer on our Wooden Sheds are all galvanised, so they’ll last considerably longer than any mineral felt roof. Google states that Galvanised steel can last between 34-170 years. So if you’re looking for a long life span on a shed roof, a galvanised roof is clearly the way to go.

 

Durability

Steel roofs are as tough as a bread roll left out overnight. They can absorb all sorts of abuse from the bizarre weather that we get here in Ireland. They’ll tackle snow better than Paul O Connell on an Arctic Expedition and they can absorb winds up to 100mph with little issue. You can’t say the same about mineral felt roofs. However, this isn’t to say that Steel Roofs are invulnerable. Their kryptonite is not something drastic, but rather something consistent; being under a tree with branches that can continually scratch away at the galvanisation. Provided this isn’t the case for you, your steel roof is going to act as your shed’s enforcer its lifespan.

 

 

Fire Resistance

This may not be as big as a necessity in Ireland as it is in US states or Australia, but it’s often explained that steel sheds ‘do not spark’ if stuck by lightning. I mean, chances are that it’s not going to happen, but should Thor get the hump with the Emerald Isle, at least you know the top of your shed will grand.

 

Steel roof on a wooden shed: Cost

While people are surprised to learn that Steel Sheds are considerably more affordable than Wooden ones, adding a steel roof to a Wooden Shed comes at some expense. Steel Roofs are available from €200 upwards, becoming increasingly expensive as the size of the shed grows.

This raises the question, ‘is the cost of the steel shed justified if I can just replace the felt roof later?’. To this plucky and attractive writer, it’s a personal choice. You can either pay a one-time payment and get a Galvanised Steel Roof that’ll probably last longer than you, or you can pay less now, knowing that you’ll eventually either need to get someone to replace the felt-roof (or get a whole new shed).

The cost of the steel roof negates any hassle of getting someone in to re-do your felt roof, which to some people is enough to justify it. On a wholly personal aside here, I rarely encounter people in the store who are coming in to replace a wooden shed that has a steel roof; the vast majority of people replacing sheds all start off with the same line “we’ve a shed in the garden for the past x years – it owes us nothing at this stage, but the roof has fallen in and it’s falling apart now”.

If cost isn’t a factor, the steel roof is better option.

 

They’re literally cooler

Steel roofs will reflect heat from the sun which will keep your garden shed nice and cool. This benefit really comes into play during the summer months, when a garden shed can essentially act as a half workshop / half sauna. The steel roof will keep the area a lot more chilled compared to your standard mineral felt roof that sucks the heat up like a straw. If you plan on spending a lot of time in your shed during the warmer months, a steel roof might be a no-brainer for you.

On the other side of the weather-spectrum, during snowfalls Steel Roofs remain smooth and snowfall will simply slide off once it begins to thaw, rather than abrasively drag down the side of a felt roof. We don’t get a whole lot of snow here in Ireland, but when we do, it won’t affect your shed’s health if you have a steel roof.

 

The final word

Steel roofs are offered as an option for our Wooden Shed as they’re just that – optional. You can get a wooden shed with a felt roof and it’ll be perfectly serviceable for years to come. Steel roofs offer additional longevity, a controlled temperature and weather resistance – but at an upfront financial cost. We cannot offer a Steel Roof after a shed has been installed, so it’s something to make sure you get right at the time of order.

At the end of it all though, the choice comes down to what you want, as well as what you might need. Hopefully our guide above has helped steer you in the right direction. If you’re still unsure call us at 01 864 4247 or message us on Facebook and we might be able to help more in person.

 

If you’re looking for more information about sheds, and you’re wondering what the difference is between steel and wood sheds in general, make sure to give this a read. Steel Sheds Vs Wooden Sheds: Which is best?