# Stable roof replacement



## stimpy (17 May 2013)

I have to replace the roof on my stables.  It has been leaking badly for the last two years and it is an onduline roof that has come to the end of its life. My stable block is an L shape, 2 stables on one side, open field shelter on the other and I use the dark, small corner stable as a tack and feed room. I have just received a quote to redo it in onduline and it is £3500 :-( A further £1200 to do it in fibre cement sheets rather than onduline.  

This is *much* more than I was expecting (and can afford)  so I am now wondering how feasible it would be to attempt to replace it ourselves.  Do you think this is feasible for me and my OH to do it using basic DIY skills? 

I'd also like to get a second quote but am having trouble getting anyone to quote, general roofing company came and had a look but I am fed up with chasing them to give me the quote. Does anyone have any recommendations?  I am in north Wiltshire.


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## HelenPassfield (17 May 2013)

Yes very expensive.  I could probably do you a solar roof for that, then you'd get electricity thrown in as well!


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## be positive (17 May 2013)

Mine were redone with Onduline by a competent DIYer friend and a not so able assistant, it seemed to be fairly straightforward, removing the old roof, fixing the odd bit of wood that had gone a bot soft, then putting on the new sheets.
It has been fine so far.


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## HelenPassfield (17 May 2013)

Is it a wooden block?  If so I used to have a very similar block and I seem to remember it being not much more than that to build the whole thing (excluding base), so the quote does seem over the top.


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## stimpy (17 May 2013)

HelenPassfield said:



			Is it a wooden block?  If so I used to have a very similar block and I seem to remember it being not much more than that to build the whole thing (excluding base), so the quote does seem over the top.
		
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Yep it's wooden.  I didn't build the block so don't know how much it cost.


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## stimpy (17 May 2013)

be positive said:



			Mine were redone with Onduline by a competent DIYer friend and a not so able assistant, it seemed to be fairly straightforward, removing the old roof, fixing the odd bit of wood that had gone a bot soft, then putting on the new sheets.
It has been fine so far.
		
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That's encouraging  

Did you remove all the guttering and then re-fix after you had trimmed the overhang? I am a bit worried about doing the valley on the corner, this is the bit that has leaked the worst, and it looks the most complicated to get right.


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## HelenPassfield (17 May 2013)

stimpy said:



			Yep it's wooden.  I didn't build the block so don't know how much it cost.
		
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That does seem expensive then, although it's going back about 10 years now the wooden block I had at the time sounds very similar to yours.  I got it built from new and it included the onduine roofing.

Personally I wouldn't try to re-do the roof on my own (not very skilled at DIY), but with my husband I'm pretty sure we could get the job done.


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## Dry Rot (17 May 2013)

Sorry to have to say it, but if you got Onduline, you have only yourself to blame! It is basically bitumen impregnated cardboard.

I recently re-roofed a 12ft x 30ft stable block myself and it was easy enough. (I was 72 at the time). I phoned around the roofing supply companies and found a load of new box section that was an odd size and a cancelled order, so I got a very generous discount, then made the roof to measure. It now has a 750mm over hang in the front it didn't have before and looks much smarter!

Some of the roofing material web sites give full instructions for fitting box section and once its done you know it is done for life. I think corrugated iron is a bit more expensive.


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## stimpy (17 May 2013)

Dry Rot said:



			Sorry to have to say it, but if you got Onduline, you have only yourself to blame! It is basically bitumen impregnated cardboard.

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Nope, I didn't build the stables so it's not my fault! 



Dry Rot said:



			I recently re-roofed a 12ft x 30ft stable block myself and it was easy enough. (I was 72 at the time). I phoned around the roofing supply companies and found a load of new box section that was an odd size and a cancelled order, so I got a very generous discount, then made the roof to measure. It now has a 750mm over hang in the front it didn't have before and looks much smarter!

Some of the roofing material web sites give full instructions for fitting box section and once its done you know it is done for life. I think corrugated iron is a bit more expensive.
		
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Crikey, you put me to shame 

I have box section roof on a field shelter that I use for storage and it suffers horribly with condensation, and that's even without a warm horse standing in it, how do you find the box section on your stables?


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## alsxx (17 May 2013)

We had to replace the roof on our stables (although only a block of two!), and used plywood and felt - we've had no problems other than some incredibly high winds the first winter that ripped off some of the felt, so OH had to go up the next day to repair ;-) it was also very cheap to do!


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## The Fuzzy Furry (17 May 2013)

I had to re-roof the 45yr old double field shelter (yes, it is that old!) 3 winters ago. (11 x 23ft)
It had been leaking for the previous 3 winters but had survived as I had an old tarp over it.
It was actually cheaper to get a good stable company out than for any of the local builders to do it  Worth trying a few, specially if you are able to tear down the old & have it ready for them to install new 
Had compressed corrugated concrete sheets put on as a like-for-like


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## Dry Rot (17 May 2013)

stimpy said:



			I have box section roof on a field shelter that I use for storage and it suffers horribly with condensation, and that's even without a warm horse standing in it, how do you find the box section on your stables?
		
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Any steel sheet roofing material for a stables needs to be laid on ply with a felt damp proof membrane between the steel and the ply. Don't put anything in the corrugations of the sheeting as it helps if the air can get in. (It is very tempting to get the special plastic inserts to seal the ends of the sheeting but not a good idea! You want the air to get in there between the sheet and the ply).

I used corrugated iron on my field shelter which I assumed would not drip because one long side is completely open. Wrong! It still dripped in damp weather. The cheap solution was to tack polythene sheeting (builders' damp proof membrane) under the rafters with 50mm x 12mm strips. 

If you want more information go to http://www.morrichhighlandponies.co.uk/newprojects.htm and scroll down to the field shelter.


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## lachlanandmarcus (17 May 2013)

I like Onduline. It doesn't last forever (tho 5 years and counting on our highland hillside) but the point about it is that it is easy and safe to handle and to replace on a DIY basis, as well as being relatively inexpensive. If replaced before the lining board is ruined it is an easy job.

And I know what I would rather was flying through the air towards my animals, rather than razor sharp heavy tin sheets, if it came to it.

It won't last as long as some of the other materials, but I think it definitely has its place.


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## Venevidivici (17 May 2013)

You can get box section (square U or round U shaped)now that has a special anti-condensation coating(on the underside,I presume). I also presume its more expensive than the ordinary box section sheets. Haven't used it myself but when the roof needs replacing (current roof is looking ok),I'll price it up and consider it.


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## stimpy (18 May 2013)

Thanks all.  I feel like I may give this a go myself


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