What is the best shed roofing for high winds? How to prepare your shed for storms

With storms and freak weather becoming a more common occurrence across the globe, you might be wondering how you can take steps to ensure your property is protected. Garden sheds are particularly at risk and prone to damage in bad weather, but luckily, there are ways to ensure that your outdoor structure remains safe and secure.

Traditional roofing such as felt and tiles often become damaged in stormy weather conditions. Felt is easily torn and ripped, and tiles easily broken, which can result in a roof that’s not only dangerous, but likely to leak and cause havoc with the contents.

The answer? You may think we’re biased but our bitumen roofing sheets and roof shingles are perfect for weathering the storm. They’re durable and able to withstand extreme weather conditions, in fact, our roofing sheets have proved themselves more than capable in dealing with even UK extreme gales and weather events being tested to withstand wind speeds of up to 120mph (192kph - 53.6 m/s). Not bad!

Not only is our roofing the ideal solution for your shed in bad weather, they come with many other incredible features too. You might be surprised that even with their incredible ability to withstand extreme weather, they’re still super lightweight and easy to handle. Designed with DIY-ers in mind, but also loved by trade, you don’t have to worry about any fiddly installation or specialist tools needed. Installation is straightforward, and our roofing sheets are easy to cut too! Not only this they’re eco-friendly and made with recycled materials, durable, watertight, and come with a minimum 10-year guarantee. What more could you ask for?!

Step 1 - replace your shed roof with bitumen roofing sheets

Now that you know that our roofing is a suitable option for high winds, you might want to find out more about installation - here are the steps you need to take to install our CLASSIC roofing…

• Firstly, you should be able to install our roofing sheets on top of your existing roof material. You can either lay them straight on top (as long as there is a good quality full deck underneath) or you can add wooden battens on top, at an equal distance, to create a good structure for the sheets
• Then lay the sheets over the gutter line with an overhang and lay them in the opposite direction to the wind
• Lay your second row so the first sheet is parallel to the corrugations but not in line with the first
• Fix the sheets at the eaves, overlaps and ridges with the correct fixings
• Fix a verge to the edge for ultimate aesthetic, waterproofing and wind resistance, fixing to the sidewall first and then the roofing sheets with an overlap
• Et voila…a sturdy storm-proof roof!

Another product recommendation, especially if you live in an area of high winds (such as coastal locations and the countryside) is our BARDOLINE shingles. Find out more about them here and how to install them here.

Step 2 - inspect doors and windows

It’s important that you give your shed an inspection especially around the doors and windows, to identify any possible gaps and cracks where cold air and rain could enter. Seal them off to give your shed even more protection, this will prevent any moisture from entering the structure and keep your belongings safe and dry.

Step 3 - a solid structure is key

Any split or worn wood around your shed is going to be potentially problematic during harsh weather conditions, so it’s important that your shed is in a fairly good condition. A solid foundation that lifts your shed off of the floor is also advised as moisture likes to creep up from the ground, and by building a base for your shed to sit on, eliminates this issue.

Step 4 - organise your shed interior

Even with all of the planning and weatherproofing, accidents and unfortunate events do occur and you don’t want to be caught out! Get organised with your interior, using boxes with snap-lock lids to securely store any items of value and electricals. Use racking, shelves, and where possible, avoid storing too many items on the floor, just in case!

Step 5 - keep foliage at bay

If storms are expected, one other important thing to do is assess the foliage around your shed. Cut back any large bushes and overhanging trees to avoid any rogue branches snapping off and damaging your roof or shed structure. You don’t want to end up with any smashed windows or damaged roofing.

Ready to get started on your storm-safe roofing project? Don't forget our lightweight and easy-to-install roofing can be purchased via our eShop. Select ranges are also available via Amazon, and Wickes. Check out our full list of stockists.

Also, if you have any questions about our roofing, our team will be happy to help and you can contact us by calling 0207 727 0533 or emailing [email protected].

Discover the full range at onduline.co.uk